Enough is Enough’: Journalist Asma Shirazi Denounces Harassment Campaign
Enough is Enough’: Journalist Asma Shirazi Denounces Harassment Campaign
On Sunday, senior journalist Asma Shirazi condemned a continuous harassment campaign aimed at her and other women in journalism, stating, “Enough is enough.” Meanwhile, well-known media personalities supported a petition from the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) that demanded an end to systematic harassment by political parties.
The petition has thus far garnered more than 60 signatures from individuals in print, television, and digital media. In an interview with Dawn.com, Shirazi remarked that political parties have been engaging in targeted harassment campaigns against female journalists for quite some time, noting that the DRF’s petition indicates that such tactics will not be accepted any longer. “I have been targeted multiple times,” she expressed.
“I become a topic of discussion as a way to intimidate and threaten others.” The journalist mentioned that a “core committee member of a political party” has orchestrated these campaigns through a YouTube channel, utilizing indecent imagery of female journalists in his thumbnails. “He is not disconnected from the party, nor has the party distanced itself from him,” she stated. “He posts images of women and employs vulgar thumbnails to generate income. Naturally, there is significant concern regarding this.” Shirazi did not disclose the party member’s name or the political party he is affiliated with. “There is significant anxiety among female journalists about the biased propaganda circulating on X and Facebook,” Shirazi remarked.
“Harassment has become a norm, so I have confronted this issue. We must bring attention to this and question how long these biased campaigns will persist, even toward male journalists. “The DRF has undertaken this initiative, and stopping harassment is its primary objective. Enough is enough,” she asserted. Previously, Shirazi expressed her concerns about the targeted harassment on the X platform. In response to a post from the Coalition for Women in Journalism (CWJ), she stated, “Women are always vulnerable targets and have long faced harassment, but we choose not to be silenced. “We firmly uphold the truth and will persist in speaking out, regardless of the consequences,” she concluded.
‘Gendered disinformation campaign‘
In a press release released on Friday, the Network of Women Journalists for Digital Rights (NWJDR) vehemently condemned what it described as a “gendered disinformation campaign” directed at Shirazi. The release indicated that Shirazi was targeted by “supporters of a prominent political party, as well as political commentators and bloggers.” The specific political party was not identified. “The harassment and malicious comments directed at Asma Shirazi are unfounded and revolve around character assassination by online trolls and influential political commentators,” the statement expressed. “We call on political parties to impose disciplinary measures on those responsible for targeting female journalists and to publicly distance themselves from the actions of these trolls.” Referencing a report from the DRF, the press release pointed out that female journalists faced similar targeting while reporting on the General Elections in February. “These journalists found themselves vulnerable to online threats of physical harm, organized trolling campaigns, and gender-based insults,” said the NWJDR, citing the report.
Additionally, the press release referred to a study by the International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ), which revealed that Facebook and X were identified as the least secure platforms for female journalists. “The findings further showed that nearly 73 percent of women journalists experience online violence,” the press release stated. “The persistence of such targeted campaigns not only endangers the lives of individual journalists but also restricts the space for freedom of expression and press liberty as a whole. “These orchestrated disinformation and harassment initiatives cannot be normalized. NWJDR will continue to advocate for female journalists facing gendered abuse and assist victims in seeking justice each time such incidents occur,” it stated.
Prior targeted campaigns
The NWJDR noted that Shirazi was engaged in a two-year legal battle in the Islamabad High Court against the television channel ARY News and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) in 2021. Although she won the case, NWJDR remarked that the matter “involved a fabricated news article that undermined her [Shirazi’s] journalistic credibility.” “I feel extremely emotional, and yet this ruling has renewed my faith in the justice system,“ she expressed following the verdict in 2023. “This decision is a significant milestone not just for me but for all journalists who have encountered intimidation and harassment online and in traditional media.“ In 2021, Shirazi was also a target of a “government-backed troll campaign“ orchestrated by the then-PTI administration, as per a CWJ statement. The official Twitter (now X) account of the ruling party tried to discredit and associate Shirazi with accusations of being ‘obedient‘ to a ‘certified chor (thief) and absconder,‘ the statement indicated, denouncing these actions. Shirazi also endorsed a 2020 CWJ statement condemning the harassment and digital abuse faced by women in journalism, which highlighted that journalists are targeted for opposing party policies or differing opinions on specific issues.
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