Why Do Female Politicians Face Outsized Abuse Online? Researcher Explains | Amanpour and Company

As the presidential campaigns of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are heating up, so too are the disinformation campaigns and online abuse. It’s nothing new for Harris. A 2020 report on presidential candidates found that the vast majority of attacks were directed at women. Nina Jankowicz, former head of the Disinformation Governance Board, tells Hari Sreenivasan that now, four years later, women -- and Harris in particular -- are still the primary targets of online abuse.

Originally aired on July 30, 2024

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Major support for Amanpour and Company is provided by Jim Attwood and Leslie Williams, Candace King Weir, the Sylvia A. and Simon B. Poyta Programming Endowment to Fight Antisemitism, the Leila and Mickey Straus Family Charitable Trust, Mark J. Blechner, the Filomen M. D’Agostino Foundation, Seton J. Melvin, the Peter G. Peterson and Joan Ganz Cooney Fund, Charles Rosenblum, Koo and Patricia Yuen, Barbara Hope Zuckerberg, and Jeffrey Katz and Beth Rogers.

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Amanpour and Company features wide-ranging, in-depth conversations with global thought leaders and cultural influencers on the issues and trends impacting the world each day, from politics, business and technology to arts, science and sports. Christiane Amanpour leads the conversation on global and domestic news from London with contributions by prominent journalists Walter Isaacson, Michel Martin, Alicia Menendez and Hari Sreenivasan from the Tisch WNET Studios at Lincoln Center in New York City.

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[davidchace]

I'll vote for people who take these issues seriously, and don't see them as somehow partisan.

[valeriewebster]

Important to speak out about the cruel, outsized abuse women politicians receive online. Terrible the way women are bullied. We need to do better!

[markhammer]

Recently, the mayor of the city adjacent to my own resigned, because she couldn't take all the hostility and anti-female online abuse directed at her. It wasn't because she was doing a bad job, either. Following that, a report from her province noted the substantial number of female elected officials who resigned before the end of their terms for similar reasons. The pox of misogyny simply refuses to go away.

[Ullumma]

I'm choosing the candidates who believe in women's liberties and Climate Change!♥️

[megaohmaudio]

Regulate the giant tech companies?
They need to be broken up!

[treefarm]

I watched Media Watch from ABC News (Australia) and was shocked to see the summary of abuse of Ms. Harris from Murdoch press and media all over Australia. Disgraceful.

[marissadower-morgan]

Today, there are still few Women in Politics . And clearly they are not welcome . This includes the Boardroom of Business and in many other Power positions . When I was a girl women could only hope to be a secretary, or a waitress or a Nurse, never a Boss .

[patriciaheflin]

Thank you for tackling this issue even in the face of threats. The disinformation is just so gross and dehumanizing. And elon is such an avid promoter of conspiracy theories and lies. Reprehensible.

[Zapp]

*_Young, Gifted & Black !!!_*
🇺🇸 KAMALA HARRIS 🇺🇸
• 1990–2004: Prosecutor
• 2011–2017: Attorney General of California
• 2017–2021: U.S. Senator from California
• 2021–2024: Vice President of the United States
• 2024–2028: President of the United States

[jimbox]

Social media. I don’t believe that FB, X and others should be allowed to make a lot of money by selling users personal information.

[theresethomas]

I am so very sad about our country. I could weep.

[croaker]

It's because the worst of us are the most vocal and that's even more true online.

[alphaomega]

We all know what camp is mostly responsible and for the rest of the hate online.

[nicolasdelaforge]

Thr Russians launched an ad in France where Tom Cruise is seen denouncing the Paris Olympics! Yet, he can do nothing about it! Luckily, the French were able to show it emanating from Russia.

[nancyte]

Thank you, Nina for your reporting & work on transparency in the American 🇺🇸 media sector & Right group 11:06 degrading our right to free speech in our USA! We have to right the wrong here, it is very important to our country & democracy!!! Thank you again! Sorry for the Threats against you! 🇺🇸🙏🥰💙🌎🙌🏼

[nsnopper]

Oh, how I wish for a more civilized age. I still remember Ronald Reagan starting a debate (1984 election) with Walter Mondale with a joke about age. It even brought a big smile to Mr. Mondale’s face. What have we become?

[ThomasFromTN]

A psychologist a personal acquaintance recently speculated that more or less the world is comprised of approximately 10% of objectively psychopathic personalities. My life experience an intuition informs me that conclusion is an underestimate.

[kereneldad]

Wow. It’s like what happened to Marie Antoinette. In 2024. We have a way to go yet. This piece fired me up to keep going!

[plumtart]

My 86 year old mother can answer this question: "America hates women"

[toniblackman]

People are truly deranged! Certain people will try any and everything! Disheartening! The more things change, the more they stay the same!