China: Trolling of Asian Women Journalists On The Rise- CFWIJ Condemns Efforts By The Chinese Government To Delegitimize Media And Silence Criticism

Location:  China, Beijing
Date: January 2, 2023

Photo Credit: Kyodo, via Associated Press

Women journalists and analysts of Asian descent have been on the receiving end of increased harassment over the past year. Research by a think tank shows that this is most likely the result of a coordinated campaign by the Chinese government in effort to discredit the media. The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands that the Chinese government takes responsibility and loosens its grip on media suppression. 

Women journalists are no strangers to criticism, however, harassment largely played out on Twitter, is now a daily occurrence, and is no longer solely related to their reportage. Journalists, analysts and researchers who focus on China are familiar with the pattern of abuse.

It ranges from offensive remarks about an individual’s appearance to slander, accusations of traitorous activity, or threats of violence. 

According to the independent, non-partisan think tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), the aim of the abuse is to silence women journalists and discredit their critical coverage of China. The ASPI has identified numerous spam accounts created exclusively for targeting Asian women journalists including those who reside and report in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. These orchestrated online attacks are the newest tactic adopted by authoritarian governments to intimidate and silence journalists.

ASPI has identified based on their June and November reports that a network dubbed "Spamouflage" is possibly responsible for the harassment. “Spamouflage” is an extensive network of Beijing-linked accounts first identified in 2019. The main focus of the network's activity has been on Hong Kong pro-democracy protests, Taiwan, COVID-19 and human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

According to social media platform Twitter, over 900 accounts linked to Beijing were first identified in 2019 as a “significant state-backed” operation.

The latest report from ASPI determined that graphic online depictions of sexual assault, as well as homophobia, racist imagery and life-threatening intimidation — like telling targets to kill themselves — “are a growing part of the Chinese Communist Party’s toolkit of digital transnational repression.”

“People like you who betray the motherland, smear and slander at will, are really inferior to dogs,” one tweet cited in the report said. Another read, “I advise you not to run around. Stray dogs are easy to kill.”

Yaqiu Wang, a senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch (HRW), who focuses on issues including internet censorship, has experienced relentless online harassment over her work.

Tracy Wen Liu, an award-winning freelance writer, and a U.S. reporter for German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, is among the journalists targeted. Liu who focuses on women's rights, justice for marginalized people, and the U.S.-China relationship has regularly received abusive direct messages on Twitter. Liu said the harassment is likely part of Beijing’s broader efforts to delegitimize Western media in general and quell criticism of China.

However, these vicious attacks and constant abuse have led a large number of journalists to quit their jobs or even their professions altogether. This is alarming since it has never been more important for the public to have access to good quality journalism which they can trust. From this perspective, the critical voices of these women journalists are more important than ever. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands that social media platforms do a better job responding to reports of abuse of women journalists, including disabling trolls’ accounts and providing better safety tools for users. We condemn all efforts made by the Chinese government to silence criticism through harassment of women journalists. Global reputation and democratic values must not be gained and upheld through authoritative measures. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.