Lebanon: A Smear Online Campaign Against Journalist Mahassen Maursal Over Fake News.
Location: Lebanon, Beirut
Date: October 3, 2020
Journalist Mahassen Maursal was attacked online and a Twitter campaign was launched against her upon fake news. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns this vicious attack on the journalist and highlights the gravity of fake news.
Journalist Mahassen was surprised by a fake tweet claiming that she was arrested for dealing and communicating with Israel. This fake tweet was published by a journalist called Cristal Jewish. Accounts on Twitter attacked the journalist, called her a traitor who wants to normalize relations with Israel, and many other accusations.
In the beginning, Mahassen didn’t pay attention to these fake posts but over the online attacks on her, she decided to report to the Cyber Crimes office. The office heard her complaint and explained that they can’t take any measure unless she files a complaint in the prosecutor's office. Mahassen filed a case against Jewish and the accounts that attacked her. upon publishing the complaint that the fake tweet against her was removed.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled by the constant online attacks on women journalists around the world and calls for urgent action by Social media platforms to ensure women journalists' safety on their platforms and to develop tools to prevent such fake news from spreading.
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.