A Space for Women: Online Commenting Forums as Indicators of Civility and Feminist Community-Building

Abstract

Despite growing opportunities for online discourse, women consistently face hostility in online forums. This chapter considers how conversations devoted to women’s issues become spaces for misogyny or feminist community-building. Through analyzing online forums associated with female-authored news coverage of NFL player Ray Rice’s violence against his fiancée in 2014, the researchers studied how these forums represented characteristics of online publics and networked publics, in particular. Findings show that participants shared personal testimonies and suggestions for reform, and some journalists encouraged supportive discourse. However, some uncivil behavior and criticism of women’s presence also emerged. The conclusion presents tactics for encouraging women to participate, but some practices may inhibit feminist discourse unless the forum structure can be managed to control the context and audience for conversation.