#iamhere: Collective Counterspeech and the Quest to Improve Online Discourse

Abstract

This article examines the Facebook group #jagärhär, a Sweden-based collective of thousands of people who have made a regular practice of responding en masse to what they regard as hateful comments online. #jagärhar is one of the largest and best-organized collective efforts to respond directly to hatred online anywhere in the world. Drawing on data collected through ethnographic observation and interviews, the article explores two primary research questions: (1) how do the external counterspeech actions of group members work to counter hatred (and, sometimes, misinformation)? and (2) how do the internal practices of the group keep members engaged? I argue that instead of focusing their work on preventing future hateful speech (presumably by changing the minds or incentives of those who post it), #jagärhär members fight against its effects—attempting to lessen the impact of the hateful speech by hiding it in the comment threads, speaking to the “movable middle” rather than those posting hatred, and encouraging more counterspeech against it.