KARACHI: The Network of Women Journalists for Digital Rights (NWDJR) is “angered” and “deeply concerned” about the ongoing attacks against prominent women journalist Meher Bokhari and others in online spaces by PML-N supporters.

On examining multiple platforms, NWJDR has found non-consensual use of images, non-consensual use of intimate images and doctored images, created through generative artificial intelligence and other AI tools, of Ms Bokhari being shared online with sexist, misogynistic and sexualised gendered attacks.

It is not the first time women journalists have been targeted by political party supporters online. There has been pervasive and persistent online harassment, sexualised and otherwise gendered disinformation faced by women journalists in Pakistan, with many being threatened with physical assault and offline violence.

NWJDR has witnessed multiple incidents of female journalists’ private information being leaked online with what NWJDR can say are well-planned and directed efforts to silence them and resulted in stalking and offline harassment.

In Ms Bokhari’s case, the attempt to malign, scare and threaten her with morphed images of her on objectionable content through generative AI tools points towards a remarkably alarming trend of a new form of technology-facilitated gender-based violence against journalists.

Before the elections, NWJDR released a six-point agenda on media freedom and journalist safety for political parties’ electoral manifestos, which was signed by more than 100 journalists and civil society members on journalist safety.

It has been quite alarming and disappointing that despite the efforts to raise concerns with political parties around journalist safety, NWJDR witnessed, in a matter of days, attacks on journalists like Ms Bokhari, Maria Memon, Hamid Mir, Saadia Mazhar and Benazir Shah, to name a few along with the family members of journalists for simply reporting during general elections 2024.

The action angers NWJDR, and they’d like to reiterate that online violence and abuse constitute as an offense and complaint-based action should be taken by relevant authorities.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2024