‘I would love for a woman to not have to fight twice as hard to get half as much in a male-dominated space’.The techniques that Miller refers to include targeting our identity and tapping into our emotions. “Exploitation of outrage, humour and anger are part of these campaigns. Emotion is much more important than reason to get people to change their minds. But often it’s simply a case of amplifying some truths over others.
In addition to the potential prospect that online manipulation has taken place in relation to the coverage of this trial, there is also the fact that court proceedings have become a source of memeable content and entertainment. Viral TikToks and humorous comedy sketches on the likes of Saturday Night Live can serve to dehumanise and trivialise what is a painful and sad situation no matter what side of the fence you are on. And this has alarmed women’s support groups.
“When large numbers of people are seeking to discredit or mock a woman talking about her experience of alleged abuse so publicly, concerns survivors may have about not being believed will be amplified,” continued Davison. “There is a very real risk that survivors will feel apprehensive seeking support.”