Seeking Justice Online

In some states of the US mugshots are posted online by the police as a form of public entertainment and denunciation. In Russia the power of publicizing is used by citizen groups that film and post videos of reckless driving, shaming other citizens into better behaviour. Social movements like #MeToo and Black Lives Matter have catalysed through new media, leading to global attention, change and engagement. With the arrival and growth of the internet comes a domain that redefines legal, social and cultural norms. Not only has it created a venue in which content and opinions are more easily distributed and accessible, it has also changed the relations between peers, as well as between citizens and institutions.

What behaviour is acceptable on the internet and when does it cross a line? How does it influence our actions, the way we perceive, relate to or judge each other? Are we more aware of how we (mis)behave, knowing it could end up going viral the next day? And are institutions such as the police or politicians allowed to use the same means? Together with experts Gabry Vanderveen, Isabel Vincent and Gilles Favarel-Garrigues we are going to look at international examples in which digital media users respond to individuals and institutions breaching moral and/or legal boundaries.

This event is organised in conjunction with a two-day symposium on the topic of vigilant audiences and online shaming. This symposium is also free and open to the public, although registration is required. More information including the registration link can be found here

With:

• Isabel Vincent is a PhD candidate of Creative Studies at Bangor University Wales, her research focuses on undercover marketing practices that blur the line between fiction and reality.
• Gilles Favarel-Garrigues is senior researcher at the Center of International Studies of SciencesPo in Paris, France. His specialism lies in deviance, moral crusade and policing.
• Gabry Vanderveen is assistant professor Criminology at the Erasmus School of Law. Her areas of expertise are criminological perceptions and attitudes, visuals in the legal system and visual methods.

The event will be moderated by Daniel Trottier, associate professor at the department of Media & Communication at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. His current research considers the use of digital media for the purposes of scrutiny, denunciation and shaming.