ABSTRACT
Public denunciations occur on a global scale, but are also embedded in local cultural practices. Local grievances risk going viral, being decontextualised and diffused beyond the control of anyone initially involved. Mediated shaming brings cascading effects that risk unjust and disproportionate harm to those under scrutiny. This chapter introduces digitally mediated visibility, specifically the production of the ‘court of public opinion’ to denounce targeted individuals. It focuses on media practices that generate controversy on a case-by-case basis, as notions of appropriate media use are reproduced on ideological grounds. These include responses to COVID-19, political polarisation, social justice movements, as well as everyday struggles among commuters. This chapter offers a conceptually driven mapping of denunciation, building on recent scholarship on surveillance, mediated visibility, status degradation, reputation and shaming in media.
