An exploration of gender based violence in online print media stories on prominent women journalists in Kenya (N/B Extraction from the ‘Media Coverage Media coverage of Online Violence against women Journalists in Kenya’) Author: Robi Koki Ochieng Communication Consultant / Media Critique Lecturer - Media Studies, Organizational & Development Communication United States International University -Africa (USIU) P.O. Box 14634-00800, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254-20-3606000/+254730116000 Mobile : +254722312562 Email :
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[email protected] Abstract This is an exploratory qualitative study that was commissioned by the Association of Women in Media (AMWIK) explored the nature, type and trends in Online Violence against women journalists in Kenya. This paper submits extraction that provide the context in which Technology Based Violence facilitates indirect acts of bullying based on rumours and gossip perpetuated thought anonymous sources and spread like a fire online. Content analysis of various stories from online magazines such as Kenyayote, Ghafla, Kenyan- post, Softkenya, Kenya-today, Najee, Mpasho, Tuko, Kenyabuzz, Nairobiwire, Kahawatungu, Cyprian Nyakundi, The Standard, Nation and The Star among others provided the fodder to carry out sentiment analysis as sifted by NVIVO 11 to understand what bullying tactics are transferred online from similar offline experiences. Purposive Sampling based on listing from an online website ‘Kenyayote’ that aggregates stories and media content in Kenya, was used to select the top or most influential women journalists in the study. A sample of 17 women journalists was purposively selected and stories about them from the entertainment sections of these online magazines Key words: Online violence, Technology Assisted Violence, Gender Based Violence, Women Journalist, Cyberbullying Introduction Online Gender Violence, otherwise referred to as Technology Based Violence, exists within a context.