Public Shame, Gender, and Power: The Case of a U.S. Representative and Intimate Image Abuse

Intimate image abuse, often called “revenge porn,” is a form of sexual exploitation that disproportionately targets women, especially those in public life. This research focuses on a case study of former U.S. Representative Katie Hill, who resigned from Congress after nude photographs of her were published without her consent. Analyzing social media content, this research examines how users framed Hill’s case and constructed meaning. This investigation sheds light on how gender and power in online mediated spaces cannot be distinguished from the inequalities and ideologies found in our so-called offline social interactions.