Wounded habitus and (symbolic) violence. Journalists, media fields and democratic fragility

Abstract

Drawing on Bourdieu’s theories of fields and symbolic power, this article analyses threats against Italian journalists as instances of symbolic violence inherent in the media landscape. Harassment is not just an isolated incident; it is a communicative mechanism that delegitimises journalistic authority and weakens professional autonomy. The study is based on a qualitative investigation that combined focus groups and photo-elicitation interviews with national and local journalists. The findings show that repeated digital hostility creates a climate of 'ambient intimidation', normalising fear and shaping the professional habitus towards caution, self-regulation and anticipatory compliance. Visual narratives also reveal symbolic practices of resilience, through which journalists reaffirm their professional identity and sense of collective belonging. This article makes a contribution to the field of media sociology by demonstrating how contemporary struggles over truth, authority and visibility manifest themselves in the form of communicative violence targeting journalists.