On the 22^nd of January a live feed started in one of the largest groups on Facebook, “Den största gruppen utan regler”. Live broadcasts in the group was not unheard of, but this one turned out to be something more shocking than any that came before it. Three men sexually assaulted a seemingly unconscious woman and shared the assault with the members of the group. Despite several attempts to dissuade the men from continuing what they were doing, the assault and the live feed continued until police entered the premises where it was filmed.

As would be expected editorial media featured a high volume of articles on what became known as the Facebook Rape in the days following the assault. The purpose of this study was to collect, analyse and discuss the main features of the resulting media discourse. By locating four newsrooms, each representing a different segment of the Swedish media market, and examine their texts on the subject patterns and ideological expressions within the discourse were revealed. Although focused on the specific case of the Facebook Rape, the results achieved through this critical discourse analysis led to conclusions on sexual violence reporting in the media. Furthermore, the results revealed a struggle to maintain constructional authority over news narratives, an authority that is threatened by the introduction of social media platforms that provide the tools to turn anyone into a protagonist.

Through the interrogation of the application of news values, representations of victim, perpetrators and other agents and reflections regarding editorial responsibility in social media spheres, this study aims to reveal how newsrooms shaped the narrative surrounding the Facebook Rape.