Read on Twitter
I wrote something a bit personal and a bit angry about Facebook https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/01/facebook-hate-speech-policy-advertising?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
For a few weeks I’ve been trying to decide whether I should be open about the fact that I have been dealing with a lot of online harassment - and really struggling with it. The last eight months have been ... a lot.
Since November, I’ve dealt with:
- a weeks-long white nationalist harassment campaign in response to my reporting
- racist backlash to my HCQ misinformation reporting
- a very frightening and unexpected neo-Nazi death threat
- getting “q’ed” in response to my QAnon reporting
- a weeks-long white nationalist harassment campaign in response to my reporting
- racist backlash to my HCQ misinformation reporting
- a very frightening and unexpected neo-Nazi death threat
- getting “q’ed” in response to my QAnon reporting
I don’t know if this is a lot for a reporter, or if it’s average, or if it’s barely anything. I do know that it was too much for me. I’ve not handled it all with ease. I had to take some time off work. I’m so embarrassed by that, even though I know I shouldn’t be.
I’m sharing this because I’m tired of feeling like it’s shameful that this shit affects me, and I’m hopeful talking about it might be useful to other journalists dealing with it.
I’m also just angry that I have to deal with this shit.
I’m also just angry that I have to deal with this shit.
I’m angry that so much of my job now involves doing cleanup work for billion dollar companies for them, at risk of my own safety. I’m angry that this is so normal in the world that the social media companies created.
So I guess what I’m trying to say is that this is a lot more personal than anything I normally write, but I needed to take a break from pretending that I’m not affected by the hate that Facebook has fostered https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/01/facebook-hate-speech-policy-advertising?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
