1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: You're listening to Disinformed, a mini series from There Are 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: No Girls on the Internet. I'm Bridget Todd. Nobody likes 3 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: talking about online harassment. When I first started the podcast 4 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: There Are No Girls on the Internet, I specifically wanted 5 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: to talk about all the cool things that women, queer folks, 6 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:26,279 Speaker 1: black folks, and other underrepresented voices are doing on the Internet. 7 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: And as much as I wanted to focus on the positive, 8 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: the harassment we face online is difficult to ignore. Earlier 9 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,239 Speaker 1: this month, Chrissie Teagan left Twitter. This was kind of 10 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: a big deal. She's someone who was once called the 11 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: Mayor of Twitter because she's such a prolific user. She 12 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:44,839 Speaker 1: spoke at Twitter headquarters for a company event and on Instagram. 13 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: She made it clear that she didn't blame Twitter for 14 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: feeling like she had to leave the platform. She said 15 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 1: that Twitter staff had actually reached out and worked with 16 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: her and her team to deal with the barrage of 17 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: harassment she faces, and I'm sure they did. Chrissy Tigan 18 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: is rich and famous and well connected. What about the 19 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: rest of us who aren't. We've seen a wave of 20 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 1: online harassment come for women journalists too. On Fox News, 21 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: Tucker Carlson did two nights of segments pretty much just 22 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: making fun of New York Times Internet culture reporter Taylor 23 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: Lawrenz for, as he put it, pretending to be oppressed 24 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: after she tweeted for International Women's Day, please consider supporting 25 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: women and during online harassment. After Times reporter Rachel Abrams 26 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:28,320 Speaker 1: did a report on the conservative news network own the network, 27 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 1: bataliated by putting her personal cell phone number on the 28 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: air and encouraging viewers to contact her, a pretty obvious 29 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,039 Speaker 1: attempt at inciting harassment. And it's not just people with 30 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,680 Speaker 1: public profiles harassment. It's just a reality when you're a 31 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: marginalized person who puts their opinion or words online. If 32 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:47,040 Speaker 1: you're a woman, or a person of color or a 33 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: queer person who's listening, you've probably already dealt with it. 34 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: I know I've dealt with it, and it's awkward to 35 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: talk about, but writer Liz Lenz says that we need 36 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: to start talking about it. In her piece called When 37 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: the Mob Came for Me, she d tales what she's 38 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,639 Speaker 1: learned from dealing with waves of intense harassment for daring 39 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: to be a woman with opinions online. Liz wants people 40 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: to know that becoming the target of an online harassment 41 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: campaign can happen to anyone, so it's important to have 42 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,960 Speaker 1: a plan if it does. When I started doing this show, 43 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: I initially purposefully did not focus on harassment because I 44 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 1: was like, I want to write a or do a 45 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: thing about the Internet and women where it's not centered 46 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: around our negative experiences. But as that went on, it 47 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: was it was becoming something that it felt like I 48 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: was purposely ignoring, even though it's something that we all experience. 49 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:37,359 Speaker 1: And so I you know, I read your piece when 50 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 1: a mob came for me, and you were writing about 51 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 1: your first experiences with online harassment, and I was wondering 52 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: if you could sort of talk us through what happened. 53 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 1: You know, I really identify with your journey talking about 54 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 1: harassment because I don't really like to talk about my harassment. 55 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: I find that a couple of things happen when you 56 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: do talk about your harassment. People Either I'll tell you 57 00:02:56,400 --> 00:03:01,239 Speaker 1: you're whining and it's not that bad, or they are like, well, 58 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: what do you do to deserve it? You know? Or 59 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:07,519 Speaker 1: or the worst thing is when they're like, and then 60 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: what happened? You know? And you're like, oh, god, like 61 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: I don't want and then they're like what kind of 62 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: bomb threats to you? And then you're like, um, okay, weirdos. 63 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: I don't know it, just like it never feels like 64 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: there's a great way to have the conversation and um. 65 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 1: But but like you, I have been seeing we are 66 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: coming out of a year where I think, especially marginalized 67 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: journalists are exhausted. I know a handful of journalists who 68 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: have quit, are taking breaks because just the pressures of pandemic, 69 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: the intense harassment that they've received, and um and and 70 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:53,119 Speaker 1: no breaks and everything. And it just felt like there 71 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: was this It felt like there was a moment where 72 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: I was like, we need to talk about this, we 73 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: need to have a conversation. And so you're right, I 74 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: wrote this thing, um that talked about my experiences. And 75 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: I just want to be very clear at the outset, 76 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 1: like there's a difference between criticism and harassment, Like you know, 77 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: telling me I'm wrong or that you hate my article, 78 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 1: it's okay, Like I don't consider that harassment. What I 79 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: consider harassment is you know, calling me horrible names, um, 80 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:24,600 Speaker 1: telling me you want my kids to die, telling me 81 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:27,279 Speaker 1: you want me to die, telling me you're gonna bomb 82 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:29,919 Speaker 1: my house or sending me pictures of Peppe the Frog 83 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 1: raping me. That's what I consider harassment like and that 84 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 1: I feel like that's pretty I like, I don't. I 85 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: feel like there's a pretty clear line between two. I 86 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: don't know why we keep why. It's hard to have 87 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: that conversation. So anyway, now to finally answer your question, yes, um, 88 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: I was writing about my experiences. I live in Iowa, right, 89 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 1: you know, every four years I write about the caucuses 90 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: and some capacity. And that year sixteen, I was writing 91 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: about the CAUCUSUS for Vice and I was live tweeting, 92 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 1: you know, because that's the thing that journalists do. And 93 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: I was like, I'm gonna do it. And I only 94 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:10,840 Speaker 1: had like a couple of thousand followers, and they were 95 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 1: all following me because I'd had a pretty successful mom 96 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 1: blog for a while, not like super famous, like solid 97 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 1: I'd say, like third tier college kind of uh mom blog. 98 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:26,280 Speaker 1: It's like what you settled for when you don't get 99 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: into Harvard. I started tweeting my experience caucusing and in 100 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: that year, as we all know and I it was 101 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: you know, the Hillary versus Bernie. If you were on 102 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,480 Speaker 1: political pockets of social media back then, you probably recall 103 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:45,280 Speaker 1: that the presidential election could feel like a pretty polarizing 104 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:48,679 Speaker 1: time to be online. There were palpable tensions between Bernie 105 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: Sanders supporters and Hillary Clinton supporters that could really feel 106 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:55,920 Speaker 1: difficult to escape. And I have no political problems with 107 00:05:55,960 --> 00:06:00,479 Speaker 1: Bernie Sanders, but a supporter of his like eld at 108 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,359 Speaker 1: me during the CAUCUSUS and this is Iowa, Like, we 109 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:05,919 Speaker 1: don't yell at each other, we keep it inside and 110 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 1: then talk about you behind your back like it's and 111 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:11,600 Speaker 1: like and so it was like straight aggressive and it 112 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:16,159 Speaker 1: was so shocking to me, um that I was live 113 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 1: tweeting it. And he had said something like you're voting 114 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: with your vagina and I, you know, quit back, you know, 115 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: And it wasn't even that creative. I think somebody else 116 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: had said it better before. But you know, I was like, yeah, 117 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:30,559 Speaker 1: America has been voting with its stick for two hundred 118 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:34,599 Speaker 1: and forty years, like come on, man, and uh, you know, 119 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 1: I was like, chill out and and and and I 120 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:42,480 Speaker 1: tweeted that and just it got picked up and used 121 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 1: as fodder and the Bernie Hillary wars and I was 122 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 1: getting you know, I deleted it since then, and I 123 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: encourage everybody to regularly delete their tweets. Um, but you know, 124 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 1: it was like like thousands and thousands of retweets and 125 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: and likes. You know, they were faved stars. Then was 126 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:06,840 Speaker 1: back in the olden days, and uh and then you know, 127 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 1: and and and that's when I started. I got people 128 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 1: with my dans at emails, people being like, you know, 129 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: we're gonna, um, we're gonna call CPS on you to 130 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: have your kids taken away. And I don't you know, 131 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 1: I'm not going to attribute this to like one side 132 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 1: or the other. I think there's just trolls out in 133 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: the world and they like to harass people. But yeah, 134 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 1: I was. And that's when it was like it was. 135 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: It wasn't like it took things like I'd gotten criticism before, 136 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 1: you know, where it's like, look at this dumb bitch, 137 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: but like I hadn't gotten now your kids are going 138 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: to be taken away? And and then you know, and 139 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: and the toy six seen. So that's when my career 140 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: as a writer was really starting to take off, and 141 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 1: I was writing longer form pieces and it just became 142 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: a situation where every once in a while, like I 143 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: get like a weird letter, like I got like a 144 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 1: snail mail and you yeah, And the most disturbing one 145 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: was was just like five pages like white printer pages, 146 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 1: and somebody had handwritten out Bible verses on them, and 147 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 1: it was just like and it was just like, you know, 148 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 1: all the verses about like repent and you're going to out. 149 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 1: It's like I grew up like evangelical, like you can't 150 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 1: convert me. I already memorized all those Bible verses in Alana, 151 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 1: like I was in Bible Quiz. You can't. You can't Bible. 152 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:38,679 Speaker 1: And but also it's like chilling, and I remember opening 153 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: the envelope and being like, you know, like scaring music 154 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: in the background, and and it's just and and like 155 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 1: stuff like that would trickle and trickle and trickle, and 156 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 1: then and finally a couple of things started to happen, 157 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:56,079 Speaker 1: and you know again like I don't want to be like, oh, 158 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: like this one thing happened, because I think once you're 159 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 1: kind of on a radar, then like the then it 160 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 1: just comes back and comes back. As Lizzar's public profile 161 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,720 Speaker 1: grew as she published bigger and bigger stories, so did 162 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: the level of harassment she faced, a couple of things 163 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: started to happen around is. I wrote some more high 164 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:22,200 Speaker 1: profile pieces and then finally wrote a profile of Tucker Carlson, 165 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:24,079 Speaker 1: which is like what a lot of people have known 166 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 1: me for. Um. I wrote it for the Columbia Journalism Review, 167 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:34,959 Speaker 1: and after that it sparked a whole year of just waves. 168 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:36,840 Speaker 1: It was I would like I liken it to like, 169 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: you know, like a tide. It would like flow in 170 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:44,600 Speaker 1: and flow out, but there would always be a little trickle. Um. 171 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: So basically twenty een Um, the wave is out right now, fingers, 172 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 1: but like the tides out was but like that, but 173 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:01,360 Speaker 1: like it just it sparked off this whole um just 174 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: harassment were like my phone was blowing up. I used 175 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 1: to use a Google number that got docsed. I was 176 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 1: getting like, um, you know, uh, it's hard to explain, 177 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: but like there's this like troll community thing where you know, 178 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 1: they used to use Peppe. Now they use like this 179 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:22,360 Speaker 1: picture of a giant bugs bunny and they call it 180 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: like big chungis. It's just it's just dumb, right, and 181 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 1: but it's like and so I just get like pictures 182 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 1: and pictures of that, you know. I was also getting 183 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:34,439 Speaker 1: you know, pictures of Peppy the front raping me like photoshopped, 184 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 1: you know, and it was just like you were coming 185 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 1: for you and and all of this and and like 186 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: it never ended because I think in that time I published, 187 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:45,920 Speaker 1: I started publishing some like you know, bigger pieces. I 188 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:49,199 Speaker 1: published a story they got a lot of attention about 189 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:51,960 Speaker 1: my divorce, food in my divorce, and it was titled 190 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 1: I'm Never Cooking for a Man Again, which was like, 191 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 1: you know, it's like titles are always a little tongue 192 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,239 Speaker 1: in cheek, but it was just an exploration of like food, 193 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 1: an emotional labor and marriage and and oh my god, 194 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: that like were super viral and and and just got 195 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 1: like a ship ton of shit. I've actually read it 196 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: and it's it's so touching and like personal and relatable. 197 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:22,800 Speaker 1: And it's funny to me that that title was. I mean, 198 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:26,120 Speaker 1: we we've all like like having with the piece. It is. 199 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:28,439 Speaker 1: It makes so much sense. But I could see how 200 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: that title will be like enraging for people who were 201 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:34,520 Speaker 1: already predisposed to think of you in this negative light. 202 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 1: But that's the troll thing, right, It's like just take 203 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:41,800 Speaker 1: things at headline value and then use that to crap 204 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:45,439 Speaker 1: on people, um, you know, and and I had that. 205 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: I also published a profile of Richard Spencer's divorce the Nazi. 206 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 1: That didn't help. Then I moderate in twenty nine, I 207 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:58,240 Speaker 1: moderated a presidential forum and it was you know, I'll 208 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 1: say this about the forum, is we had there were 209 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:06,920 Speaker 1: three moderators. Um. I was just one of them. UM 210 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: and they you know, they're both the other two moderators 211 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 1: lovely people both marginalized UM and and UM you know, 212 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: identify as queer in their own ways. And all of 213 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:23,920 Speaker 1: the questions we had like co written together, and like 214 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 1: many organizations you know, had like vetted, and so I 215 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:32,079 Speaker 1: was just really just reading off of a prompter. Here 216 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 1: was Liz grilling Biden at the forum. Also praised Vice 217 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:50,720 Speaker 1: President Mike Parts as a decent guy asking the questions 218 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:55,199 Speaker 1: if people want to know, that's also when Joe Biden 219 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:57,439 Speaker 1: called me a real sweetheart because I I pushed him 220 00:12:57,440 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: ons and the you know, criminalization bills like that had 221 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 1: you know, put more queer people in dayl It's just 222 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:08,840 Speaker 1: kind of how it happened. Joe like, no, it's like 223 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:10,959 Speaker 1: facts and I had put because he was like, that's 224 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:14,679 Speaker 1: not true. And I was like, well it is, so 225 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 1: could you could you just talk about it? And and so, 226 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:18,920 Speaker 1: And as we were walking off the stage, he's like, 227 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 1: you're a real sweetheart. And I was like, I can't 228 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:28,120 Speaker 1: believe the presiding. It was not like doing your job 229 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 1: as a moderator, right, and like that's the whole thing is, 230 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 1: like you know, I asked questions and I follow up 231 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 1: and like the please answer the question. I think that's 232 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 1: like yes, but like, uh, you know, and it was 233 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 1: you know, the power and balance. But after that, I 234 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:48,439 Speaker 1: mean that I that also kicked off a huge intense 235 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 1: wave and that's when I started getting bomb threats and 236 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:54,560 Speaker 1: um one of the other moderators was talking to me 237 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 1: the other day and after my peace on Harassment I published, 238 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:01,560 Speaker 1: and he was like, you know, I'm never received the 239 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:04,240 Speaker 1: same kind of harassment that you did, even though we 240 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:07,720 Speaker 1: moderated at the same forum. He's like, He's like, it's 241 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 1: just because you're on the radar. Let's take a quick 242 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 1: break her back. Liz says that once you're on the 243 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 1: radar of a network of harassers online, anything that you 244 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: say can be used against you. For her, it was 245 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 1: a silly joke that she had made about online dating. 246 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 1: After a night out with friends and with that kind 247 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 1: of threat hanging over you, it can feel like it's 248 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 1: not worth it to show up as your full self 249 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:43,280 Speaker 1: online because someone somewhere could inevitably take what everything you're 250 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,560 Speaker 1: saying out of context to harass you. The thing that 251 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:50,160 Speaker 1: they always cling to is this one joke I made. 252 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 1: It was I was I had said, and this happened, 253 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:57,920 Speaker 1: but it was just like I was just joking about. 254 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 1: It was like a man on matched with me after 255 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,240 Speaker 1: I told him I was a journalist. You know what's 256 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: he hiding? You know? At timed and it's not even 257 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:11,400 Speaker 1: that funny. I think it was like a joke. I 258 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: like tweeted at like eleven PM after I've had like 259 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 1: drinks with friends, and I was like, oh, this is funny, 260 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:20,120 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. It's like not, it's not 261 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 1: even It's just like okay, Liz, ha ha ha, you know. 262 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: And but like they screenshot that and every once in 263 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: a while and it'll just come back up and people 264 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:31,240 Speaker 1: be like, did you do this? Did you ducks an 265 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 1: innocent man? And I'll be like, I don't even remember 266 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,000 Speaker 1: his name, but yes, that is that is my joke. 267 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 1: Thank you like, it's not that, but that's the thing 268 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 1: that comes back up more often than anything else. It's 269 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: just it's it's weird. I don't know, it's so interesting 270 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 1: how that one harmless joke that you know, I mean, 271 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:57,080 Speaker 1: I've seen that screenshot so and you know, I can 272 00:15:57,120 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: only imagine what it's like for you being like, oh, 273 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 1: they're they're holy, this this silly joke I made back 274 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 1: up again. It will never go away. It's just like 275 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 1: I just deserve better enemies. I'm always like I have 276 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 1: made first of all, Like, first of all, I've made 277 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: way worse jokes, way worse. Like do you hear how 278 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:22,600 Speaker 1: I'm talking Like I'm I say dumb ship all the time, 279 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: just constantly literally bite me on literally any other dumb thing. 280 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,640 Speaker 1: I'm sad, but like and then they're they're all like 281 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 1: expect me to be ashamed of it. They're like did 282 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: you say this? And I'm like, I shure, and they're 283 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:40,360 Speaker 1: like did you talx some man? And I'm like, I 284 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 1: sure didn't because it's a joke, y'all. And it's and 285 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: it's funny because like, you know, that was one of 286 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:50,800 Speaker 1: the things that I that you know, like a lot 287 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:54,520 Speaker 1: of this truly culture is like, you know, the liberals 288 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:58,360 Speaker 1: can't take a joke. That's why we're gonna like, you know, 289 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: make fun of them in like tamp then this is 290 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:05,119 Speaker 1: a really nasty way, you know. It's like it's like 291 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 1: a generation of men who never learned that they weren't funny. 292 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:13,760 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, and it's just like this, it's actually not 293 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:16,879 Speaker 1: these are not These are not jokes. Like I have 294 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 1: I have friends with the comedian Josh Combleman, and I 295 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 1: was like, you should perform a service where people can 296 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:24,639 Speaker 1: ask you is this a joke or not? And you're like, 297 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 1: you know, it's like a five year old you know, 298 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:30,479 Speaker 1: is this a joke? Nope, Sorry, that's just a fart sound. 299 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 1: It's not a joke, you know, Is this a joke? No, 300 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 1: you just made a fat joke. You know, You're just 301 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:39,720 Speaker 1: you're just making a comment about somebody's weight. Not a joke, 302 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 1: not a joke, just some f phobia. Even that joke 303 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 1: does illustrate how I guess I feel that on Twitter especially, 304 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:54,199 Speaker 1: we've gotten to a point where it's but bad, Like 305 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: we're not able to have actual conversations or even just 306 00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:01,639 Speaker 1: communicate because every it's everything is so weaponized and taken 307 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:05,159 Speaker 1: in bad faith. Anybody, but you're You're what you tweeted 308 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 1: was obviously just a joke, you're kidding around, But there's 309 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:10,919 Speaker 1: this assumption that anything anything that you say. I just 310 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:14,119 Speaker 1: feel that Twitter is so charged people. Once you're on 311 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:16,760 Speaker 1: someone's radar, they're looking for anything anything that you say 312 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:20,199 Speaker 1: can be used to be like see, she's the worst. Yeah, 313 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 1: you know, it's so funny because that that thing I 314 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:26,160 Speaker 1: wrote about online. Mom's part of it was an interview 315 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:30,640 Speaker 1: with the journalist and author or Talia lab laban and Um, 316 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:35,159 Speaker 1: who's who helped me through that year of um of 317 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:38,520 Speaker 1: harassment and as you just really just because she has 318 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 1: experienced it, she wrote this book Cultural Warlords, where she, 319 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 1: you know, digs into these communities online, communities of hate 320 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 1: and so um and so. But the funny thing about it, 321 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:54,439 Speaker 1: and and in that interview, you know, she's very clear, 322 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:59,040 Speaker 1: like she's very good at parsing the nuance of what's 323 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:03,000 Speaker 1: harassment and what criticism because again, like people are allowed 324 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:06,920 Speaker 1: to criticize, like and I'm gonna make mistakes and people 325 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 1: are allowed to call out those mistakes. And I never 326 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:13,600 Speaker 1: want to be you know, like nailing myself to a 327 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:17,120 Speaker 1: cross just because like maybe I sucked up a column, 328 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:19,800 Speaker 1: you know, and I'm going to like they're not all 329 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:25,120 Speaker 1: gonna be winners. Um, I'm going to fail. And uh. 330 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 1: And you know, she does a really good job like 331 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:33,239 Speaker 1: pointing out like people saying that Andrew Cuomal, you know, 332 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:37,600 Speaker 1: harassed them sexually, that's not an online mob. Like that's 333 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 1: just people talking about their experiences and saying this isn't okay. 334 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:45,600 Speaker 1: An online mob is you know, putting a picture of 335 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:50,400 Speaker 1: somebody's house inside across hears and saying, you know, I'm 336 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:54,640 Speaker 1: building pipe bombs. Like that's that's the difference. And so 337 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:59,879 Speaker 1: but like that that that interview was quote tweeted or 338 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:04,360 Speaker 1: like somebody quote tweeted it. It's Glenn Greenwald quote tweeted 339 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:06,480 Speaker 1: it and was like, oh, look at the you know, 340 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:08,880 Speaker 1: he was basically like, look at these people that don't 341 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:12,120 Speaker 1: know the difference between harassment and criticism, and was like, 342 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:17,440 Speaker 1: if you were functionally literate, like you would have read 343 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 1: it and know that we have like three paragraphs, you know, 344 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:24,080 Speaker 1: parsing out that nuance. But again, like it's what you're saying, 345 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 1: it's just bad faith. And once you're on somebody's radar 346 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:33,680 Speaker 1: and they don't like you everything that you do, They're 347 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:37,199 Speaker 1: just gonna hate. Yeah, it sucks. I mean what what 348 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:39,359 Speaker 1: does it feel? What does that feel like for you? Like, 349 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 1: what does it feel like to be facing that kind 350 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:45,840 Speaker 1: of a charged online environment just to do your job 351 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:49,480 Speaker 1: every day? Um? It was hard in the beginning. Um. 352 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 1: There's something my my therapist likes to likes to remind 353 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:57,119 Speaker 1: me of is that, like you level up, you know 354 00:20:57,160 --> 00:20:59,920 Speaker 1: what I mean like is that as you go through 355 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:04,439 Speaker 1: life and as you become more successful, you know, you 356 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 1: have kind of have these experiences like you have to 357 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 1: grow into right, and so yes, that first year of 358 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:15,080 Speaker 1: intense harassments are really hard. Um it felt like being 359 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:19,080 Speaker 1: in a tunnel, just like I couldn't everything was closing 360 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:21,200 Speaker 1: in all around me. And you know, I also live 361 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:24,240 Speaker 1: in US. I don't live in a big Well, it's 362 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 1: the second largest city in Iowa. People are always like 363 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:29,920 Speaker 1: it's the big city. Yes, it's the it's the big 364 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:34,480 Speaker 1: city if you're from like you know, a like fair 365 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:38,320 Speaker 1: Field or something. But if it's three hundred thousand people, 366 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 1: it's not that big. Like uh and uh and and 367 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:46,479 Speaker 1: something that happened has happened too, is like, you know, 368 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: I get emails from people in town and you know 369 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:53,480 Speaker 1: or or don't do this to people, by the way, 370 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:56,919 Speaker 1: but people like to make me aware when other people 371 00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:00,879 Speaker 1: in town are discussing me on Facebook, and I'm like, 372 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 1: please don't because then it makes me scared to go 373 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:06,640 Speaker 1: to the grocery store. But yes, people have like, yeah, 374 00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:10,479 Speaker 1: I remember very specifically one woman in town who's a 375 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 1: pretty high profile who had like a whole Facebook post 376 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:17,719 Speaker 1: discussing my body and how I looked as I moderated 377 00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 1: that forum, you know, calling me showy and trashy and 378 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,960 Speaker 1: like I was just trying to flaunt myself and like 379 00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 1: implying that I was like a giant slut. I was 380 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:32,000 Speaker 1: wearing like it doesn't matter what I was wearing, like, 381 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 1: but but I was wearing like, you know, just like 382 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:39,439 Speaker 1: a standard and like newscaster dress. It was bright yellow 383 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:43,200 Speaker 1: because I can wear yellow. I'm like one of the 384 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:49,359 Speaker 1: few white people who can do it. It's a tough 385 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:53,040 Speaker 1: color pul and it's my one skill and y'all can 386 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:57,080 Speaker 1: just eat it, you know, and that kind of stuff. 387 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:00,080 Speaker 1: It makes you feel like you can't be an honor this, 388 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 1: you know, I'll go for runs and people will honk 389 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 1: at me and it's like, while am I getting is that? 390 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 1: My friend? Is that? Is that like a car full 391 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:13,679 Speaker 1: of dudes? You know? That? Are you know? It's just 392 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 1: like you don't know and it's scary. Or you go 393 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:18,159 Speaker 1: the grocery store and people will be like, oh, are 394 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:21,320 Speaker 1: you the writer? And you're like, maybe are you the 395 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:24,159 Speaker 1: one who participated in talking about what a slut? I 396 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: was like, you know, it's like I don't, and it's 397 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 1: and most people are nice, and most people are good actually, 398 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:35,480 Speaker 1: and most people are generous. I think this, I believe this. 399 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:39,680 Speaker 1: But when when you're in that harassment zone, and especially 400 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:43,280 Speaker 1: when things are really intense, you know that it's usually over. 401 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 1: The intensity is over by like a day, two days. 402 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:50,680 Speaker 1: But anyway, like you know, it's usually only intense for 403 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:52,199 Speaker 1: a couple of days. But it feels like you're in 404 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:55,199 Speaker 1: a tunnel. It feels like you can turn everything off. 405 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:56,719 Speaker 1: You can turn your phone off, you can turn your 406 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:59,359 Speaker 1: internet off. And that's I do recommend that when things 407 00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:03,080 Speaker 1: are bad, log off, don't tweak through up, just log op. 408 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 1: You can't win, stay away, have some friends monitor it 409 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:09,840 Speaker 1: for you, just to let you know if there's anything. 410 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,440 Speaker 1: But even if that's happening, you don't know because if 411 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:17,399 Speaker 1: they're like targeting where you live, or you're like, what's safe? 412 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 1: If the door knocks, You're like, is that? What is that? Where? 413 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:24,760 Speaker 1: Do you know? In the most intense times, you know, 414 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:28,800 Speaker 1: I was seeing posts like I live thirty minutes from 415 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:33,560 Speaker 1: her town? Should I go there? What? You know? It 416 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:37,080 Speaker 1: is terrifying. And I I am a single mom. I 417 00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:40,360 Speaker 1: have two kids and not have two dogs. But it's 418 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:43,400 Speaker 1: not an accident that I have two dogs, right, Like, 419 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 1: it's directly related to some of my fears about um, 420 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:52,359 Speaker 1: you know, living alone and in being a target of 421 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:58,439 Speaker 1: harassment and so um uh and and yes and so 422 00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:00,359 Speaker 1: it feels like being in a tunnel. One of the 423 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 1: things I used I did in the before times when 424 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:07,040 Speaker 1: the harassment would get bad, um is I would just 425 00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 1: log off, you know, tell my friends like, don't you 426 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:13,040 Speaker 1: take take my Twitter pass or change it for a while, 427 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:15,080 Speaker 1: you know, do all this, and then I would go, 428 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:19,080 Speaker 1: don't like Marcus theaters, don't get mad at me, but 429 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:22,879 Speaker 1: sneak little bottles of that cheap setter home home wine 430 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:25,439 Speaker 1: in and then get a big popcorn and then just 431 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:27,680 Speaker 1: sit in a movie theater. So it just was like, 432 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:31,120 Speaker 1: I'm safe because nobody with me. I'm you know, I'm 433 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:34,919 Speaker 1: nobody can keeping, nobody knows I'm like seeing this movie 434 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,040 Speaker 1: and um, yeah we're just you know, go to a 435 00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 1: bar and sit outside or whatever. But yes, it does. 436 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:46,359 Speaker 1: It feels like wow. People might be thinking, you know, 437 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 1: oh well, I don't write about politics, so I'm not 438 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:51,239 Speaker 1: like X y Z kind of person, so this can 439 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:53,080 Speaker 1: never happen to me. But something that you write into 440 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 1: your piece that I think is important to pull out 441 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:58,480 Speaker 1: you right, people want to attribute this hate to one thing, 442 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:01,160 Speaker 1: one moment, or one time that I messed up, one 443 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:03,600 Speaker 1: story I filed. I think people do that because they 444 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:05,600 Speaker 1: want to feel safe. They want to think it will 445 00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:08,040 Speaker 1: never happen to them. If you can blame me somehow, 446 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 1: then you can distance yourself from it all. And that 447 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:13,800 Speaker 1: one nugget I think is so important because I do 448 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:17,080 Speaker 1: think there probably are people right now who are listening 449 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:18,440 Speaker 1: to you speak and they're like, oh, well, that will 450 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 1: never happen to me because I'm insert thing here. And 451 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 1: I think that was a real change for me. Was 452 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 1: what I realized getting on, getting on the radar of 453 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:31,159 Speaker 1: people who want to make your life miserable online and 454 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:35,000 Speaker 1: offline as well. It's not one thing you did right, 455 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:39,000 Speaker 1: and so it's important for everyone to understand that that 456 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 1: this could be any of us. I was randomly just 457 00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:44,920 Speaker 1: talking to somebody for a story I wrote last year, 458 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:47,920 Speaker 1: and he was like, he was telling me how his son, 459 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:52,399 Speaker 1: who is a black teenage boy in town, was just 460 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 1: getting getting that same kind of hate because he just 461 00:26:56,720 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 1: posted a picture of himself with his girlfriend, and how 462 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:06,159 Speaker 1: a troll army found that he just existed, like just existed. 463 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 1: Um and it just waves and waves and waves, and 464 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:14,679 Speaker 1: you know, and and and since posting that, you know, 465 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:17,000 Speaker 1: I've heard from people who are like, I'm a school 466 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:20,600 Speaker 1: board member and one time I spoke up about guns 467 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:23,919 Speaker 1: in school, you know, and like I think, actually, I 468 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:28,440 Speaker 1: think anti gun activists get a lot of this kind 469 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 1: of harassment. But it's just like you can be a 470 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:33,800 Speaker 1: school board member. Somebody reached out to me to tell 471 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 1: me that when they were a team, they started an 472 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 1: lgbt Q club in their high school. There's a couple 473 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:46,040 Speaker 1: of years ago and um and and got targeted and 474 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:48,760 Speaker 1: are still targeted. And they're just like they're just like 475 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:53,080 Speaker 1: a human and you know, not high profile, like probably 476 00:27:53,119 --> 00:27:56,040 Speaker 1: not even on Twitter. I didn't ask, but like just 477 00:27:56,119 --> 00:28:00,639 Speaker 1: like you just existed, um, and and you got this 478 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:04,240 Speaker 1: kind of hate. Um. It's yes, you don't have to 479 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:08,560 Speaker 1: be high profile and obnoxious. And I think that like me, Um, 480 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:13,240 Speaker 1: I'm not that high profile. Let's not let's not get excited, um, 481 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:16,600 Speaker 1: but like yes, you just have to exist in a 482 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:21,040 Speaker 1: way that people don't like, you know, trans people get 483 00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:22,639 Speaker 1: this kind of hate. And that was you know, that 484 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:26,240 Speaker 1: was actually one of the motivating reasons where I really 485 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:28,879 Speaker 1: wanted to talk about it because I have um friends 486 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:31,359 Speaker 1: who are trans who are getting a lot of this 487 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 1: harassment just for existing. And I made the conscious decision 488 00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:39,160 Speaker 1: not to interview one of them because I didn't want 489 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:43,120 Speaker 1: to put more of a target on their back. Um. 490 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 1: But like yeah, just like just like living your life 491 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:50,480 Speaker 1: and being happy if you do so, you know, and 492 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:53,040 Speaker 1: you get on the radar, like that's it's I mean, 493 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 1: that's it, it's over. You know, there's a journalist and 494 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:00,720 Speaker 1: messaging right now, who's you know, like maybe like four 495 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 1: D followers, Like she writes about sports, but because she's 496 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:09,000 Speaker 1: a woman who writes about sports, she's like I get 497 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:11,680 Speaker 1: She's like, I'm being in a really intense tor askment. 498 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:15,000 Speaker 1: I think that's a good point that like it seems 499 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 1: to be always people who are marginalized until if you're 500 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 1: a woman, a woman of color, L T t Q, 501 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 1: Like it seems like it's much worse for us when 502 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 1: we put our opinions out there. Like I noticed, Um, 503 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:27,920 Speaker 1: this was one of the reasons where I was like, 504 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:30,120 Speaker 1: I have to talk about harassment because it's getting to 505 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:33,160 Speaker 1: be too much. Uh. You mentioned Glenn Greenwald. A few 506 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 1: weeks ago, there was a USA Today piece where a 507 00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:42,240 Speaker 1: intern had published her first byeline. Her name is Bretta Smith, 508 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:45,520 Speaker 1: and it was a co byline with another author, Will Careless, 509 00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:48,440 Speaker 1: who was a white man, and it was so interesting 510 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 1: to me. So Glenn Greenwald retweeted it was like, I 511 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 1: hope you're like some mean tweet. It was over to 512 00:29:55,320 --> 00:30:00,160 Speaker 1: his over a million followers. Not like his followers are 513 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 1: not like the most generous people on the internet, Like 514 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:06,720 Speaker 1: if you're making the conscious decision to follow him as 515 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:10,240 Speaker 1: a person and his personal brand is not like it's 516 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:16,080 Speaker 1: not like you know, kindness, generosity and light more. After 517 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:29,560 Speaker 1: a quick break, let's get right back into it. We 518 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:32,239 Speaker 1: talk a lot about free speech online, what it is, 519 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:34,160 Speaker 1: and who has it, but we need to make room 520 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 1: to talk about what happens when marginalized voices are pushed 521 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 1: off of social media because the harassment has gotten so bad. 522 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:42,880 Speaker 1: And this is ultimately the point of this kind of harassment, 523 00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:45,239 Speaker 1: to make people feel like speaking up and putting their 524 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:48,440 Speaker 1: opinions out there is just ultimately not worth it. To 525 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:51,479 Speaker 1: make women and other marginalized voices shut up and just 526 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:55,520 Speaker 1: stop talking. The silencing effect it has can be real, 527 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:58,360 Speaker 1: And this is something that Liz wants men to understand. 528 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:02,480 Speaker 1: I do not think these men need to stop talking. 529 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:05,120 Speaker 1: I mean, I would like it if they talked less, 530 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 1: but that's my own personal decision, has no reflection on 531 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:11,880 Speaker 1: the constitution or laws that I would like to see 532 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:17,040 Speaker 1: it changed. Um, But like I, you know, nobody's saying 533 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:20,320 Speaker 1: you can't talk. But what they are saying is there 534 00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:24,800 Speaker 1: is a difference between when you talk and when I talk. 535 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:28,480 Speaker 1: When you talk, maybe people quote tweet you until you're 536 00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:32,480 Speaker 1: a potato brain. Fine, When I talk, people tell me 537 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:36,280 Speaker 1: they're going to kill my kids. And that's the difference. 538 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:39,560 Speaker 1: And you know that's and and there is a silencing effect, 539 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:42,760 Speaker 1: and that's the point, Like, the point is the silencing effect. 540 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:46,160 Speaker 1: The point is the fear. The point is to make 541 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:48,800 Speaker 1: you look over your shoulder, to make you think twice 542 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 1: before you have an opinion. And and it's that culture 543 00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 1: of silence and that culture of fear that is bred. 544 00:31:56,680 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 1: And I know, I know women who are afraid of 545 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:06,480 Speaker 1: doing things, of poking their heads. I never learned there's 546 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:10,640 Speaker 1: something deeply wrong with me. So it actually makes me boulder. 547 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:12,960 Speaker 1: It makes me me like, no, you don't get to 548 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:15,880 Speaker 1: dictate the terms on which I live my life and 549 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:19,640 Speaker 1: on how I write and so but I'm not saying 550 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:21,640 Speaker 1: there's a wrong way to be. You have to live 551 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:23,959 Speaker 1: the life that feels good and safe to you. So 552 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:27,959 Speaker 1: I'm not. But it makes me sad, you know, because 553 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,800 Speaker 1: I do know there are voices we do not hear 554 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:35,200 Speaker 1: because of this fear. And that's the silencing and that's 555 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:37,480 Speaker 1: the thing we need to be talking about. And that's 556 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 1: the thing that I think is interesting, right, that who 557 00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:44,520 Speaker 1: gets defended and who gets attacked? Right, You're right, like 558 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:48,760 Speaker 1: you know, quote tweeting the intern and telling them they 559 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 1: did a bad job when it's obvious it's probably just assigned. 560 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 1: You know, it's a code byline with another man, like 561 00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:58,040 Speaker 1: and if you had a problem with the peace, then 562 00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:01,479 Speaker 1: don't attack, like just say I have problem with this piece, 563 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:04,520 Speaker 1: Like I have a problem. Don't tell that person they're 564 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:07,000 Speaker 1: bad at there, like there is a why and like 565 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:10,120 Speaker 1: and and and I actually think that like being harassed 566 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:12,959 Speaker 1: makes me a little bit more of an empathetic person, 567 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:16,440 Speaker 1: because I it is and you know, it is tempting 568 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:19,960 Speaker 1: for everybody to like think of like a celebrity or 569 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:22,719 Speaker 1: somebody who's more high profile, not as a person. Right, 570 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:24,719 Speaker 1: You're like, oh, well, you're just an image. So now 571 00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:27,240 Speaker 1: I'm going to just talk about like how you look 572 00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:29,920 Speaker 1: on the internet. But it does make me think twice 573 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:33,200 Speaker 1: about like how I talk about people and how I 574 00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 1: how I criticize things, because you know there there is 575 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 1: a difference, and there is a line. And um yeah, 576 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:44,040 Speaker 1: and I think too, if your high profile enough, you 577 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:47,280 Speaker 1: should know that by now, and you should you know, 578 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:50,160 Speaker 1: use your power for good not evil. I always, you know, 579 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:53,760 Speaker 1: try to think like I punch up right, like hold 580 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:57,200 Speaker 1: power accountable. And that's another thing. I think. It's always 581 00:33:57,240 --> 00:33:59,800 Speaker 1: like she's always like I know your power so that 582 00:33:59,840 --> 00:34:04,000 Speaker 1: you don't abuse your power. So important, Yeah, She's like, 583 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:06,720 Speaker 1: who are you gonna fight and how are you going 584 00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 1: to fight it? You know, She's like, you need to 585 00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:11,680 Speaker 1: be very conscious of those things so that you don't 586 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:15,839 Speaker 1: you know, so you don't hurt anybody. You talked about 587 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:18,520 Speaker 1: the role that Talia, who I loved, played when you 588 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:21,600 Speaker 1: were harassed, and that it wasn't just you know, keep 589 00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:23,960 Speaker 1: your head up girl, it was here's what you need 590 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:26,880 Speaker 1: to know. So I wonder, Um, I saw your tweet 591 00:34:26,880 --> 00:34:29,799 Speaker 1: about things that you thought that anybody who was on 592 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:32,200 Speaker 1: Twitter should do to make sure that they are protecting 593 00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:35,160 Speaker 1: themselves from being targeted by this kind of harassment. Can 594 00:34:35,160 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 1: you tell us a bit about what you would suggest 595 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 1: people do to keep themselves safe. Yeah, very practical advice 596 00:34:42,040 --> 00:34:45,720 Speaker 1: and a practical Midwestern mom, so I like practical advice. 597 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:49,040 Speaker 1: So here's what I think. Number one, A lot of 598 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:52,480 Speaker 1: people may not know this, but there are websites, hundreds 599 00:34:52,719 --> 00:34:55,759 Speaker 1: tons roots of websites across the Internet that scrub your 600 00:34:55,840 --> 00:35:00,239 Speaker 1: data and then sell it to anybody who's well to 601 00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:02,719 Speaker 1: pay for it, and that's how you basically that's the 602 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:07,120 Speaker 1: number one way people get docked. Um. There are services 603 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:11,319 Speaker 1: that that will scrub that data off the internet. For you. 604 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:14,400 Speaker 1: UM and one of the services that I have used 605 00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:17,280 Speaker 1: that Talia recommended to me. I think it was Talia. 606 00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:20,640 Speaker 1: It was either that or it was Christopher Matthias, who's 607 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:24,279 Speaker 1: an incredible reporter who reports on extremism. One of them 608 00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:28,640 Speaker 1: told me very early on, UM used delete me. This 609 00:35:28,719 --> 00:35:31,959 Speaker 1: is not a commercial. Don't get money from them, Like 610 00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:35,600 Speaker 1: I just although the tweet did so well, they like, 611 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:38,400 Speaker 1: now if you use the promo code l y z L. 612 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:42,520 Speaker 1: She didn't dropped the promo code. Yeah. By the way, 613 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:45,840 Speaker 1: I don't want to brag, but like, I'm a promo code, 614 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:53,160 Speaker 1: so like I just live in that promo code life. Uh, superficous. 615 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:55,360 Speaker 1: I told my kids and like, I'm a promo code. 616 00:35:55,360 --> 00:36:01,560 Speaker 1: Treat me with respect. And they're like, we're thirsty place, 617 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:06,080 Speaker 1: we just want some water. Um, where are you talking 618 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:09,640 Speaker 1: like that? But yes, delete me is a great service. 619 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:11,560 Speaker 1: There's other ones out there. Delete me is the one 620 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:14,479 Speaker 1: I've been using for years. There is a promo code 621 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:17,480 Speaker 1: for twenty percent off. It's a significant amount of money 622 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:20,200 Speaker 1: h L y z L if you use it. UM 623 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:24,239 Speaker 1: and then UM other things too. You know, if you 624 00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:26,960 Speaker 1: if you have kids, get all their pictures off the internet. 625 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:32,800 Speaker 1: Now just do it, uh, you know it, Uh, scrub 626 00:36:32,840 --> 00:36:35,799 Speaker 1: your Facebook. Their services out there, none of them are 627 00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:39,080 Speaker 1: super great, so there's not one I really could recommend. 628 00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:41,840 Speaker 1: I just google around, scrub your Facebook. A lot of 629 00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:47,120 Speaker 1: TV news stations have their newscasters have to facebooks. You know, 630 00:36:47,239 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 1: your private one and your public one. UM, consider that 631 00:36:50,719 --> 00:36:53,239 Speaker 1: if you like to use Facebook. I think Facebook is 632 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:56,640 Speaker 1: necessary for journalists, especially if you report on your own community. 633 00:36:56,680 --> 00:36:59,040 Speaker 1: You kind of need to see what's going on. But 634 00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:02,920 Speaker 1: if you have the auctory of deleting Facebook, just deleteed. UM. 635 00:37:03,120 --> 00:37:08,320 Speaker 1: The thing with Instagram is, um, I have a private 636 00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:12,520 Speaker 1: one in a public one. Now I recommend that, UM, 637 00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:16,760 Speaker 1: or just keeping your Instagram private because you don't want 638 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:20,480 Speaker 1: people finding pictures of you and like photo, you know 639 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:22,560 Speaker 1: what I mean, like in photo and like being like, 640 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:27,080 Speaker 1: oh she went to It's just everything will be taken 641 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:30,879 Speaker 1: in bad faith. UM, and you never know the thing 642 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:33,560 Speaker 1: that people are going to object to, like a stupid joke, 643 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:38,440 Speaker 1: right Like, UM, I say, automatically delete your tweets. UM, 644 00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:43,160 Speaker 1: it might feel sad, do it? Like, just delete your 645 00:37:43,200 --> 00:37:47,040 Speaker 1: tweets pretty regularly, tweet delete dot net. It's a free service. 646 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:51,440 Speaker 1: You're just like you know, auto start, auto deleting. Um. 647 00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:55,399 Speaker 1: Those are some pretty practical things you can do that. Um. 648 00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:58,399 Speaker 1: It won't stop harassment, but it will protect you from 649 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:01,440 Speaker 1: people knowing where you live. UM, for people knowing the 650 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:06,040 Speaker 1: faces of your children or your other loved ones. When 651 00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:08,359 Speaker 1: I wrote about Richard Spencer, he went on, you know 652 00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:11,560 Speaker 1: that that like uh, you know, like the chum bucket 653 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:16,440 Speaker 1: of YouTube shows where he was saying he was saying, 654 00:38:16,719 --> 00:38:20,320 Speaker 1: my the last name that I use is my married 655 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:23,480 Speaker 1: last name, even though I'm divorced. Now, I just like, well, 656 00:38:23,640 --> 00:38:26,360 Speaker 1: last names are the same. It's just too exhausting to 657 00:38:26,400 --> 00:38:29,239 Speaker 1: go back that he was, you know, using my maid 658 00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:32,760 Speaker 1: name and my last name, and I I started worrying 659 00:38:32,800 --> 00:38:35,080 Speaker 1: about my parents, you know, I was like, oh God, 660 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:37,880 Speaker 1: now they're going to find my parents. It just makes 661 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:41,720 Speaker 1: it harder for people to find that kind of stuff. 662 00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:44,240 Speaker 1: And usually like if they can't find it pretty easily, 663 00:38:44,719 --> 00:38:48,160 Speaker 1: then it just it goes away after a couple of hours. 664 00:38:48,160 --> 00:38:50,759 Speaker 1: In most cases, it will go away after a couple 665 00:38:50,760 --> 00:38:55,319 Speaker 1: of hours. But there is something my agent said the 666 00:38:55,440 --> 00:39:00,000 Speaker 1: last time I was going through some intense harassment is um, 667 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:03,279 Speaker 1: you know, She's like, this happens if you are successful, 668 00:39:03,360 --> 00:39:05,680 Speaker 1: if you are good at your job, like she represents 669 00:39:05,680 --> 00:39:08,839 Speaker 1: a lot of female journalists, and she's like, it never 670 00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:14,280 Speaker 1: gets easier. So just find ways, find tools, find people 671 00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:18,920 Speaker 1: to help you, good friends, you know, because the impulse 672 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:21,439 Speaker 1: is to always feel like, oh did I screw up? 673 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:24,879 Speaker 1: You know, especially if you're not like a narcissist, You're like, oh, 674 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:27,520 Speaker 1: I must be doing something to deserve this. Nine times 675 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:31,799 Speaker 1: out attend you didn't. Nobody deserves to get that threats 676 00:39:31,520 --> 00:39:36,600 Speaker 1: and nobody deserves that kind of stuff, no one. Um 677 00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:39,120 Speaker 1: and uh, you know but like nine times out of 678 00:39:39,160 --> 00:39:42,120 Speaker 1: ten you didn't do anything wrong, you know, but have 679 00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:44,879 Speaker 1: friends in your life who would tell you like, yeah, 680 00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:48,400 Speaker 1: that was an offensive joke. You screwed up. Deleted and 681 00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:51,240 Speaker 1: go dark for a while, you know, Like just get 682 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,640 Speaker 1: people in your life you can help you and um, 683 00:39:54,719 --> 00:39:57,440 Speaker 1: and reach out, Like if you're in like a really 684 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:00,440 Speaker 1: going through some harassment you don't know how to handle it, 685 00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:03,120 Speaker 1: like reach out, Like my d m s are open. Um, 686 00:40:03,239 --> 00:40:06,520 Speaker 1: sometimes I close them, but um, they're open now. Reach 687 00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:09,759 Speaker 1: out to other journalists. Um. And and that's another thing too, 688 00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:12,279 Speaker 1: is if you see somebody going through something like that, 689 00:40:13,640 --> 00:40:17,520 Speaker 1: reaching out to them, let's is really just saying like hey, 690 00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:20,680 Speaker 1: I see you, I see that this is happening. I'm 691 00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:24,400 Speaker 1: so sorry, you know, or you know, or just like 692 00:40:24,440 --> 00:40:28,840 Speaker 1: I'm here for you. I like you. You know, Um, 693 00:40:28,880 --> 00:40:32,560 Speaker 1: that's you know, that's good. That's good enough, even if 694 00:40:32,640 --> 00:40:34,239 Speaker 1: you know, if you even even if you're like whom 695 00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:39,120 Speaker 1: the article you wrote did, current of suck. Nobody deserves 696 00:40:39,160 --> 00:40:42,719 Speaker 1: death threats. Nobody deserves death threats, and and yes, and 697 00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:45,200 Speaker 1: so those are those are some practical things that I think, 698 00:40:45,760 --> 00:40:48,560 Speaker 1: as much as I hate seeing anybody be going through 699 00:40:48,719 --> 00:40:51,680 Speaker 1: target harassment on social media, something that I have been 700 00:40:51,680 --> 00:40:55,560 Speaker 1: really kind of proud to see lately is but one 701 00:40:55,960 --> 00:40:59,520 Speaker 1: how many individual other journalists are like, we support you. 702 00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:02,200 Speaker 1: You know that a community response I think is beautiful. 703 00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:05,000 Speaker 1: And then to something I think is really important is 704 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:09,200 Speaker 1: the institutional response. And so when someone is harassed, when 705 00:41:09,239 --> 00:41:11,720 Speaker 1: their outlet puts out a statement that is we support 706 00:41:11,760 --> 00:41:14,240 Speaker 1: the good work of this journalists. We you know, because 707 00:41:14,239 --> 00:41:16,400 Speaker 1: I think for for a long time, if someone was 708 00:41:16,440 --> 00:41:19,720 Speaker 1: being harassed, they would be calling you know, the outlet 709 00:41:19,719 --> 00:41:22,080 Speaker 1: they work for, and maybe they would be fired. It 710 00:41:22,080 --> 00:41:24,200 Speaker 1: would be like, oh we want to cut ties. Maybe 711 00:41:24,280 --> 00:41:26,560 Speaker 1: they would you know, not stand by them I'm I'm 712 00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:29,399 Speaker 1: kind of hardened to see situations where you know, your 713 00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:33,720 Speaker 1: NBC's or ABC's put out statements standing up for their reporters. 714 00:41:33,760 --> 00:41:37,080 Speaker 1: And you know, I will say, like, I have had 715 00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:40,560 Speaker 1: institutions throw me under the bus, and I have had 716 00:41:40,640 --> 00:41:44,120 Speaker 1: institutions stick up for me. I will I will say 717 00:41:44,200 --> 00:41:49,319 Speaker 1: the Columbia Journalism Review has been a staunch supporter of 718 00:41:49,360 --> 00:41:54,800 Speaker 1: my work, and I I I think that Kyle Pope 719 00:41:54,880 --> 00:41:59,880 Speaker 1: over there has been amazing in the harassment that I 720 00:42:00,280 --> 00:42:02,440 Speaker 1: have received, you know, for him, I have I have 721 00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:09,200 Speaker 1: profiled Alan Derschwitz, Tucker Carlson, Crystal Is Seth Abramson. And 722 00:42:09,239 --> 00:42:12,680 Speaker 1: if you think that there wasn't pushed back from those articles, 723 00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:17,480 Speaker 1: you're wrong. Grutchen Carlson, that was a weird one. Um. 724 00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:22,279 Speaker 1: And and every single time they have stood by first 725 00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:26,120 Speaker 1: of all, you know, institutionally they provide rigorous fact checking 726 00:42:26,200 --> 00:42:29,760 Speaker 1: so that everything would be airtight, and and then stood 727 00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:32,799 Speaker 1: by me, you know, through through the waves because they 728 00:42:33,960 --> 00:42:36,040 Speaker 1: I don't know, I've never been like, Kyle, what have 729 00:42:36,160 --> 00:42:39,160 Speaker 1: you done it? But it's um, I think it's because 730 00:42:39,160 --> 00:42:42,120 Speaker 1: they know and they value good work, and yes, and 731 00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:46,520 Speaker 1: so it is encouraging to see when institutions get it right. 732 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:50,520 Speaker 1: I hate it when institutions get it wrong, but um, 733 00:42:50,560 --> 00:42:53,279 Speaker 1: there are some good examples of things. Let's if we 734 00:42:53,360 --> 00:42:55,839 Speaker 1: focus on the positive. I do, and I think that 735 00:42:56,000 --> 00:42:59,759 Speaker 1: knowing that your institution has your back makes you a 736 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:02,680 Speaker 1: or journalists makes you better at your job. Like I'm 737 00:43:02,760 --> 00:43:06,520 Speaker 1: more willing, you know, to say bolder things or to 738 00:43:06,600 --> 00:43:11,799 Speaker 1: write bigger stories for them because I know I can 739 00:43:11,840 --> 00:43:14,480 Speaker 1: trust them, that I know that you know they'll have 740 00:43:14,520 --> 00:43:17,759 Speaker 1: a lawyer ready and they'll defend me, and they'll be 741 00:43:17,800 --> 00:43:21,840 Speaker 1: proud of me. Media companies and outlets are starting to 742 00:43:21,840 --> 00:43:25,160 Speaker 1: catch up. When journalists like Taylor Lorenz and some men 743 00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:28,240 Speaker 1: Cam were harassed online for doing their jobs, their outlets 744 00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:31,080 Speaker 1: put out statements sticking up for them, and some outlets 745 00:43:31,120 --> 00:43:34,040 Speaker 1: have gone even further. Last week, the sports site defect 746 00:43:34,120 --> 00:43:36,760 Speaker 1: or Media announced a new policy that would offer support 747 00:43:36,800 --> 00:43:39,000 Speaker 1: to journalists if they found themselves at the center of 748 00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:42,840 Speaker 1: a harassment campaign, including a subscription to delete me, safe 749 00:43:42,840 --> 00:43:45,480 Speaker 1: housing for them and their families should their homes become unsafe, 750 00:43:45,920 --> 00:43:49,280 Speaker 1: and assigning someone to temporarily manage their social media accounts. 751 00:43:50,080 --> 00:43:52,120 Speaker 1: Not only is this a good way to support staff, 752 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:55,200 Speaker 1: but it just acknowledges that online harassment is a real 753 00:43:55,280 --> 00:43:57,680 Speaker 1: thing that staff might have to deal with instead of 754 00:43:57,719 --> 00:44:01,799 Speaker 1: just pretending that it's something just happening online. It acknowledges 755 00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:05,240 Speaker 1: the reality that aline harassment can deeply impact our real world, 756 00:44:05,440 --> 00:44:09,560 Speaker 1: our real work, and real lives. And if people are marginalized, 757 00:44:09,880 --> 00:44:13,359 Speaker 1: the kind of harassment they faith will be worse, you know, 758 00:44:13,480 --> 00:44:16,480 Speaker 1: talking with other men and then get this kind of 759 00:44:16,520 --> 00:44:20,840 Speaker 1: harassment too. But I was talking with another writer just 760 00:44:20,960 --> 00:44:23,000 Speaker 1: the other day about this, and he was like, Yeah, 761 00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:26,000 Speaker 1: I've gone through harassment cycles before. He's like, but I 762 00:44:26,040 --> 00:44:28,359 Speaker 1: don't think they inspire in me the fear that they 763 00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:34,680 Speaker 1: inspire in you, because you're already afraid to walk alone 764 00:44:34,680 --> 00:44:38,799 Speaker 1: at night, right, Like, these are already fears that you have, 765 00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:43,320 Speaker 1: and they they get compounded by your fears online. And 766 00:44:43,600 --> 00:44:46,200 Speaker 1: and this is not all in your head, right. Fear 767 00:44:46,280 --> 00:44:48,120 Speaker 1: is a gift. To read The Gift of Fear. Everybody 768 00:44:48,160 --> 00:44:50,640 Speaker 1: read The Gift of Fear. It's great. Book teaches you 769 00:44:50,680 --> 00:44:55,640 Speaker 1: to trust yourself, like, um, trust your gut and um 770 00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:58,879 Speaker 1: I teach that to my daughter, like, trust your gut. 771 00:44:59,040 --> 00:45:01,439 Speaker 1: You know, if something feels weird, If an adult feels weird, 772 00:45:01,640 --> 00:45:04,440 Speaker 1: get away from them, and sometimes she'll be like you 773 00:45:04,480 --> 00:45:09,359 Speaker 1: feel weird, not fair, but fine, go to your round. 774 00:45:09,760 --> 00:45:14,439 Speaker 1: Uh it's but yes and so like yeah, but yes, 775 00:45:14,600 --> 00:45:20,920 Speaker 1: like it compounds the already precarious situation of existing in 776 00:45:20,960 --> 00:45:24,839 Speaker 1: the world and um, which is you know, so much 777 00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:29,080 Speaker 1: harder for marginalized people. Um. And it's you know, start 778 00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:33,120 Speaker 1: in your head like this, like you know, racism and 779 00:45:33,160 --> 00:45:40,480 Speaker 1: homophobias institutionalized and so yes, yes, so it is different definitely, um. 780 00:45:40,520 --> 00:45:44,799 Speaker 1: And it is encouraging when there you do find places 781 00:45:44,840 --> 00:45:49,239 Speaker 1: that's poor and they're and they're just doing like their jobs, 782 00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:50,880 Speaker 1: like you know, to like say like we have an 783 00:45:50,880 --> 00:45:54,040 Speaker 1: employee and they did this story and we're fine with it. 784 00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:57,080 Speaker 1: But like just I think because we've all just been 785 00:45:57,120 --> 00:46:01,240 Speaker 1: so reilroaded by capital that when it does its job, 786 00:46:01,440 --> 00:46:06,840 Speaker 1: like it's, uh, we're like thanks mom. Yes, our standards 787 00:46:06,880 --> 00:46:12,640 Speaker 1: are very low. So it's like it's like, oh, you 788 00:46:12,760 --> 00:46:16,280 Speaker 1: didn't you didn't toss me like the trash, like great, 789 00:46:16,680 --> 00:46:22,520 Speaker 1: thank you. But no, I do think CDR has supported 790 00:46:22,520 --> 00:46:26,000 Speaker 1: me and my work in some really powerful ways. And 791 00:46:26,320 --> 00:46:28,600 Speaker 1: I don't think that that's nothing and I don't think 792 00:46:28,640 --> 00:46:30,439 Speaker 1: it's a mistake that I have some of my best 793 00:46:30,440 --> 00:46:33,640 Speaker 1: work I've written for them, right and so, um it's 794 00:46:33,800 --> 00:46:37,239 Speaker 1: makes good business sense Stitcher your employee as well. What 795 00:46:37,400 --> 00:46:41,319 Speaker 1: is your advice to underrepresented people, women, people of color 796 00:46:41,440 --> 00:46:45,280 Speaker 1: who want to be I want to put their opinions 797 00:46:45,320 --> 00:46:48,160 Speaker 1: out into the world, whether as a writer like yourself, 798 00:46:48,160 --> 00:46:51,880 Speaker 1: either just as a social media user. But are understandably scared. 799 00:46:53,200 --> 00:46:57,600 Speaker 1: Um yeah, you know, I say obviously, like you need 800 00:46:57,680 --> 00:47:02,239 Speaker 1: to live the life that you're happiest with, so you know, 801 00:47:02,680 --> 00:47:07,319 Speaker 1: like so I I don't think that I can tell 802 00:47:07,360 --> 00:47:10,319 Speaker 1: you what that looks like, and nobody can, but you know, 803 00:47:10,360 --> 00:47:14,520 Speaker 1: and if you're scared, like, yeah, think about that, right, 804 00:47:14,600 --> 00:47:18,080 Speaker 1: like do the work. But there are some simple practical 805 00:47:18,120 --> 00:47:20,600 Speaker 1: stuffs you can take now even if you're just like 806 00:47:20,680 --> 00:47:23,440 Speaker 1: I'm not famous, nobody cares about what I say. Who cares? 807 00:47:23,920 --> 00:47:27,759 Speaker 1: Live Like you're gonna be famous? Start leveling up and 808 00:47:27,920 --> 00:47:31,760 Speaker 1: start taking care of your ship now. Get scrub your stuff, 809 00:47:32,360 --> 00:47:37,480 Speaker 1: you know, lockdown your Instagram's, um, you know, figure that 810 00:47:37,600 --> 00:47:41,239 Speaker 1: kind of ship out, you know, clear do whatever you 811 00:47:41,280 --> 00:47:44,240 Speaker 1: need to do with Facebook, which is a nightmare. Um 812 00:47:44,400 --> 00:47:48,960 Speaker 1: and and start doing that now before it gets that 813 00:47:49,120 --> 00:47:51,200 Speaker 1: And then I think that that gives you a place 814 00:47:51,239 --> 00:47:54,200 Speaker 1: of strength from which to operate and then have like 815 00:47:54,239 --> 00:47:56,520 Speaker 1: a game plan. You know, I'm a person who loves 816 00:47:56,520 --> 00:48:00,279 Speaker 1: a plan, so you know, just and having a plan 817 00:48:01,040 --> 00:48:03,880 Speaker 1: for Okay, if this does happen, here's what I'm gonna do. 818 00:48:03,920 --> 00:48:05,920 Speaker 1: I'm gonna log off. I'm gonna have this friend do 819 00:48:05,960 --> 00:48:08,000 Speaker 1: this when I'm this friend. I've had friends monitor of 820 00:48:08,080 --> 00:48:11,080 Speaker 1: my email before. You know, just because like sign out, 821 00:48:11,680 --> 00:48:16,080 Speaker 1: no notifications, can you handle it? Um and and have 822 00:48:16,320 --> 00:48:19,640 Speaker 1: those plans in place? I think it gives you a 823 00:48:19,640 --> 00:48:23,560 Speaker 1: position of strength to operate from and um only right. 824 00:48:23,640 --> 00:48:26,359 Speaker 1: By the way, here's another tip if you're if we're 825 00:48:26,360 --> 00:48:29,880 Speaker 1: talking about writing only right for editors that have your back, 826 00:48:30,440 --> 00:48:33,640 Speaker 1: and you'll know, like, do not write for an editor 827 00:48:34,040 --> 00:48:40,120 Speaker 1: who is going to let you publish something shitty. I 828 00:48:40,360 --> 00:48:42,400 Speaker 1: I used to work as an editor for a literary 829 00:48:42,560 --> 00:48:44,799 Speaker 1: magazine and there were times when I would be reading 830 00:48:44,840 --> 00:48:47,919 Speaker 1: an essay that was other love otherwise lovely, but had 831 00:48:47,960 --> 00:48:51,400 Speaker 1: like one or two sentences in it that you know, 832 00:48:51,480 --> 00:48:54,279 Speaker 1: might be fat, shame me, might be a little bit 833 00:48:55,320 --> 00:48:58,279 Speaker 1: not great. And you know, my my comment to the 834 00:48:58,360 --> 00:49:03,640 Speaker 1: author was always, we're taking this out because it brings 835 00:49:03,680 --> 00:49:06,319 Speaker 1: down the quality of the piece and you're writing right, 836 00:49:06,400 --> 00:49:09,960 Speaker 1: it's and and but you know there there are websites 837 00:49:10,880 --> 00:49:13,439 Speaker 1: the x O Jane used to do this that would 838 00:49:13,480 --> 00:49:17,839 Speaker 1: take people's worst thoughts and impulses put them online, and 839 00:49:17,880 --> 00:49:20,479 Speaker 1: then they become targets. And then they'd be like, why 840 00:49:20,480 --> 00:49:24,600 Speaker 1: did that happen to me? It's like, well, you've wrote 841 00:49:24,680 --> 00:49:28,200 Speaker 1: something terrible in a bad way, and not just once again. 842 00:49:28,239 --> 00:49:31,600 Speaker 1: People don't deserve death threats, but um and I do 843 00:49:31,719 --> 00:49:34,279 Speaker 1: think we don't. That was like the Internet in the 844 00:49:34,400 --> 00:49:38,080 Speaker 1: early aughts a little bit. I feel like people have 845 00:49:38,920 --> 00:49:41,319 Speaker 1: most editors will have your back, but don't write for 846 00:49:41,440 --> 00:49:43,400 Speaker 1: editors who are going to throw you under the bus, 847 00:49:43,440 --> 00:49:48,960 Speaker 1: who are gonna, you know, exploit your marginalized identity for clicks. UM, 848 00:49:49,120 --> 00:49:52,400 Speaker 1: be in charge of yourself and your representation. Don't be 849 00:49:52,440 --> 00:49:55,600 Speaker 1: afraid to walk away from UM stories if you get 850 00:49:55,640 --> 00:49:58,279 Speaker 1: a bad vibe, or editors if you get a bad vibe, 851 00:49:58,280 --> 00:50:00,920 Speaker 1: It's fine. I've done a couple of times, m Um, 852 00:50:01,000 --> 00:50:04,200 Speaker 1: just because I'm like, I don't I respect you, but 853 00:50:04,239 --> 00:50:07,000 Speaker 1: I feel like we're not vibing on this piece, and 854 00:50:07,520 --> 00:50:12,239 Speaker 1: it's okay to walk away from it. UM. Things like that. UM. 855 00:50:12,360 --> 00:50:16,360 Speaker 1: I also just like never advocate anybody living a life 856 00:50:16,360 --> 00:50:18,960 Speaker 1: of fear. And so if you're in that place, if 857 00:50:19,000 --> 00:50:21,560 Speaker 1: you feel like all you're doing is operating from a 858 00:50:21,600 --> 00:50:24,240 Speaker 1: place of fear, you're not. You're not living your best life. 859 00:50:24,280 --> 00:50:27,200 Speaker 1: So what do you need to do to not be there? 860 00:50:27,239 --> 00:50:30,319 Speaker 1: Doesn't mean getting off Twitter? You know, you can have 861 00:50:30,360 --> 00:50:35,439 Speaker 1: a life like not online. It's possible. Lots of people have, 862 00:50:35,760 --> 00:50:38,760 Speaker 1: you know, wonderful writing careers and are not on the Internet. 863 00:50:38,800 --> 00:50:43,239 Speaker 1: People exist not on the internet. Um, things happen not 864 00:50:43,320 --> 00:50:45,759 Speaker 1: on internet. So find the life that you need to 865 00:50:45,800 --> 00:50:49,640 Speaker 1: live and lead and don't live in a place of fear. Please, 866 00:50:49,640 --> 00:50:51,360 Speaker 1: nobody wants that for you. And don't be afraid to 867 00:50:51,360 --> 00:50:55,919 Speaker 1: reach out to other people. Um, you know, farm your 868 00:50:55,920 --> 00:50:59,719 Speaker 1: community and to find the people who who love you 869 00:50:59,800 --> 00:51:02,120 Speaker 1: and let us see you succeed and really, you know, 870 00:51:02,200 --> 00:51:06,239 Speaker 1: lean on them. That's beautiful. Where can folks keep up 871 00:51:06,239 --> 00:51:09,880 Speaker 1: with all the amazing stuff that you're doing? Um? Oh 872 00:51:10,760 --> 00:51:15,279 Speaker 1: like a cancel culture warrior. I also have a newsletter. 873 00:51:18,640 --> 00:51:22,719 Speaker 1: It is um it's just Liz dot sub stack dot com, 874 00:51:22,960 --> 00:51:25,120 Speaker 1: l y Z dot sub stack dot com and it's 875 00:51:25,440 --> 00:51:29,600 Speaker 1: called men yell at me. Uh they do. People are like, 876 00:51:29,600 --> 00:51:31,719 Speaker 1: why do you I'm like, I don't know, why do 877 00:51:31,840 --> 00:51:36,600 Speaker 1: they yell? Uh? Don't ask me? But that that's my 878 00:51:36,640 --> 00:51:40,640 Speaker 1: newsletter so um. I Also I also have a Twitter 879 00:51:41,000 --> 00:51:43,879 Speaker 1: It's at l y z. I also have a website 880 00:51:44,239 --> 00:51:49,080 Speaker 1: lis lends dot com, um and you can find me 881 00:51:49,239 --> 00:51:59,720 Speaker 1: all of those places. If you enjoyed this podcast, please 882 00:51:59,719 --> 00:52:06,400 Speaker 1: help us grow by subscribing. Got a story about an 883 00:52:06,440 --> 00:52:08,200 Speaker 1: interesting thing in tech, or just want to say hi. 884 00:52:08,520 --> 00:52:10,440 Speaker 1: We'd love to hear from you at Hello at tango 885 00:52:10,680 --> 00:52:13,160 Speaker 1: dot com. Disinformed is brought to you by There Are 886 00:52:13,160 --> 00:52:15,239 Speaker 1: No Girls on the Internet. It's a production of I 887 00:52:15,320 --> 00:52:19,040 Speaker 1: Heart Radio and unbost Creative Jonathan Strickland is our executive producer. 888 00:52:19,360 --> 00:52:23,040 Speaker 1: Tory Harrison is our supervising producer and engineer. Michael Lamtto 889 00:52:23,120 --> 00:52:26,520 Speaker 1: is our contributing producer. I'm your host Bridget Tod. For 890 00:52:26,640 --> 00:52:29,480 Speaker 1: more great podcasts, check out the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcast, 891 00:52:29,560 --> 00:52:30,840 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.