Not sure how to be articulate when crying but: Milo Yiannopolous saying his comment two days before the murders (calling for vigilante squads to gun down journalists) was a joke and a troll, is exactly why I have always found “troll” to be DANGEROUS terminology. #CapitalGazette
“Troll” aligns endlessly nasty and verbally violent behaviour with an avatar, a non-real thing, erasing the very abusive PERSON who exists with the same viewpoint and hatred away from their computer.
“Troll” minimises the impact of these people.
“Troll” minimises the impact of these people.
Make no mistake, aligning journalists as the enemy and calling for their eradication—as Trump and his govt have done throughout—is paint-by-numbers fascism. Milo is a fascist. Not a troll. No breaking news there.
But I will say this : Mainstream Media has contributed vastly to this environment where journalists are dehumanised punching-bags for the violently unhinged.
It has encouraged the comments section, for its own click-bait, in which its employees are abused under their own work.
It has encouraged the comments section, for its own click-bait, in which its employees are abused under their own work.
Mainstream Media is the only industry that expects us, its employees, to accept abuse as part of the job. Death and rape threats are just part of what we do, I guess.
It offers us no therapy or counselling for it. Nor does it pay us enough to comfortably seek our own.
It offers us no therapy or counselling for it. Nor does it pay us enough to comfortably seek our own.
For a long, long time many of us have worked in an environment where doing our job as journalists and being publicly attacked go hand in hand.
Every single “you should die, dumb bitch” “hope someone rapes you” comment, or tweet, or email, that I have got (and it is almost every time I publish something) has been frustratingly referred to as a “troll” by the masses. And yet I ALWAYS worry it is true.
We have a right to work safely. Without being threatened. Without our mental health being repeatedly damaged. Without being killed in our offices, fucking hell I’m heartbroken, may you rest in peace.
But stop fucking referring to violent people who literally fuck our sanity up (at best) as mythical internet creatures. These are REAL people. Who interact with us on the outside, and may be a real danger to us physically as well.
And it is about time our employers take the abuse we endure seriously. It is about time they start helping to change the narrative of journalist dehumanisation, treated as though we are deserving of threats and violence.
Other journalists—look after yourselves today. Get the people around you to give you a massive hug. I’m sure we’re all hurting and reflecting. What a world. x
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