Location:  United States
Date: April 20, 2022

Taylor Lorenz, Washington Post’s tech columnist, is facing a malicious slander campaign towards the recent article she revealed. The columnist was accused of disclosing an anonymous account “Libs of TikTok '' creator, a Twitter account known for anti-LGBTQ+ views and has become potent in right-wing conservative media. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) is utterly dismayed by the slanderous hate campaign against Taylor and extends support and solidarity to the journalist.

On April 19, in her article, Taylor exposed Chaya Raichik, who is known as a real estate agent and allegedly is the creator of a social media account, Libs of TikTok, that has remained anonymous and promoted by hosts of right-wing figures. 

The account, which operates on Twitter and other social media platforms, shares videos posted on various platforms, often by LGBTQ+ individuals, and mocks them in captions, including videos of several teachers' lectures and a video of a young transgender person posted on YouTube.

Following her story, the columnist became the target of a vicious online hate campaign by right-wing figures, including Tucker Carlson, Fox News host, journalist Glenn Greenwald, and Daily Wire’s host Ben Shapiro. Taylor was also accused of harassing the social media owner by knocking on the woman’s door. She was also targeted for being a "hypocrite” and "doxxing", the act of publicly revealing private personal information about an individual or organization online, the owner of the Twitter account. 

The journalist responded to the accusations that she followed the standard process as a reporter does and stated on Twitter for revealing the woman. “I reported this story out extensively, using every tool I had, to ensure I had the correct woman," she said. 

Cameron Barr, the managing editor of the Washington Post, backed Taylor in a statement and called her "an accomplished and diligent journalist". He said Taylor's method is “comport entirely with The Washington Post’s professional standards.”

Some journalists also offered support to Taylor and condemned the online abuse she endured.

These vicious online attacks were not Taylor's first time. Tucker Carlson attempted to underplay the violence that women journalists face by targeting the columnist. The day after last year’s International Women’s Day, Carlson mocked the sentiment expressed by Lorenz in her tweet. 

She urged her audience to believe women who come forward with allegations of sexual harassment, citing the emotional toll such experiences have taken on her. However, for Carlson, the concerns the journalist were expressing were not worthy of attention because they did not register a similar level of oppression like that of Uyghur Chinese women.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism extends full support and solidarity to Taylor Lorenz. However, we are extremely concerned regarding the trend of digital violence against women journalists. Social media is being weaponized as a tool to intimidate women journalists into silence. These repeated attacks and the silence of the authorities concerned threaten the freedom of the press in the US. We call on the state, lawmakers, and social media platforms to regulate digital hate content that can prevent hate speech from growing.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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