Dear twitter, it’s time we talked about the distinction between CRITICISM and ABUSE. Sometimes criticism and abuse are the same thing, but usually they are not. We should call out disrespectful abuse. We should not shy away from respectful criticism. Thread. 
If someone disagrees with you and tells you why, they are being ‘criticial’ of your ideas. If they do this respectfully - asking questions, pointing out mistakes, critiquing the way you have said or done something - this is not them being ‘mean’, ‘unkind’, ‘abusive’.
If someone is rude to you - for instance, many tweeps like to point out I’ve got a big nose - that is abuse and you have every right to mute, block and complain about this.
The problem is when ALL criticism is written off as ‘abuse’, and everyone who is criticial of you is blocked, you’re basically saying that everything you do is perfect and you’re beyond criticism. What is this platform for if not to challenge how we think, how we behave?
Journalists seem particularly offended by criticism - even criticism with not an element of ‘abuse’ in it. When you work in the field of public discourse, when every word you write shapes the world around us, it’s understandable people will have something to say about it.
You might not agree with the criticism, as is usually the case when we’re criticised. If you think you’re doing everything perfectly and can never improve, if you’re ‘above’ criticism, twitter is not the place for you.
When literally thousands of people on here are being criticial about the very same thing, chances are they’ve got some valid points. Some of them might be abusive - might cross the line - but that doesn’t mean all of them are wrong.
It’s human to react defensively when criticised, to circle the wagons (journalists do this together), to tell the ones being criticial that they’re being unfair and wouldn’t understand. Fine, be human. But don’t tell us we’re being abusive when we’re clearly not.
Anyone who has spent any time in academia knows that the whole point of academic inquiry is being criticial - testing theories, debating them, doing your own research to see if you agree. Academics are hardened to criticism because it comes with the territory.
For some reason, journalists are not. They tend to see themselves as more objective and rational than others, therefore more likely to believe they are right and everyone else is wrong. Let go of that nonsense. You’re people, just like all of us. Sometimes right, sometimes not.
As I said, if you don’t like criticism, don’t use twitter and if you do choose to use it, don’t tell all us tweeps that we’re horrible, mean, abusive people because we’re critical of your work. Some of your work is great, some is not. Be at one with that. Be human. End.
