Glenn Greenwald Profile picture
Apr 19 11 tweets 4 min read
Taylor Lorenz is about to "expose" the private citizen behind some anonymous account on Twitter, and when people criticize her for it, she and her friends will claim Taylor is the Real Victim™ and anyone criticizing this type of "journalism" will be guilty of causing her trauma.
One more time: you have the absolute right to criticize -- harshly -- the work of anyone who publishes articles in the West's most powerful newspapers -- one owned by one of the world's richest men -- and don't let anyone guilt you or manipulate you into believing you don't.
Only the narcissists in corporate media could take someone who grew up in Greenwich wealth and Swiss boarding schools, who regularly harms the lives of ordinary citizens with their massive journalistic platform, and tell the public: *she's* the victim and can't be criticized.
This is what Taylor does: to teenagers, to obscure women on the internet, now to this anonymous Twitter use. That's what arouses her.

But remember: the Real Victim™ is Taylor and her colleagues who publish articles in Jeff Bezos' newspaper. Coddle them.

This is the framework corporate journalists are trying to construct and force you to accept.

They can criticize, expose, bully, and destroy anyone they want: no limits. They're <whispered reverence> journalists.

You can't criticize how they use their power. That's "harassment."
Fucking unbelievable: @TaylorLorenz, after sobbing on national TV 2 weeks ago, claiming she's the victim of "harassment," showed up at the house of the relatives of the citizen behind @libsoftiktok and badgered them, according to @libsoftiktok.

The bullies claim to be bullied.
What's the new journalistic principle being applied? Is it now permissible for journalists to investigate and expose the real identity of any anonymous social media user? Or is it just permissible if the anonymous social media user has a certain kind of politics?
Kind of meant this as hyperbole in a reply but it's now clear that it's more literal than hyperbolic.

Journalism isn't about just exposing things for the sake of it.

It's about exposing matters in the public interest about *powerful institutions*: CIA/NSA, Wall St, oligarchs, politicians.

Using Jeff Bezos' money to expose private citizens for having bad politics is gross.
One last attempt to clarify the rules:

Is it OK for people to show up tomorrow at Taylor's house and the homes of her relatives to ask questions about her?

I have a feeling that wouldn't be applauded, even though Taylor, unlike the Twitter user she "exposed," is a public figure
I feel confident that if a Fox crew did to Taylor what Taylor did to this citizen - show up at the homes of her relatives to dig for dirt - a national media and mental health crisis would be declared.

That's because, again, this has nothing to do with journalism: just politics.

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More from @ggreenwald

Apr 20
NEW: Former Intelligence Officials, Citing Russia, Insist That Big Tech's Monopoly Power is Vital to U.S. National Security

greenwald.substack.com/p/former-intel…
When the U.S. Security State announces that Big Tech's centralized censorship power must be preserved, this reveals much about whom this regime serves.

And note: the letter's signers spread the pre-election disinformation scam about Biden's emails, while others are paid shills.
This letter reflects desperation on the part of Big Tech and their Deep State allies. Bills to rein in Big Tech have attracted broad bipartisan support because public animosity is now pervasive.

This letter tries to exploit anger toward Russia into a full defense of Big Tech: Image
Read 4 tweets
Apr 20
"A London court on Wednesday ordered the extradition of the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the U.S., the latest but not last step in a long-running battle in British courtrooms."

By far the worst case of journalistic persecution in the West:

nytimes.com/2022/04/20/wor…
Compare the concern from corporate media employees for petulant, coddled, sobbing reporters who cover trivial matters at no risk to their indifference/support for *Assange's imprisonment.*

Because what he does - dangerously expose real power centers - isn't what they value.
From @amnesty, which actually cares about press freedoms independent of ideology:

"Certifying Assange’s extradition puts him at great risk and “would pose grave threat to press freedom”

amnesty.org/en/latest/news…
Read 5 tweets
Apr 20
There are 2 lies from the WPost here: 1) the Post linked to a document that contained the work address and other work details of the anonymous Twitter user they doxxed, and 2) her name was not "public knowledge" anywhere, including among journalists who spoke with her. Both lies.
Is anyone defending what Taylor Lorenz and the Post did here willing to claim they'd have the same positive reaction if someone went to the homes of Taylor and her parents/siblings to investigate her, or who unmasked, say, a popular anonymous trans or BLM Twitter user? Please.
This is the issue, why this story matters:

Read 4 tweets
Apr 19
This is a stupid viral lie being spread by Taylor. She announced she intended to publish @libsoftiktok's name. After, @libsoftiktok provided proof Taylor went to her relatives' houses and asked me to report it to deter Taylor from stalking more people.

Taylor purposely wrote the article to imply the confirmation came from me. She had already announced to multiple people she knew the name and would publish it. The WP tried to pretend I provided the confirmation because they're lying gossips who lie routinely about their enemies.
I really want to see the parallel world in which people visit Taylor's house and the homes and workplaces of her relatives to dig up dirt on her. I have a strong feeling the people defending Taylor doing this to private citizens won't be similarly supportive if it's done to her.
Read 4 tweets
Apr 19
I'd be happy to compare journalistic accomplishments with the editors and employees of WPost who keep concocting titles for me other than "journalist" to see who merits the term.

Being called an "online influencer" by Taylor is like being called a war criminal by David Frum.
Could the WashPost be any pettier or more jealous? If you feel inadequate about what you've accomplished journalistically, working harder to break meaningful stories is a better solution than trying to malign those who have. Again, this jealousy is why they want Assange punished. ImageImage
Look how the WashPost and other liberal corporate outlets doles out or denies the "journalist" label all based on whether they like the political outcome of one's reporting or whether you're supporting or subverting the liberal orthodoxy of the moment:

washingtonpost.com/world/the_amer… ImageImageImageImage
Read 4 tweets
Apr 19
One of the major themes of the Trump era was that the true menaces to the US aren't the US security state (CIA/NSA/Pentagon) or Dem-supporting oligarchs, but private citizens with Bad Politics. Significant journalistic resources were devoted to exposing and punishing them.
That taught liberals "journalism" isn't about exposing secrets of the US security state or powerful actors, just attacking citizens with wrong views (that's why they support Julian Assange's imprisonment and think what he does isn't "journalism" but what Taylor Lorenz does is). Image
One could concoct an argument that investigating, exposing and doxing any anonymous social media is journalistically justifiable because they wield influence.

Nonetheless, using Jeff Bezos' wealth to expose private citizens, not powerful actors, is creepy and disturbing.
Read 4 tweets

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