Melissa Ryan Profile picture
I help people & organizations combat far-right extremism and online toxicity. Subscribe https://t.co/fvpH5vqxuP Hire me https://t.co/uRrd2UlkrM
Perpetual Mind Profile picture There.Is.No.Normal. Profile picture Potato Of Reason Profile picture lacassi Profile picture 4 subscribed
Dec 6, 2022 4 tweets 1 min read
Taibbi, and by extension Musk, is basically inciting harassment and potentially against another former Twitter employee now. An employee who was apparently only just fired. ugh that should read "potentially violence."
Dec 4, 2022 21 tweets 4 min read
New from me: This week is the 6th anniversary of Ctrl Alt-Right Delete. As I reflect on 2022 I find myself more optimistic than I've been in years. Let's talk about why. medium.com/ctrlaltrightde… Founder Stewart Rhodes and his Kelly Meggs were found guilty of Seditious Conspiracy. The other Oath Keepers on trial were found not guilty of seditious conspiracy but were found guilty of obstructing an official proceeding along with Rhodes and Meggs.
Oct 20, 2022 6 tweets 2 min read
I can't believe I'm saying this, but everyone should read the Federalist article. Because it articulates where the Right has been going for some time and makes clear that wielding power to force the rest of us to do what a small minority of Americans want is the real goal. The actions he's talking about should chill you to the bone. Because they're not fringe at all. This is what the majority of MAGA wants and is dangerously close to achieving.
Sep 24, 2022 5 tweets 2 min read
A sitting US Senator is helping Libs of TikTok harass a doctor. This kind of incitement puts the target in serious danger of harm and could even get her killed.

@TwitterSafety needs to step in ASAP. Also, this is exactly what I mean when I talk about there being no cost to being a far-right extremist. A powerful Senator can use his social media feeds to put a woman in danger, and there are no consequences.
Sep 18, 2022 22 tweets 5 min read
New from me: Targeted harassment of female celebrities always seems to be in the news, but most folks don't realize that far-right media outlets engage in these campaigns for clout, clicks, and cash. medium.com/ctrlaltrightde… With much gratitude and appreciation for @cbouzy. Because he's been a pioneer on this, and I cite multiple @BotSentinel reports in the article.
Sep 17, 2022 5 tweets 1 min read
I'm not surprised by what DeSantis did. He's a monster and he appeals to a constituency of monsters.

But I'm struck by how comfortable DeSantis felt kidnapping people as a political stunt. And confident that no one would charge him, sue him, or hold him accountable in any way. There's just not much of a cost for being a far-right extremist. It's a recurring theme in my work. They keep doing this shit because we don't stop them or penalize them.
Aug 14, 2022 22 tweets 5 min read
New from me: A lot happened last week. Specifically, a lot happened if you’re Donald Trump. But this week, I focus on Trump and MAGA's threats toward the FBI. medium.com/ctrlaltrightde… On Monday, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Mar-A-Lago and removed 11 sets of classified documents from Trump’s home office. Since you’ve undoubtedly been following the news, you know things just got crazier from there.
Nov 29, 2021 9 tweets 3 min read
I'm late to this but I have a few thoughts on @Benyt's latest column. nytimes.com/2021/11/28/bus… 1. I think a big part of the reason so much work gets categorized as combatting "misinformation" is that funders were obsessed with it. It was hard to get funders to care about the far-right or propaganda. I think largely because they wanted to appear non-partisan.
Nov 15, 2021 21 tweets 4 min read
New from me: Media asymmetry and the lack of a robust effort to create a left of center narrative cost Democrats Virginia. medium.com/ctrlaltrightde… If drastic steps aren’t taken to change our strategy beyond traditional campaigning we’re DOA in the midterms, an election where we’re already at an extreme disadvantage thanks to Gerrymandering, voter suppression laws, and the refusal to end the filibusters.
Oct 17, 2021 18 tweets 5 min read
New from me, by reader request. A short explainer of what the Oath Keepers are and why they matter. medium.com/ctrlaltrightde… Several of you responded to my open call for newsletter ideas asking to learn more about theOath Keepers. Given how much they’ve been in the news this year it’s an understandable curiosity.
Sep 19, 2021 17 tweets 3 min read
New from me: The California Recall Election is a successful case study for prebunking. medium.com/ctrlaltrightde… Claiming voter fraud before the election even happens is now a staple of Republican campaigns. In 2020 Trump and his allies made preemptive claims of voter fraud and rigging from the start, and as a result, his base was primed to believe that Joe Biden stole the election.
Jul 27, 2021 4 tweets 2 min read
I hope @Simone_Biles knows how we're all rooting for her. Medals don't matter. She doesn't need any more hardware. She is the GOAT athlete and a GOAT human being. Read about Simone the human being, and the purposeful way she's changing the sport of gymnastics for the better. texasmonthly.com/arts-entertain…
Jul 25, 2021 24 tweets 6 min read
New from me: Let me settle the debate. Yes, social media platforms are killing people. But arguing over that doesn't really address the scope of the problem.
medium.com/ctrlaltrightde… Last week President Biden made headlines for stating the obvious. Disinformation on Facebook is killing people. bbc.com/news/world-us-…
Jul 6, 2021 9 tweets 3 min read
Today is the 6-month anniversary of the Capitol Insurrection, a violent attempted coup against the United States Government. It's shocking to me how little accountability there's been and at this point, I'm not easily shocked. So many innocent people who were present, just doing their jobs, continue to live with the trauma day after day. Most of them still go to work at the site of their trauma. We haven't done right by them at all.