Journalists are supposed to have some of the thickest skin around. After all, they are reporting on what other people are doing – and sometimes, they do a bit of bullying to get their point across.
For those who dish it, they need to know how to take it, too.
A Washington Post reporter, however, has been completely breaking down because she’s getting bullied online. According to her, she’s even got PTSD from all of the mean tweets about her.
So, who is this reporter, and what is going on?
Let’s dig in…
Taylor Lorenz is a reporter for the Washington Post. Considering that she writes for a liberal media outlet, one would think that she knows how to handle herself.
During an MSNBC interview with correspondent Morgan Radford, she had a full breakdown where she identified that she had “severe PTSD” from her journalism.
Lorenz covers technology and online culture for WaPo, so it’s not even like she’s digging into the hard stuff like politics or current events.
She began crying because she was getting mean tweets. This is a grown woman who can’t figure out how to avoid cyber-bullying. Apparently, some high-profile media personalities have begun to criticize some of what Lorenz does, and there’s been more and more mean tweets showing up in her DMs.
A study was actually conducted by the Center for Social Media and Politics at NYU to show that Lorenz was actually the victim of “sharp increases in harmful speech” – and those came from such individuals as Glenn Greenwald and Tucker Carlson.
Lorenz said “You feel like any little piece of information that gets out on you, will be used by the worst people on the internet to destroy your life, and it’s so isolating…”
Radford identified that she, too, had faced online harassment when she reported on white supremacy.
However, you don’t see Radford crying or throwing around words like “PTSD.”
As a journalist, you have to know that there are going to be topics that don’t sit well with others. Knowing that you will report on things that will lead to bullying is part of the job – and it sounds like Lorenz needs to focus more on getting her life together than continuing to create online content.
Lorenz would like everyone to think that she’s been senselessly bullied for doing absolutely nothing wrong.
Glenn Greenwald was quick to defend himself by pulling out entire emails where he’s been attacked by Lorenz.
Lorenz has also been guilty of attacking YouTube personality MrBeast for using a “bad word” and falsely accusing Marc Andreessen of using the “R-word.”
Saagar Enjeti of Krystal & Saagar, as reported by the Post Millennial “has said Lorenz uses her career to destroy opponents who she feels are beneath her. He said her tears come from Lorenz’s inability to suss out what’s legitimate criticism and harassment.”
This is a typical story of being able to dish it without being able to take it.
The Washington Post is naturally going to bring more drama than what she was used to at the New York Times. However, her entire career has been controversial – and she’s used a number of teenagers to help her to get headlines – and that includes Kellyanne Conway’s teen daughter.
Lorenz is now all over the headlines – but she’s the headline instead of the byline. If she doesn’t truly have PTSD by the time this is all over, she should plan on leaving her press badge on her desk and walking away. We have enough liberal journalists anyway.
