Taylor Lorenz, the Washington Post writer who unmasked Chaya Raichik as the woman behind the Libs of TikTok account, is defending her journalistic tactics in the face of conservative backlash.
Lorenz shared a meme suggesting that the “ring wing media” was misinterpreting “the most basic reporting practises” as “doxxing,” a term used to describe the release of personal information that is publicly available and frequently used to harass, stalk, or intimidate an individual, shortly after a number of right-wing figures expressed their outrage on Twitter.
Lorenz recognised Raichik as the user behind a prominent social media account that often criticises liberals and accuses teachers of supposedly “grooming” and “indoctrinating” students on LGBT rights in an exposé published by the Washington Post on Tuesday.
“The power of TikTok‘s Libs reaches well beyond its followers,” Lorenz stated. “It has become a right-wing agenda-setter, and the stuff it produces has a clear correlate with the recent surge in legislation and language aimed directly at the LGBTQ+ population.”
Raichik said on Twitter that the story’s release resulted in her family being harassed and her having to “hole up in a secure spot.”
While many on the right utilised Raichik’s safety worries to condemn Lorenz’s work, the journalist contended that Raichik had more responsibility than the typical citizen, noting the account’s enormous online following as evidence.
“Raichik isn’t just any ordinary lady with a social media account; she’s a prominent influencer with a very influential right-wing media outlet impacting the conversation surrounding LGBTQ+ rights,” Lorenz tweeted, adding that “zero persons engaged in this narrative are anywhere near to kids.” Not everyone who has a social media account is an adolescent.”
Lorenz also stated that she utilised all of the tools at her disposal to “guarantee [she] got the proper lady.”
Cameron Barr, a senior managing editor at the Washington Post, claimed in a statement to Newsweek that Raichik’s assertions that elements of her personal life were made public in the piece were false, and that Lorenz’ reporting met the publication’s standards.
“Taylor Lorenz is a skilled and dedicated journalist whose reporting techniques are perfectly consistent with The Washington Post’s professional standards,” Barr added. “Chaya Raichik has had a big influence on public dialogue through her management of the Libs of TikTok Twitter account and media interviews, and her identity has become public awareness on social media. We didn’t post or link to any personal information about her.”
On Tuesday, additional reporters, including Brandy Zadrozny of NBC, Alex Goldman of Gimlet, Trone Dowd of Vice News, and Nicholas Dawes of The City, rushed to Lorenz’s defence, noting the employment of private investigators by other media in situations like the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault claims.
Before the Post published Lorenz’s report, Raichik’s identity had been confirmed by independent journalist Glenn Greenwald, according to Mashable’s Matt Binder.
“All of the information in the Libs of TikTok essay was already available on the internet. But Taylor had one item that no one else had, and it was because to Glenn Greenwald accidently verifying their identities that the report was feasible “Binder sent out a tweet.
While the majority of the conversation surrounding her article was on the “damage” she allegedly caused Raichik, Taylor Lorenz expressed hope that readers would see the wider picture of her reporting and the real-life impact Raichik’s anonymous remarks had on ordinary people.
“There has been a lot of discussion about the ‘damage’ of covering a prominent online persona, but there hasn’t been much discussion about the harm done to the average LGBTQ+ person that the account wants to expel from schools and public life. I hope that people read the entire tale and comprehend the significance of this testimony “she stated
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