People Are Fighting To Stop The Author Of An Infamous “Shitty Media Men” List From Being Outed
There are concerns that naming the whistleblower may threaten her life.
Late last year, a secret Google spreadsheet listing men in the media industry who had been accused of predatory behaviour went viral. The document, which was authored anonymously, contained allegations against hundreds of men, and was intended as a resource to help women in the industry stay safe.
No one currently knows who started the Shitty Media Men list. But now, a prestigious magazine appears to be preparing to publish a story naming the whistleblower behind it.
Multiple writers and editors have taken to social media today to warn that they’ve heard from several sources that Harper’s magazine will name the whistleblower in its March issue. They’re urging the publication to reconsider, saying that naming the woman (or women) behind the list would expose them to potential doxxing, death threats and retribution from alt-right trolls and potentially colleagues or bosses.
Harper's spox tells me Katie Roiphe is writing a piece for the March issue of the magazine, but adds: "We don't discuss the content of our pieces until they are published." https://t.co/UO9e2MN62a
— Max Tani (@maxwelltani) January 9, 2018
It’s come to my attention that a legacy print magazine is planning to publish a piece “outing” the woman who started the Shitty Media Men list. All I can say is: don’t. The risk of doxxing is high. It’s not the right thing to do.
— Dayna Tortorici (@dtortorici) January 9, 2018
You do not have to think the list was a good idea to think this would be a tremendously fucked-up thing to do to a whistleblower.
— Nicole Cliffe (@Nicole_Cliffe) January 9, 2018
Dayna Tortorici, the editor of n+1, was the first to call attention to the planned article, and encouraged people on social media to express their opposition to the whistleblower being named in the hope that the publisher would become aware of the backlash.
Writer Nicole Cliffe later named Harper’s as the publication involved, and encouraged writers with pieces in the next issue to refuse to let them be published, saying she would reimburse them for the fees they lost in the process.
If you have a piece in the hopper over at @Harpers, ask your editor if the Roiphe piece is happening. If it is, I will pay you cash for what you’d lose by yanking it. My email is nicole dot cliffe at gmail.
— Nicole Cliffe (@Nicole_Cliffe) January 9, 2018
Since then, a number of writers have pulled their stories from Harper’s, and hundreds of people including Roxane Gay have added their voices to the campaign to have the name of the whistleblower removed from publication.
Don’t do this, @Harpers. Find your moral compass. This would risk these women’s lives. https://t.co/nNJY1ZusK2
— roxane gay (@rgay) January 9, 2018
Game developer Brianna Wu, who was famously doxxed during Gamergate, also called on Harper’s to back down, citing her experience with death threats and stalking as an example of what the whistleblowers faced if named.
“If they do this, I want to tell you everything that will happen to her. I’m certain because it all happened to me,” Wu wrote on Twitter.
“Worst of all, this will NEVER END for her. Gamergate was almost four years ago, and I’m still dealing with it. It is journalistically indefensible to put her in danger. There is no public interest.”
1/ Rumor is, a traditional print magazine is about to out the woman that created the “Shitty Media Men” list, which would be beyond unethical.
If they do this, I want to tell you everything that will happen to her. I’m certain because it all happened to me.
— Brianna Wu (@Spacekatgal) January 9, 2018
2/
✅ She will get death threats to the point she will have to leave her home
✅ Same with rape threats
✅ Everything she’s ever done in her career will be poured over in attempt to get her fired
✅ Her family will be threatened. If she has kids, they’ll be threatened too— Brianna Wu (@Spacekatgal) 9 January 2018
3/ Worst of all, this will NEVER END for her. Gamergate was almost four years ago, and I’m still dealing with it.
It is journalistically indefensible to put her in danger. There is no public interest.
You will end up a cautionary tale in a journalism textbook if you publish.
— Brianna Wu (@Spacekatgal) 9 January 2018
People campaigning against the whistleblower being named have noted that it’s possible to criticise the list and its vague allegations without naming and endangering the list’s creator.
Harper’s have not publicly confirmed that they intend to publish the name of the whistleblowers. We’ll update this piece if they have any further response to the campaign.