Escarpment

@amberage Many journalists have dedicated their careers to covering the plight of these groups you have cited: immigrants, homeless, pregnant, trans.

So I'm not fond of this particular flavor of anti-journalist sentiment (or any anti-journalist sentiment, left or right).

Dec 17, 2022 at 4:15pmWeb
Show threadCHECK PINNED IF YOU FOLLOW MEDec 17, 2022
@escarpment @amberage this post is not targeting all journalists per se, rather the ones who turn a blind eye on the struggles of the minorities or gross human rights violations (or even are fine with them and endorse them), and then play victim when the fascists come after them. it's almost like the disregard or support of the machine of injustice is going to fuck up those who ignore and support it too!
Show threadedgeoforever 🍎Dec 17, 2022
@escarpment @amberage Some did and good for them (and us). Some are still writing about Elmo as a guru (NYT) and some are grateful to be allowed back on the birdsite. As a lawyer, I came to accept negative stereotypes.
Show threadJulia RezDec 17, 2022

@escarpment @amberage

... and in the case of those that work for the Tabloids, Times, Telegraph, Guardian, and BBC, I wish they'd dedicate their careers to something else more productive. Bricklaying or carpentry perhaps, instead of obsessing over trans people.

Show threadmpoletiekDec 17, 2022
@escarpment @amberage one day they'll actually look at the stats and realize no one really got their news from Twitter.
Show threadWhat's it to you?Dec 17, 2022

@escarpment @amberage While I understand this perspective, I feel it misses how those very dedicated few are used as cover for editorial boards who consistently placed their work on or below page 9 in anything but an election cycle (and then "balanced" with their stable of counter-point journalists).

People need to be aware of how they are used by their employer, and they need to accept that their intentions are moot when taken in a broader political context.

Show threadthe writer [vae/xe] ✡️Dec 17, 2022
@escarpment @amberage even if you were right—you are not—they were not come for “first,” and if they actually cared about those other groups, they wouldn’t claim to be the first victims, so your point is void. also, go outside or something
Show threadEssjay 🏳️‍🌈  Dec 17, 2022

@escarpment @amberage

And many, many more have climbed into bed with far-right politicians to demonise those groups. These are the majority.

The few journalists who have campaigned on behalf of the groups mentioned are the outliers.

Show threadMorganDec 17, 2022
@escarpment @amberage when I'm in a large group, and someone complains that some people in that group don't care about them, and I've been spending a lot of time and energy caring about them, I simply assume that I'm not who they were talking about
Show threadEscarpmentDec 17, 2022
@raphaelmorgan @amberage That seems like a fine approach. However, I worry about when that's not good enough. Will they listen to your screams of "but I was one of the good journalists!" as they line up all the journalists, "good" and "bad", for arrest?
Show threadMorganDec 17, 2022
@escarpment @amberage ah, yes, marginalized people having a problem with journalists who don't care about us are exactly the same as literal Nazis, good to know
I'm 100% sure that the journalists you mentioned would rather not have someone like you advocating for them
Show threadEscarpmentDec 17, 2022

@raphaelmorgan @amberage Not saying that. Anyway, I have endured enough abuse from this post. I've stated my opinion.

It was in fact controversial- many have attacked me ferociously for having the opinion. I will continue to introspect about whether to change the opinion or stick with it based on the feedback I've received.

Show threadVivekaDec 21, 2022
@escarpment @raphaelmorgan @amberage On the whole, people have attacked the *opinion*. Because it’s not very well thought-out.
Show threadEscarpmentDec 21, 2022
@Viveka @raphaelmorgan @amberage Fair enough. I suppose I shouldn't tie up my own self-worth in my opinions being valued. I should try to distance my person from my opinions. Still, for those with the opposite opinion, it seems sufficient to simply state it, which is "I am fond of this line of criticizing journalists."
Show threadVivekaDec 22, 2022

@escarpment @raphaelmorgan @amberage That’s cool – good to reflect.

A key concept here is “if it’s not about you, it’s not about you”. This toot describes a behaviour that definitely, observably happens and ascribes it to “liberal journalists”. Perhaps there are some people who consider themselves to be liberal journalists who don’t do this. In that case, it’s not about them. But really I suspect that any journalists who actually don’t do this would by now be leery of the term “Liberal” because there are many, many people who identify with that label and who do this thing.

Show threadHeather 💾Dec 25, 2022
@raphaelmorgan @amberage @escarpment It's not abuse to point out that journalists are a privileged set of people who often gate whether or not marginalized people get their voices heard and they usually decide "no"
Show threadEscarpmentDec 25, 2022

@HeatherNatalie @raphaelmorgan @amberage As I understand it, a journalist can be anyone with a blog, a mastodon account, an iPhone camera- anyone interested in reporting the truth. I don't think every, or even many, journalists are particularly privileged.

The original impetus for my counterpoint was to defend journalism against what I perceived to be an attack, unexpectedly, from the left flank.

Show threadFrank Fucile 🏴Dec 17, 2022
@escarpment @amberage true but the issue more precisely might be WHICH journalists rise to prominence in capitalist conditions
Show thread😀🚲Dec 18, 2022
@escarpment
Show threadelizabeth veldonDec 18, 2022
@escarpment @amberage many journalists have taken part in the hate against these groups.
Show threadHope 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 SNPDec 18, 2022
@amberage @escarpment in what country are you referring to? It can’t be the UK which is riddled with nasty right wing so called journalists, who print whatever the highest bidder wants. People have every right to loathe this generation of journalists, who have no morals or principles. They post lies which lead to abuse, violence and worse. I think your voice is a rather lonely one!
Show threadAlexander Hamizdat 🌹Dec 18, 2022

@escarpment What is Sea Lioning: A Type Of Trolling.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/sealioning-internet-trolling

What is 'Sealioning'?

Sea lions can be real trolls sometimes

Show threadThey Called Him LeifDec 19, 2022
@escarpment @amberage It's not even controversial, it's just straight facts.
Show threadBrandon "Dreg Mangler" KirkmanDec 19, 2022
@escarpment @amberage It is ok to admit you do not understand a joke, no shame in that
Show threadEscarpmentDec 19, 2022
@kirkmanbrandon @amberage I used to love comedy/punching up/satire - all that. Now I've come to believe that "I was just joking" is not an excuse for targeting someone. And sadly, almost all humor has a target and it is incumbent upon the joke teller to consider who that target is. I know it's a "no-fun zone" opinion, but I think earnest criticism is almost always better than snide joking or satire.
Show threadEscarpmentDec 19, 2022
@kirkmanbrandon @amberage For example, if a colleague is advocating for some plan I disagree with, I owe that person an earnest criticism, not a snide remark that belittles their idea and conveys how little I respect them.
Show threadNot a doctor. Or Jesus.Dec 21, 2022

@escarpment @amberage

Thank you #NotAllMen and #NotAllWhitePeople for bringing us #NotAllJournalists