15 Minutes In Hell - Episode 3 - Taylor Lorenz, The Washington Post
Aug 21, 2023
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Taylor Lorenz, columnist at The Washington Post, discusses how news organizations have failed to keep up with internet culture, the exploitative nature of online fame, and the need for awareness regarding the manipulation of internet content.
Specialized culture reporters are essential to provide in-depth coverage and explore the broader impacts of internet culture.
Online culture reporting should prioritize responsible reporting with proper verification, investigation, and context, especially when covering sensitive topics involving children.
Deep dives
The importance of specialized culture reporters
Taylor Lorenz emphasizes the need for specialized culture reporters as she believes that culture coverage, whether online or offline, is essential. She criticizes the current state of online culture reporting, citing examples like the exploitation of Lil Tay and the irresponsible coverage of her alleged death. Lorenz argues for more in-depth reporting that explores the broader contexts and impacts of internet culture.
The need for responsible journalism in online culture reporting
Lorenz points out the flaws in online culture reporting, mentioning the prevalence of quick clickbait and superficial coverage. She critiques the pressure on journalists to prioritize fast content production over thorough reporting. Lorenz suggests that reporting on sensitive topics involving children, like Lil Tay and BabyGrom, should be done responsibly, with proper verification, investigation, and context, rather than using them for clickbait.
Taking internet culture seriously and avoiding dismissiveness
Lorenz challenges the common dismissal of internet culture as unserious, arguing that online platforms have significant impacts on democracy, culture, and societal relations. She highlights the need to consider the sociological and cultural phenomena occurring online, including the influence of influencers and the potential manipulation within online culture. Lorenz stresses the importance of taking internet culture seriously and urges journalists to provide thoughtful coverage that goes beyond surface-level trends.
We talked about how modern news organizations have failed to keep up with the progress of internet culture, how exploitative online fame has become, and how now more than ever we need to be aware of how much internet content can be used to manipulate others.