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The Emma Watson nude pictures hoax shames our ‘news’ culture The Emma Watson nude photos hoax shames our ‘news’ culture
(about 1 hour later)
The internet is eating itself. This week’s cycle of backlash and counter-backlash has swirled around Emma Watson and a string of apparent threats of public humiliation made against her after she addressed the UN on feminism and gender equality.The internet is eating itself. This week’s cycle of backlash and counter-backlash has swirled around Emma Watson and a string of apparent threats of public humiliation made against her after she addressed the UN on feminism and gender equality.
Shortly after Watson spoke, a site supposedly created by users of the now-notorious 4chan message board appeared, threatening to publish naked photos of the actress. The threats prompted a huge response of support for Watson and the #HeForShe campaign, alongside an absolute flurry of coverage in virtually every online outlet in the world.Shortly after Watson spoke, a site supposedly created by users of the now-notorious 4chan message board appeared, threatening to publish naked photos of the actress. The threats prompted a huge response of support for Watson and the #HeForShe campaign, alongside an absolute flurry of coverage in virtually every online outlet in the world.
The problem is that it’s not at all clear that the threats, which didn’t make a great deal of sense, were ever real. By Wednesday, a supposed PR firm had stepped up to claim responsibility for the threats against Watson, as part of an effort to take down 4chan. All the signs suggest that that PR firm itself was a hoax promulgated by an outfit known to engage in poor-taste stunts to get surges of traffic and advertising revenue.The problem is that it’s not at all clear that the threats, which didn’t make a great deal of sense, were ever real. By Wednesday, a supposed PR firm had stepped up to claim responsibility for the threats against Watson, as part of an effort to take down 4chan. All the signs suggest that that PR firm itself was a hoax promulgated by an outfit known to engage in poor-taste stunts to get surges of traffic and advertising revenue.
No one is quite sure exactly what transpired, but broadly speaking it shouldn’t matter. Certainly, no one should waste too much sympathy on 4chan – among the internet’s most prolific (and often brutal) hoaxers and trolls – being vilified for something it is likely they didn’t, for once, do.No one is quite sure exactly what transpired, but broadly speaking it shouldn’t matter. Certainly, no one should waste too much sympathy on 4chan – among the internet’s most prolific (and often brutal) hoaxers and trolls – being vilified for something it is likely they didn’t, for once, do.
It’s also clearly deplorable that Watson presumably had to face a day or more of the stress about what may have come next – whether pictures, real or faked, would be circulated around the world with a huge chunk of the internet’s attention on them. The prank is very nearly as cruel as the reality would have been in such an instance.It’s also clearly deplorable that Watson presumably had to face a day or more of the stress about what may have come next – whether pictures, real or faked, would be circulated around the world with a huge chunk of the internet’s attention on them. The prank is very nearly as cruel as the reality would have been in such an instance.
But there is a broader problem at stake here: the global news agenda is now regularly held hostage by small bands of loud but tech-savvy idiots.But there is a broader problem at stake here: the global news agenda is now regularly held hostage by small bands of loud but tech-savvy idiots.
On Tuesday, President Obama set out his reasons for beginning what could become another prolonged conflict in the Middle East. In the UK, Ed Miliband set out his party’s vision for next year’s election and beyond. Fresh measures were taken to try to stem west Africa’s Ebola outbreak. All these and more were doubtless dwarfed for page views on news sites across the world by people reading about a story that turned out to be a global prank. This should be a source of shame and introspection. Instead, it’s just a typical Tuesday.On Tuesday, President Obama set out his reasons for beginning what could become another prolonged conflict in the Middle East. In the UK, Ed Miliband set out his party’s vision for next year’s election and beyond. Fresh measures were taken to try to stem west Africa’s Ebola outbreak. All these and more were doubtless dwarfed for page views on news sites across the world by people reading about a story that turned out to be a global prank. This should be a source of shame and introspection. Instead, it’s just a typical Tuesday.
Outrage and backlash has become the regular fodder of coverage and cultural debate. The number of people who regularly frequent the most popular board on 4chan, the /b/ board (rather than dropping in now and then) is, compared with most websites, tiny: the hardcore trolls will number far fewer than 1,000.Outrage and backlash has become the regular fodder of coverage and cultural debate. The number of people who regularly frequent the most popular board on 4chan, the /b/ board (rather than dropping in now and then) is, compared with most websites, tiny: the hardcore trolls will number far fewer than 1,000.
This small group sparks tedious “debates” such as the #GamerGate debacle, the outrages and concerned responses to #CuttingForBieber, and more. The initial stories are irresistibly provocative, the backlashes – which often involve celebrity names – swift and easy to cover, and the articles get clicks.This small group sparks tedious “debates” such as the #GamerGate debacle, the outrages and concerned responses to #CuttingForBieber, and more. The initial stories are irresistibly provocative, the backlashes – which often involve celebrity names – swift and easy to cover, and the articles get clicks.
The end result is that tiny groups of – let’s just say it – arseholes are swarming our cultural coverage, and our news agenda. Sometimes, there are some net positives: it’s to be hoped Emma Watson’s laudable UN speech got more attention than it would have otherwise.The end result is that tiny groups of – let’s just say it – arseholes are swarming our cultural coverage, and our news agenda. Sometimes, there are some net positives: it’s to be hoped Emma Watson’s laudable UN speech got more attention than it would have otherwise.
But our global conversation needs to learn how to drown out the tiny pockets of shouters, and talk about other things instead. The most interesting conversation around gaming is certainly not whether writers standing up for feminists they happen to have met is a conflict of interest (spoiler: it isn’t).But our global conversation needs to learn how to drown out the tiny pockets of shouters, and talk about other things instead. The most interesting conversation around gaming is certainly not whether writers standing up for feminists they happen to have met is a conflict of interest (spoiler: it isn’t).
The transformative promise of the internet was that it would shift control of the media agenda away from an elite group of editors to the public as a whole. At the moment, we risk merely shifting from the agenda of elite editors to that of elite trolls. Surely we can do better than that.The transformative promise of the internet was that it would shift control of the media agenda away from an elite group of editors to the public as a whole. At the moment, we risk merely shifting from the agenda of elite editors to that of elite trolls. Surely we can do better than that.