Alexander’s public views are broadly liberal with some libertarian influence, but his controversial arguments have attracted the ill will of what Aaronson called “social media mobs who despised Scott and wanted to end his blog because of political disagreements”
WFB: A prominent pseudonymous blogger has shut down his site after a New York Times reporter refused to conceal his identity in a forthcoming piece, putting his livelihood and life in danger.
Psychiatrist Scott Alexander (his first and middle, but not last, name) has worked for years to cultivate a small but thriving intellectual community through his blog Slate Star Codex. That came to a halt Monday evening, however, when Alexander deleted the blog, replacing it with a post entitled “NYT Is Threatening My Safety By Revealing My Real Name, So I Am Deleting The Blog.”
The deletion was the culmination of a week of buzz that a Times reporter, Cade Metz, was reporting a story on Alexander’s site and the community it spawned, prompting widespread fears that Alexander would be the next figure “canceled” by a media exposé, possibly as retribution for his criticisms of modern progressivism.
Neither Metz nor his editor Pui-Wing Tam responded to a request for comment. Times vice president for communications Danielle Rhoades Ha told the Washington Free Beacon, “we do not comment on what we may or may not publish in the future. But when we report on newsworthy or influential figures, our goal is always to give readers all the accurate and relevant information we can.”
Alexander and others interviewed by Metz told the Free Beacon that they do not believe Metz wanted to write a “hit piece.” But Metz did insist that Times guidelines compelled him to disclose Alexander’s real name, derailing an interview with the blogger.
There is little evidence that such a policy exists at the Times, which has granted anonymity or pseudonymity to an Apple news executive, a left-wing podcaster, and even other subjects of Metz’s story. This confusion, Alexander’s fear of national news attention, and the resultant backlash on social media—and even among the Times‘s own alumni—raise uncomfortable questions about the power that the media have to ruin lives—and the cavalierness with which that power has recently been exercised.
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Alexander’s gag time ban.
“Neither Metz nor his editor Pui-Wing Tam”
Those darned English editors!
That’s too bad. I visited his blog a few times. I remember a funny post he made about what goes on at Psychiatrist conventions with all the drug manufacturer propaganda. It was hilarious.
I guess I don’t get it. If the Times is going to publish its article and doxx him anyways, what’s the point of self-deletion? It doesn’t undo anything he’s written beforehand, and the Cancel Culture creeps will still come after him whether or not he’s still writing. Stay in the fight, man…
Like an aged,ill or injured member of a pack who hinders the pace, he’s set upon and ripped to shreds.
They won.
If his livelihood is fueled by being a blogger, then he needs to be a blogger.
“social media mobs who despised Scott and wanted to end his blog because of political disagreements”
Apparently they succeeded.
Practically every newspaper and local news station in the northwest has shut down their reader comments section. The comments were tightly censored to prevent readers from pointing out inconsistencies and correcting the record to reflect reality.
They were still losing so they just shut down reader comments all together.
Another proggy getting eaten by the crazier proggys who he
supported and enabled to grow into orcs.
Supporting evil puts you on its side pal.
Uck him.
Never talk to the media. NEVER.
Does anyone know this reporter “Metz” home address? Asking for a friend. Not really a friend, let’s just say acquaintance.
doxx the Doxxers!
Time to burn down the NYT offices. Call it a protest. There won’t be any arrests.