Appeasing Bullies Doesn't Work
Related: Truth is Not About Appeasing the Feelings of Men Who Hurt Women
BillBC attempted (in vain) to appease the Pedo Cheeto who had threatened and then attacked it. It didn't work. Appeasing criminals and crooks generally doesn't work, it only gives them 'appetite'. So the BBC made an error and its 'reflex' was a mistake, an inhibiting factor that backfired.
The lawyer who protected me from EPO SLAPPs commented on the BBC's approach, sans the unnecessary and counterproductive apology issued to an insurrectionist, convicted felon, and serial war criminal.
Last year I saw the mainstream media describing my media solicitor as one who lacks a "fear gene". I recognised this trait and could relate; compared to most people, I don't have fear, or barely have fear. Solicitors have tried hard - and failed repeatedly - to scare me (even as recently as this month). My wife has known me since 2011 and she says she not even once saw me shed a tear; I am not arguing that lacking that is a virtue, but when exposing crime you must not be weak. As this new story from CPJ puts it, a "Romanian journalist Emilia Șercan threatened after plagiarism exposé". To quote: "Șercan’s January 14 exposé on the Press One news site alleged that Romania’s minister of justice, Radu Marinescu, plagiarized his PhD thesis. Since then, she has faced a sustained campaign of online harassment and threats. She told CPJ that she has received hundreds of online messages — many anonymous — escalating from insults and misogynistic abuse to violent language and explicit threats of physical harm, including death threats. Șercan said she believes this is part of a broader campaign in retaliation for her reporting, and that it was triggered by comments from the minister and other Social Democratic Party politicians."
Why should she face abuse for exposing abuse?
The ability to tolerate such abuse was studied in the distant past, with one focal point being, is this a genetic thing?
For us, here in Techrights, it was necessary to endure many threats and a lot of abuse, directed not just at authors but also family members. The reason we're still here and very active is that we're good at what we do. █