# Is the media in the right or wrong for outing internet trolls? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 6, 2014, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582 "2014-10-06T20:16:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/1 "2014-10-06T20:16:44Z")
Interesting update to the Madeleine McCann mystery which has been discussed [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=667407&) before. They are no closer to finding a suspect, but apparently the parents of the little missing girl have been frequently the victims of online attacks on twitter, etc. as to what horrible parents they are, that their other children should be taken away, etc. _There 3 year old daughter was abducted from their vacation apartment in Portugal, while they were dining in a restaurant 50 yards away, in ._ Well, a Sky News reporter investigated and discovered the identity of one of these online _trolls_ and publicly confronted her on national television. Brenda Leyland, 63 of Leicester, England. She seemed initially okay with the confrontation. > [@](#): > > She was informed by Mr Brunt that she had been reported to the police and that officers were considering an apparent campaign of abuse against the couple by her and other online “trolls”. She responded that was “fair enough”. > > Mr Brunt said he had later been invited into Mrs Leyland’s home where she told him she had questions for the McCanns but hoped she had not broken the law. However, once her picture was plastered all over the news, she disappeared, only to be found dead in a nearby hotel. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/11143446/Madeleine-McCann-Twitter-troll-death-Calls-for-public-inquiry-after-body-is-found.html](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/11143446/Madeleine-McCann-Twitter-troll-death-Calls-for-public-inquiry-after-body-is-found.html) Many people are claiming that she was unfairly singled out by the media, and that the reporter was even worse than Mrs. Leyland, because his audience was much bigger then her 182 twitter followers. Seems like this is a bigger issue in England, because I think online abuse is a crime. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/2 "2014-10-06T21:03:54Z")
Also being reported by the _Telegraph_: > [@](#): > > [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/11134162/Investigation-into-McCann-internet-trolls-launched-by-police.html](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/11134162/Investigation-into-McCann-internet-trolls-launched-by-police.html) > Internet trolls who aim abuse, including death threats, at the family of missing girl Madeleine McCann could be prosecuted as part of a new police investigation. > > The Metropolitan Police has been passed an 80-page dossier of hundreds of tweets, Facebook posts and messages on online forums accusing Kate and Gerry McCann of being involved in their daughter’s disappearance in Portugal in 2007, and telling them they should “burn in hell”. > > Trolls active in recent years could now be brought to justice, with officers in talks with the Crown Prosecution Service over what action can be taken over the dossier, which was also passed to Sky News. > > The evidence was compiled by members of the public, appalled at the campaign of abuse aimed at the McCann’s by the largely anonymous trolls, who are convinced of the McCanns’ guilt despite no supporting evidence. > > Posts charted in the dossier include suggestions that the McCanns should be tortured and killed, reports of recent sightings of the couple, and manipulated images of the couple, showing them behind bars or surrounded by piles of cash. > > Authors of the dossier are calling on prosecutors to take action against the posters under the Malicious Communications Act 2003, which bans online messages containing threats of violence or that could cause stress or alarm to their targets. > [@](#): > > [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11144435/Madeleine-McCann-Twitter-troll-Brenda-Leyland-death-Trolling-is-never-a-victimless-crime.html](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11144435/Madeleine-McCann-Twitter-troll-Brenda-Leyland-death-Trolling-is-never-a-victimless-crime.html) > Online actions have real life consequences. But we have tended to ignore that hard truth. Collectively we’ve told people who have been the victim of trolling or other injustices online to just get a grip and stay schtum. After all, it’s only happening on the internet. Just turn the computer off and walk away. Right? > > Wrong. And now – with the tragic death of 63 year-old Brenda Leyland, a middle class mother who allegedly wrote abusive tweets about Kate and Gerry McCann – we must confront this uncomfortable dichotomy between our real lives and our online ones. > > During the last two decades people have raced online and happily adopted a persona they would never dream of displaying to those who know them best in the cold light of day. For too long the World Wide Web has been the Wild Wild Web. From false reviews on Trip Advisor posted by hoteliers against their rivals to the violent trolling of individuals such as the academic Mary Beard, the internet has provided a lawless playground in which pretty much anything goes. > > You only have to read the Labour MP Stella Creasy’s vivid account of her year of hell at the hands of Twitter trolls, to learn how her online torment has followed her into all walks of her life. Maybe the threat of these trolls being exposed to the general public will currtail their pleas for attention. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/3 "2014-10-06T21:09:34Z")
Internet trolls are no different from a slumlord or some other public ne’er-do-well. If the media wants to run a story on them for being assholes, then they have the right to ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/4 "2014-10-10T15:46:35Z")
I did find the hypocritical British print media’s relish over the suicide of that woman rather sickening - but then I also find the concept of such lazy anonymous hate-mongering abominable too. A draw overall, perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/5 "2014-10-10T16:00:32Z")
Why do they deserve anonymity? Seriously, if you are going to be such an asshole, you better be prepared for people to find out. The only thing that worries me is when the Internet goes crazy over the wrong person - it’s very hard to call those dogs off. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/6 "2014-10-10T19:30:32Z")
As soon as people get over the expectation of anonymity the better. On the Internet today not only does everyone know you’re a dog, they know your breed and how many puppies you’ve had. There is going to be a lot of heartbreak before people learn this, much by innocent people, unlike her. If you know you are going to have to stand behind an accusation, you might be a bit more careful. Scott McNealy said “You have zero privacy anyway. Get over it.” Truer words were never spoken. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/7 "2014-10-10T20:54:38Z")
**Breaking News!** \*\*Internet troll dies from lethal dose of own medicine. \*\* But first, more on the Ebola / ISIS connection…and later…A NJ homeowner was awakened this morning by this 400 lb furry intruder in his kitchen… Join the conversation online at #bitchgetalife ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/8 "2014-10-10T21:05:54Z")
The media can do what they like, though I suspect that they’ll find that trolls are mostly people suffering from depression that are just as happy to lash out any other thing as the one they’re being called on. But between the inability for anyone to say anything due to draconian libel laws and the ability to prosecute trolls as “abusive”, I really think that the UK needs to start considering a Freedom of Speech law. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/9 "2014-10-10T21:48:55Z")
By inserting themselves into social media in one way or another, trolls in essence _become_ part of the media. Since these days most people are consuming everything from news reports to comments to message boards to FB and Twitter…we are all consumers and product on some level. Yes, I read that story and Brenda Leyland broke as soon as her cover was blown. Sad, but I don’t have much sympathy for her. People who enjoy being nasty anonymous jerks deserve to be outed. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/10 "2014-10-10T22:29:39Z")
Did the reporter do anything illegal to ID the troll? Did the reporter falsely identify the troll? Those are questions that would be of interest to me. The fact that a troll was outed and killed herself out of shame – well, that’s a better reason for suicide than a lot of others I’ve heard. To sum up – meh. But I would still defend the troll’s right to spew her garbage. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/11 "2014-10-10T22:31:23Z")
I’m not up on all the details. But there is always a fine line (or maybe a wide fuzzy line) between exercising your free speech and harassment. ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/12 "2014-10-10T22:50:45Z")
Words only hurt pussies. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/13 "2014-10-11T04:16:00Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I’m not up on all the details. But there is always a fine line (or maybe a wide fuzzy line) between exercising your free speech and harassment. I don’t know, say that you see an elderly person with failing faculties who, everywhere (s)he goes mumbles on non-stop about negroes and Jews, complains about everything, calls everyone an idiot and a lizard, etc. We’d consider them detestable or sad, but not a “harasser”. Putting that person on the internet takes those mumbled bits of loathsome muttering which can barely be heard from more than foot or two away, and turns it into something that millions of people could potentially, clearly read and understand in full. There’s been no change in the person nor the intent, just the mechanism for delivery. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/14 "2014-10-11T05:35:33Z")
The media is a special kind of slimy for the way one child abduction or murder gets picked based on what can sell (cuteness, normalcy of the situation making it scarier, salacious hints etc) and then riding it into the ground. It’s not like they report on all cases in the major outlets. They choose and then dig as long as there are ratings. We buy it and talk about it. They keep digging. They make reality TV horror shows and the world tunes in. With all that attention of course there are going to be trolls. That gives them a new angle. They can work in disdain for the troll with sympathy for the family, It ignores the amount the media’s tormented the family and pointed them out as targets for other tormentors. The whole thing is sleazy from start to finish. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/15 "2014-10-11T05:47:08Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I don’t know, say that you see an elderly person with failing faculties who, everywhere (s)he goes mumbles on non-stop about negroes and Jews, complains about everything, calls everyone an idiot and a lizard, etc. We’d consider them detestable or sad, but not a “harasser”. > > Putting that person on the internet takes those mumbled bits of loathsome muttering which can barely be heard from more than foot or two away, and turns it into something that millions of people could potentially, clearly read and understand in full. There’s been no change in the person nor the intent, just the mechanism for delivery. Your saying you think most internet trolls are old people with dementia? I and my faith in the human race would sincerely like that to be true, but sadly I seriously doubt that it is. As to the OP, I don’t really have a problem with the media outting trolls. Complaining about being “unfairly singled out” is the kind of thing people always say if they get caught doing something indefensible. If you and a bunch of other people do something horrible, and your the only one that gets caught, it sucks to be you. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/16 "2014-10-11T06:53:48Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Your saying you think most internet trolls are old people with dementia? I and my faith in the human race would sincerely like that to be true, but sadly I seriously doubt that it is. I’m not saying that I think that, I’m suggesting it as a devil’s advocate position. I do think that there’s probably a strong correlation between people who are depressed, ill, and angry and trolldom. I remember that one of our former, well-respected, posters lost his job, started acting like a raging a-hole on the board, was suspended, and shortly after we received news that he had died. I don’t know what happened exactly, but I assume there was a correlation between his death and his behavior in those last few months. Or for example, when I played World of Warcraft, a guy with Aspergers decided that he didn’t like me, so once he spent a good half hour in the form of a leopard, sitting and standing, so it looked like he was humping me. Most people have better things to do with their time. There may be people out there who know better and probably could control themselves, but I don’t know whether that’s a majority, a minority, or what. But at least some reasonable percentage is going to be people who can’t fully be blamed for their behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/17 "2014-10-11T07:42:33Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > There may be people out there who know better and probably could control themselves, but I don’t know whether that’s a majority, a minority, hat. But at least some reasonable percentage is going to be people who can’t fully be blamed for their behavior. I’m not sure how much I’d buy Depression as a mitigating factor in trolling, even if many trolls are depressed. After all, there are plenty of people who are Depressed who manage without sending harassing emails to the parents of murder victims. I hope such people get help, but I don’t really think they should be shielded from social oppobrium if they decide to cope by being an asshole. People with severe dementia and the like, whose sense of right and wrong might be compromised, I’m more willing to forgive. And while those people do show up online from time to time (in Great Debates, even) its usually pretty easy to distinguish them from people with a better grip on reality (if for no other REASON than they REALLY like to CAPITALIZE random WORDS!!?!!) Plus I don’t think such people are trolling, they really believe whatever crazy theory they’ve latched onto. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/18 "2014-10-11T16:20:34Z")
I certainly wouldn’t call that a ‘tragic death’. Reminds me of an old Peanuts strip, when Lucy has been giving Linus a hard time about something, and Charlie Brown observes philosophically “Well, it takes all kinds to make a world”, and Linus retorts “Some kinds, we could do without!” ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/19 "2014-10-14T02:17:42Z")
The type of troll you described? Absolutely justified. But, in general, it depends on the type of troll, the situation, and how bad the trolling is. There are trolls that just joke around, not just the ones that are assholes for the lulz. There are situations where trolling is tolerated, or just isn’t all that bad a thing to do, or otherwise isn’t news worthy. (You want the new to out someone for trolling on 4chan, for example?) Plus there are plenty of situations that aren’t newsworthy. And there are trolls of different severity. Not all of them actually harass anyone, let alone put out death threats. They may just post something slightly provocative to get a reaction. Outing the type of trolls mentioned in the OP is a public service. They need to worry they might be outed, and that there will be people that will return the favor. It might even provoke a little sympathy in them. I’m not happy she’s dead, or anything. But I do think she reaped what she sewed, even though I think vigilante justice is wrong. (I would have absolutely no problem if she’d just been harassed a lot.) ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582/20 "2014-10-14T02:34:41Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > Words only hurt pussies. Worthless post. > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I don’t know, say that you see an elderly person with failing faculties who, everywhere (s)he goes mumbles on non-stop about negroes and Jews, complains about everything, calls everyone an idiot and a lizard, etc. We’d consider them detestable or sad, but not a “harasser”. > > Putting that person on the internet takes those mumbled bits of loathsome muttering which can barely be heard from more than foot or two away, and turns it into something that millions of people could potentially, clearly read and understand in full. There’s been no change in the person nor the intent, just the mechanism for delivery. I don’t think this hypothetical elderly person is a troll at all. It’s just a wacky, racist old man with a computer. Call him Quasibigoto. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-media-in-the-right-or-wrong-for-outing-internet-trolls/700582.md?page=2)