Yesterday
Yesterday, first-hand, I saw Twitter achieve two apparent results for civility. In the morning, I posted a tweet drawing attention to an online report of a tube official seemingly humiliating an elderly passenger who had his arm caught in a door. A little while later I RTd (‘re-tweeted’: passed on) Charlie Broker’s strongly-worded thoughts on Jan Moir’s unpleasant article of dailymailia. The latter was then picked up by Stephen Fry, and by the end of the day it had gained such widespread awareness that both stories had made the evening news. The tube official was investigated under pressure from Boris Johnson and received a suspension, and Moir issued a statement saying she was a victim of an orchestrated campaign.
Moir’s interpretation was wrong, and betrays a misguided notion about the nature of Twitter and similar forms of networking. There is no orchestration – just the rapid spread of information. Tweets (posts) are passed on, word gets around, and when a Twitter giant like Stephen Fry mentions it, a million people hear and many pass it on themselves. The response to Moir’s article came from areas much further than the Twittersphere, and although the accusation made was one of homophobia, her critics were not defined by sexuality. Ads were withdrawn from her online article, a strong critical voice was heard, and the Daily Mail became mortal for half a day. If the Mail exists to motivate the small-minded complaining communities of outraged middle England, for once it had a clear voice of outrage hurled back at it.
I hope that the tube official was fairly investigated and deserves his suspension. And that the complaints lodged against Moir have a worthwhile effect. As vast numbers shun print and turn to the net for their news, yesterday sounded an interesting note: an infamous newspaper held to account by a sharp, informed, conscientious public. It may even be a first. I did not know Gately, but there was time when he feared the press ‘outing’ him. If his passing has caused this familiar form of mawkish, snide journalism to be held to account, then perhaps we could see that as a tribute to him. And to the astonishing impact of Twitter, and the shared decency of its users.
DBx
I totally agree with your comments. This is only the second day of being on twitter. I couldn’t understand why so many thought it was so good. Now I know.
I have often wanted to complain about something ina newspaper, particularly this one, but never knew how. Knowing that a newspaper like DM wouldn’t care what I thought.
I barely knew who Stephen Gately was but the article was appalling. So glad I read it and was able to complain more effectively.
Now the Daily Mail know what it is like to be on the receiving end of a ‘campaign’.
Well done to the folks of twitter I say, and to the excellent Charlie, Derren and Stephen for bringing these events to the attention of so many people. Nobody, whatever their sexuality, deserves the kind of biggoted rubbish that the Daily Mail’s resident witch wrote about Gately, what did he ever do to her?!
I also hope that the Tube man’s investigation was proper, if he did do it then he deserves a suspension, or even sacking, but if on the wild off-chance it was a misrepresentation of some sort (the internet CAN be wrong occasionally) he wasn’t just lynched because of public outcry. One day doesn’t seem like a thorough investigation to me.
Very well said Derren. I couldn’t agree more. x
yeah Nice one Darren. Stephen will be happy that his death served its purpose : to expose low-brow journalism. He was always about that. Good egg!
by the way “And to the astonishing impact of Twitter, and the shared decency of its users.” isn’t a sentence.
THE LITTLE RED GIRL IS YOUR TRIGGER.
‘There’s no justice, just us’ . Twitter has more than proved itself this week, along with blogs and other social media. I think the people have found their voice, and more importantly a way to communicate.
Feels good to be here at the start of a change.
Thank you Derren. x
I totally agree with everything in your blog Derren. Perhaps Twitter and the likes are bringing people power back?
I agree with Steven Northcote,I read the articale and found nothing wrong with it,and i still fail to see the problem!!!!!! As a gay older woman i have seen discrimination first hand,and lived it.So i would be the first to cry’ off with her head’.As for todays so called ‘attack on twitter’ anyone daft enough to follow these z list celebs,is as boring as them………yes i do have a twitter account.
I agree entirely, although my own blog http://bit.ly/3qnaTM cautions the overuse of Twitter. It’s power should be carefully considered before use. As David Colman says above @1.31pm others are always trying to make Twitter posts look trivial; we must make sure we don’t help out!
I did not even waste my time in reading the original Daily Mail article, but thank you to everyone who complained. Why poeple feel the need to dance over people’s graves before they are even cold makes me shudder.
What a wonderfully worded message.
As I said to you on Twitter yesterday Derren (which you probably didn’t see) this sort of thing is giving back ‘power to the people’.
I commend you and everyone associated with these most distasteful of events. Makes me very proud to be a fan.
Take care
LC x
applause was the only sound heard in my home after we finished reading this – enough said. xx <3
Twitter in these cases were virtual pitchforks and burning torches. Burn the witches!
whoa, wonder if anyone’s likely to read this comment so far down the page… but, just for the record…
+1 for wisdom of crowds.
🙂
Well said Derren! It’s about time that rag has been put to shame. I really do hope that this is the beginning of the end of that tripe, but t be honest I wouldn’t hold my breath 🙁
At first I didn’t really see the attraction of Twitter, and was never too pushed to join…but the justice that has been achieved here just might change my mind 🙂
Sit back and bask in the fact that you have played a part in making the world that little bit better. Well done you!
😀
And good show to Charlie Brooker for that magnificent piece of REAL journalism, and Stephen Fry for his part.
Good to know that we can rely on ye to keep some sanity in the world 🙂
“a sharp, informed, conscientious public”
The problem is, as always, who is informing the public. “Sharp, informed, and conscientious” reminds me of the sort of statements Mr. Rowland wrote about in that wonderful little Full Facts book of his.
The problem with going with the crowd is that the crowd can be disastrously wrong at times — Look at public elections for an example. Responsible journalism (something of an oxymoron anymore) means looking at all the facts and reporting with as minimal an emotional response as possible. Misinformation spreading “tweets” are not a source of news.
Hear hear. 🙂
Well said!
If it wouldn’t have been for your tweets and of course all the other lovely people (well, most of them are lovely…) that follow you, I wouldn’t have been aware of any of those stories. I think twitter is an important tool, and as ‘Lady Claire’ said, it is giving some sort of ‘power to the people,’ which is great. I really do like following you, as sometimes your tweets just make me laugh (you are so full of ‘sh..t’ sometimes, which is great; I was up all night finding answers to your ‘cheese tweets’), whereas others make me aware and thinking of things happening around me.
Thanks Derren, have a great day
Well said.
Do you know what’s really tragic in this whole affair? Through it all I found out Derren’s gay (yes, I do live under a rock, thank you very much) I mean, when the heck did that happen!? So much for me picking out a wedding dress and all. Oh well, at least Moir got her comeuppance, small mercy, I guess.
Just Joe you’ve got it totally wrong “No they were defined by being celeb worshiping sheep desperate to try and catch the attention of Fryâ€. What Moir wrote was reprehensible. And it doesn’t matter how we found out about it. What matters is that people rose to the occasion & called her on it.
Ian is also wrong “Twitter in these cases were virtual pitchforks and burning torches. Burn the witches!” Moir deserved every bit of criticism she received. The internet affords people a chance to find facts before posting. Moir chose not to take advantage of the fact finding tools available. Instead she raked a dead man over the coals. Shame on her.
Fear from outing him? Hm, and now he was married to a guy. Which the press probably reported on as well.
The opposite can be the case as well ofcourse … twitter impact … as it is with humans … It influences in many ways. No area excluded.
Ms or Mr Moir sounded as if she was very sure about it .. I sort of recognized her being pissed with the coroner .. as they do make up lies when it comes to celebreties now and then ..as we know. Not that it really is our business .. It’s all private stuff.
I’m not referring to any particular Tweet, but we do have to be careful that Twitter does not become trial by a jury not equipped with the facts. Just as the Daily Mail sets fire to a corner of the curtains and fans it into a blaze, so too can Twitter. People just press buttons and send and comment and do not have a clue of the facts. I am concerned that Twitter, like the initial stages of fucking X Factor, becomes an arena where the gladiators hack off the heads of the unprepared. We all make comments we wish we could swallow and forget we said. We don’t need our lives ruined by muck spreaders or the Twitter equivalent of the do-gooder.
So, let’s be very careful and use this communication with due care. After all, it’s a piece of consumer crap also!
Be wary of pack mentality. You may be teh one being ripped to shreds at some point. Where will you hide when teh WORLD knows your secrets. Dangerous stuff, though it can be good if used with respect.
I guess I’d better make it clear that I think what was written about SG was shameful though. However, other ‘journalists’ (now cowering) have covered his sudden death with speculative reports.
@jayKay. Your comments sound like a threat, maybe you’re a Daily Mail journalist warning the likes of Derren Brown and Stephen Fry of things to come, who knows. That said, I’ll tell you why people comment on things such as Twitter and the likes, it’s because it’s one of the few places where people can be heard in this country. Politicians, the media, corporations etc. don’t give a crap about the average person any more, they all have their own agendas and people are sick of being ignored. If people want to express themselves then let them. You can disagree with their points if you wish but stop trying to silence one of the few places where people seem capable of making their voices heard.
It just proves that people CAN create a strong fortress together against anything that is morally or indeed just plain inhumane when we do it as one, together. WE CAN CAUSE AN AFFECT!!!!! Yippeeee!
Of course, I meant morally wrong, (doh!)
It was just unkind and cruel.
Derren
Many people will define you by the illusions and mentalism you deploy as entertainment.
A smaller number of people will have read this blog and seen the person behind the showman.
Impressed as I always am with your TV “tricks”, I now hold you in much higher esteem for your quiet representation of right and wrong and your distaste for those in our society who think it is acceptable to attack others who cannot defend themselves.
@Sharon – Me a Daily Mail journalist? Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! Nope. And you have the totally wrong end or the stick. I am saying we all have to behave with respect on public blogs. I do not like pack mentality. I like to assess before I jump in; know the facts. Of course I can jump in and comment and have done. And then had a proper read of the facts and wished I hadn’t rushed in like a fool. All our fleeting feelings of anger and hate are published along with our beautiful moments – who knows who will dig them up and haunt us with them in future? People deserve the chance to rethink; to repair the possible damage they have caused. Ctnd…
…Ctnd… None of us is perfect. And, as I said, I am not referring to the tweets covered here; I am as disgusted as anyone that a journalist was paid to print that crap. However, I have flown off the handle many a time and I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been irrational and over the top sometimes and if all our little ‘moments’ were up there and in our face to shame us – to the point of having to go into hiding even – then this would be even more of a police state – with us as the police. Now, that works beautifully when it comes to keeping the big bastards in line, but when it comes to the little man, then we need to be more humane.
@Sharon – So, before you ‘accuse’ (I’m sure you were joking), be an investigator yourself and find some of my other posts and you will find more of the jigsaw that makes a human – flaws and all. If nothing else, you being fueled by a surface reading of my post and not a full picture of the facts goes towards proving the point that Twitter and the likes has the potential to be harmful too. 🙂
@Carolyn, you get wrong, I am up for some witch-burning. Nothing wrong with mob justice. Apart from when the mob mistakes a paediatrician for a paedophile, that is. That’s a bit harsh.
I haven’t read the article and I wasn’t going to because the only reason I would be reading it was to see what all the fuss was about… which is a poor reason… trying to resist… but the pull is so great.
agree with all positive comments made
interesting to note a fair and unbiased updating of this incident has featured on jan moirs’ and gatelys’ wiki profiles
@Scott Mackenzie – Wonderfully put. I agree wholeheartedly. 🙂
LC x
@Sharon – I do sound like the fecking voice of doom though, hahaha! I’ll give you that.
And the government is happy that we use Twitter etc, don’t be blind to that. They will use it to pit us against each other when the time comes. They’re using CCTV etc to encourage us to spy on each other and they already spy on us through Facebook etc. They’re just adjusting the balance on Twitter just now, but it will be put to good use in time. Just keep your eyes wide open to it.
ok quote from john lennon POWER TO THE PEOPLE i understand now not my world to busy thinking like a mum ta
I’ll leave you in peace now. Be good bunnies to each other. There are real people on the other end of your pointy fingered button-pressing. Think twice before you HARSHtag.
In the spirit of the bunny game, read about teh loss of distinctions of reality
http://www.cla.purdue.edu/academic/engl/theory/postmodernism/modules/baudlldsimulTnmainframe.html
If I write another teh instead of the, I’ll cry!!!
@JayKay – Funny how the pack can so quickly turn on one individual that doesn’t mimic the behaviour of the majority. All you were doing was encouraging the use of critical thinking and suddenly accusations are flung in your direction! Witch, communist, homosexual, Daily Mail journalist – it all seems so familiar somehow.
Before anyone joins a group to discriminate against a minority, they should consider the fact that one day, they or one of their loved ones are likely to be part of a minority themselves.
“As vast numbers shun print and turn to the net for their news, yesterday sounded an interesting note: an infamous newspaper held to account by a sharp, informed, conscientious public.”
Very well put. The whole post, but that piece especially.
Without reading the previous comments, so apologies if I’m repeating anything.
I read the Moir piece on the Mail online, as I did my usual daily rounds of the online newspapers. I saw no-one elses opinions before I tweeted my disgust and asked if anyone else had read it. I then saw that Jan Moir was trending twice so yes lots of people had also read it and had, had the same reaction as I had. So my reaction wasn’t influenced by anyone nor was a case of bandwagonning as Moir’s statement suggested happened to people yesterday. People do have their owns minds…
@JayKay. Yes, it was a joke about you being a Daily Mail journalist. My other point is why people are turning to social networking sites for comment and news because the ballot box doesn’t seem to count for anything any more. We get the pretence of democracy every few years when we get to vote, not that it seems to hold any politician to their own policies for the next four. Sites like Twitter engage average people, despite some publications trying to demean any one who uses it as some sort of ill-informed nerd. Not all of your comments had been put up when I replied so I apologise if I misread your meaning as you clarify your point later.
Watching the BBC morning news now and someone, giving their opinion on the days newspapers, has said thet he agrees with Moir statement that the backlash against her was ‘organised’ and he also said how ‘powerful the gay lobby is’. I may be wrong but this appears to me that they are inpling that those who complained were mainly within the gay community whereas the way I saw it yesterday was like Derren said ‘her critics were not defined by sexuality’. The ITV news took the same angle last night. This feels very wrong to me.
@Jaykay – Well said. I enjoy reading your posts.
I think Moir was very bashing with her remarks. I thought she implied that gay-partnerships were a joke, she made it sound as if gays were running amuck on thier partners and inviting ANY stranger into thier beds. Moir made remarks about the dead that were completly unfounded, which inturn made her look like the ass she is…THANKS FOR OUTING HER!!
This is as close as we’ll get to a climb down, and while the Mail on Sunday is a very different beast to its daily counterpart, I think a reluctant tip of the hat to Dacre for publishing this. It certainly leaves Moir out on a limb
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/debate/article-1221101/Twitter-scourge-libel-lawyers–new-virtual-conscience.html
@codifier – Exactly. Thank you. It’s human nature though. In the same way, I have no time for sheep and think it’s important that we have the courage of our convictions and don’t hide behind others’ skirts. It takes guts to stand up and say, ‘Hey hold on a minute, this isn’t right…’ and that’s what’s happened here with the Trafigura and SG thing. But there are millions of people who’ve blindly hashtagged in the past few days and haven’t read enough. And, also, we need to offer people the chance to reconsider, apologise, balance their opinions etc and not just string them up from the nearest tree. Hopefully the DM will behave for a bit.