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Taylor Lorenz

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Taylor Lorenz (born October 21, c. 1984–1987[a]) is an American journalist. She is a podcaster for Vox Media, hosting a show called Power User, and founded the Substack publication "User Mag". She was previously a columnist for The Washington Post, a technology reporter for The New York Times, The Daily Beast, and Business Insider, and social media editor for the Daily Mail. She is particularly known for covering Internet culture. In 2023, she published a book called Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet.

Taylor Lorenz
Lorenz in 2023
BornOctober 21, c. 1984–1987 (age 37–40)[a]
New York City, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Colorado Boulder
Hobart and William Smith Colleges (BA)
Writing career
GenreJournalism
SubjectInternet culture

Early life and education

Lorenz was born in New York City[1][a] and grew up in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, attending nearby Greenwich High School.[6] She attended college at the University of Colorado Boulder and later transferred to Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where she graduated with a degree in political science.[7][8] Lorenz has said that the social media site Tumblr caused her to become interested in Internet culture.[9]

Career

According to The Caret, Lorenz's reporting frequently concerns "Silicon Valley venture capitalists, marketers and ... anyone curious about how the internet is shaping the ways in which humans express themselves and communicate".[10] Fortune named her to its "40 Under 40" list in 2020, saying that she has "cemented herself as a peerless authority" whose name became "synonymous with youth culture online" during her time at The Daily Beast and The Atlantic.[5] The same year, Adweek included her on its list of "Young Influentials Who Are Shaping Media, Marketing and Tech", saying that she "contextualizes the internet as we live it".[11] Reason magazine credited her with popularizing the term "OK boomer" in a story declaring "the end of friendly generational relations".[12] According to TheWrap, "since her time at the Times, she's attracted an inordinate amount of online criticism, particularly from those in the right-wing media".[13]

Lorenz worked as a social media editor for the Daily Mail from 2011 to 2014, becoming its head of social media.[14] After a short stint writing for The Daily Dot in 2014,[15] she was a technology reporter for Business Insider from 2014 to 2017.[16] In 2017, she wrote briefly for The Hill's blog section,[17][18] and was assaulted by a counter-protester[19] while covering the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.[20] From 2017 to 2018, she worked as a technology reporter for The Daily Beast.[21] In 2019, she was a visiting fellow at Harvard University's Nieman Foundation for Journalism.[22] From 2019 to 2022, she was a technology reporter for The New York Times.[23]

The Washington Post

In March 2022, Lorenz left the Times and joined The Washington Post as a columnist.[7][24] Her book Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet was published by Simon & Schuster in October 2023.[25]

In April 2022, Lorenz wrote an article for the Post that publicized the identity of Chaya Raichik as the owner of the far-right Twitter account Libs of TikTok. The details were retrieved from early iterations of the account[26] as well as previous reporting.[27] In attempt to discredit the article and Lorenz herself,[27][28] Raichik attacked Lorenz, claiming that Lorenz doxxed her.[29][30] Journalists pointed out that the allegations against Lorenz misconstured doxxing with a "standard part of the reporting process",[31] and that previous reporting from multiple sources had identified Raichik as the account owner.[27] According to The Times of London, "supporters of Lorenz meanwhile pointed out that Raichik's followers were only too enthusiastic about doxing when it came to teachers being smeared as paedophiles".[32] In a tweet, Lorenz said that her "whole family was doxed again this morning ... trolls have now moved on to doxing and stalking any random friends I've tagged on Instagram".[33] Lorenz later interviewed Raichik for an article about Libs of TikTok in February 2024.[34]

In June 2022, the Post published an article by Lorenz about the eco-system of online content creators and influencers covering the Depp v. Heard trial. The article incorrectly said that two YouTubers mentioned in passing in the article had been contacted for comment, when the Post later reported that only one had been before publication,[35] though this is disputed by both youtubers.[36] Ultimately, after editorial corrections were made, the Editor's Note on the article acknowledged that only one of the creators had been contacted before publication, and that stealth editing had occurred against the paper's policy, however Lorenz did not make the stealth edit. In a tweet thread agreed upon by Lorenz, her editors, and Post management, Lorenz stated that the errors were due to a miscommunication with her editor,[13][37][38] and that news coverage of the errors was in "bad faith", "irresponsible and dangerous", and designed to "amplify a manufactured outrage campaign by right wing media & radicalized influencers, which is driving a vicious harassment/smear campaign against me".[citation needed]

In February 2024, it was announced that Lorenz would be launching a podcast with Vox Media called Power User.[39] It is distributed both in audio format via podcast platforms, and in video format on YouTube. The show features discussion of internet culture, social media influencers, the history of various memes, and news about internet and technology companies.

In August 2024, The Washington Post began an investigation as to whether Lorenz violated the paper's standards, for sharing an image to a private Instagram chat depicting President Joe Biden with the caption "war criminal :(", referencing a meme. Lorenz initially denied making the post, and later said that a friend created the captioned picture, which Lorenz shared.[40]

Independent journalism

Lorenz left The Washington Post in October 2024 to start her own Substack publication called "User Mag". Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie told The Hollywood Reporter that she is an "accomplished reporter with deep experience covering internet trends and culture" whom the platform thinks "will thrive...with the direct support of her audience."[41] She will continue podcasting for Vox Media, where she hosts the show Power User.[42][43]

Harassment and coordinated attacks

Lorenz has been the subject of online harassment, often used as a tactic to attempt to discredit her reporting and skills as a journalist.[28] The harassment has included graphic rape threats, death threats, and even threats against her parents and other family members, some of them children.[44] Some of the harassment that has targeted Lorenz has been coordinated, often boosted by right wing media personalities, such as Tucker Carlson.[45][46]

The online harassment has spilled over into the physical world as well. Lorenz has been assaulted, stalked,[28] and in 2022 "a man who had been live-streaming violent threats about her turned up," at a conference she was speaking at, necessitating her to "be escorted to safety".[47] Furthermore, both she and her parents have been the victims of swatting.[47]

Lorenz has stated that the harassment has led to severe post-traumatic stress disorder, led to her contemplating suicide, and has caused her to be cautious about what information about herself she reveals online.[44] This disclosure led to further harassment.[47]

In December 2022, Twitter owner Elon Musk temporarily suspended Lorenz's Twitter account. The suspension followed a series of suspensions of journalists under Musk's new ownership of Twitter.[48] Lorenz said she was suspended after asking Musk for comment on a story.[48] Musk tweeted that the suspension was for "prior doxxing action".[49]

Personal life

 
Lorenz regularly wears a facial mask in public, citing autoimmune issues.[40]

Lorenz announced her engagement to Christopher Mims, a technology columnist at The Wall Street Journal, in January 2015.[50] She identified herself as a vegan in 2022.[51]

She said in interviews that she has severe PTSD from experiencing online harassment[33] and that she is immunocompromised.[52]

Selected publications

  • Lorenz, Taylor (October 3, 2023). Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780753560792.

Notes

  1. ^ a b c According to Politico, Lorenz's birthday is October 21.[2] In February 2016, CBS News said that she was 30;[3] in August 2018, prior to her employment with the newspaper, The New York Times said that her age was 31;[4] and in September 2020, Fortune listed her age as 35.[5]

References

  1. ^ Esposito, Brad (February 8, 2021). "Very Fine Day #2: Taylor Lorenz". Very Fine Day. Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2021 – via Substack.
  2. ^ Sherman, Jake; Palmer, Anna (October 21, 2020). "Politico Playbook: New poll: Biden edges Trump on the economy". Politico. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2021. Birthdays: ... NYT's Taylor Lorenz ...
  3. ^ CBS News staff (February 1, 2016). "Cries of "oh my God" heard on moving Amtrak train". CBS News. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  4. ^ La Ferla, Ruth (August 29, 2018). "These Companies Really, Really, Really Want to Freeze Your Eggs". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Fortune staff (September 2, 2020). "Taylor Lorenz | 2020 40 under 40 in Media and Entertainment". Fortune. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  6. ^ Marchant, Robert (March 18, 2021). "CT native Taylor Lorenz got attacked on Twitter. She's not the only woman to face online harassment". Greenwich Time. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Klein, Charlotte (February 1, 2022). "Taylor Lorenz Hopes The New York Times Will "Evolve in Their Ways" As She Leaves for The Washington Post". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on February 23, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  8. ^ Roush, Chris (April 30, 2018). "Lorenz hired by The Atlantic to cover tech". Talking Biz News. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  9. ^ Lammer, Aaron; Linsky, Max (August 19, 2019). "Longform Podcast #355: Taylor Lorenz". Longform.org (Podcast). Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  10. ^ "Taylor Lorenz – Interview". The Caret. February 13, 2020. Archived from the original on July 3, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  11. ^ Adweek staff (August 9, 2020). "Meet Adweek's 2020 Young Influentials Who Are Shaping Media, Marketing and Tech". Adweek. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  12. ^ Gillespie, Nick (February 26, 2020). "Taylor Lorenz Makes Sense of Online Culture for the Rest of Us". Reason.com. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Welk, Brian (June 18, 2022). "Taylor Lorenz Denies NY Times Report That She's Moved Teams at Washington Post and Must Have Stories Reviewed by Top Editor". The Wrap. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  14. ^ Capital staff (July 18, 2014). "The 60-second interview: Taylor Lorenz, head of social media, The Daily Mail/Mail Online". Politico. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  15. ^ "Taylor Lorenz". The Daily Dot. May 20, 2014. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  16. ^ "Taylor Lorenz". Business Insider. Insider Inc. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  17. ^ "Watch: Trump jostles for position at NATO". The Hill. Nexstar, Inc. May 25, 2017. Archived from the original on May 27, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  18. ^ "Juggalos, pro-Trump activists descend on DC". The Hill. Nexstar, Inc. September 16, 2017. Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
  19. ^ "Locals march against alt-right rally in C'ville". The Central Virginian. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  20. ^ "Horror and hate in Charlottesville". The Hill. Nexstar, Inc. Archived from the original on August 13, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  21. ^ Roush, Chris (October 30, 2017). "Lorenz joining Daily Beast as tech reporter". Talking Biz News. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  22. ^ "Nieman Foundation announces the 2019 Knight Visiting Nieman Fellows". NIEMAN NEWS. The President and Fellows of Harvard College. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  23. ^ "Taylor Lorenz". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  24. ^ "Taylor Lorenz joins The Washington Post as a columnist". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  25. ^ Seo, Rachel (2023). "'Facebook F—ed Up': Taylor Lorenz Tells the Untold History of the Internet in Upcoming Book 'Extremely Online'". Variety.
  26. ^ Lorenz, Taylor (April 19, 2022). "Meet the woman behind Libs of TikTok, secretly fueling the right's outrage machine". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  27. ^ a b c Bouza, Kat (April 19, 2022). "Taylor Lorenz Wrote About Libs of TikTok -- and Conservatives Are Having a Meltdown Over It". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  28. ^ a b c "What the Harassment of Journalist Taylor Lorenz Can Teach Newsrooms". Media Manipulation Casebook. March 1, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  29. ^ Tiffany, Kaitlyn (April 22, 2022). "'Doxxing' Means Whatever You Want It To". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  30. ^ Sultan, Reina (September 30, 2022). "How Libs of TikTok Became an Anti-LGBTQ+ Hate Machine". Them. Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  31. ^ Halpert, Madeline. "Right-Wing Figures Attack Journalist Taylor Lorenz For Revealing Creator Of 'Libs Of TikTok'". Forbes. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  32. ^ Tomlinson, Hugh (April 22, 2022). "Libs of Tiktok: Twitter provocateur gives Republicans new weapon in war on liberals". The Times. London. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  33. ^ a b Starr, Michael (April 21, 2022). "US Right, Left clash on orthodox Jewish activist's 'doxxing'". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  34. ^ Jones, Tom (March 1, 2024). "Behind Taylor Lorenz's 'painful, agonizing' interview of the Libs of TikTok activist". Poynter Institute. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  35. ^ Lorenz, Taylor (June 4, 2022). "Analysis | Who won the Depp-Heard trial? Content creators that went all-in". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  36. ^ Wulfsohn, Joseph (June 3, 2022). "YouTubers say WaPo's Taylor Lorenz falsely claimed she reached out for comment in story about Depp-Heard trial".
  37. ^ Wemple, Erik (June 10, 2022). "Taylor Lorenz said an editor was to blame. Is that okay?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  38. ^ Robertson, Katie (June 17, 2022). "Infighting Overshadows Big Plans at The Washington Post". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  39. ^ Fischer, Sara (February 29, 2024). "Exclusive: WaPo tech columnist Taylor Lorenz launches video podcast with Vox Media". Axios. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  40. ^ a b "'Washington Post' reviews star columnist Taylor Lorenz's 'war criminal' jab at Biden". NPR. August 16, 2024.
  41. ^ Weprin, Alex (October 1, 2024). "Taylor Lorenz Exits Washington Post to Launch 'User Mag' on Substack (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  42. ^ Johnson, Ted (October 1, 2024). "Taylor Lorenz To Depart Washington Post To Publish Her Own Substack "User Magazine"". Deadline. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  43. ^ Roig-Franzia, Manuel (October 1, 2024). "Technology columnist Taylor Lorenz leaves The Washington Post". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  44. ^ a b MSNBC (April 8, 2022). Journalists Face Online Harassment. Retrieved August 18, 2024 – via YouTube.
  45. ^ Moreau, Jordan (March 10, 2021). "New York Times Defends Reporter Taylor Lorenz From Tucker Carlson's 'Cruel' Attack". Variety. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  46. ^ Butler, Jada (March 11, 2021). "New York Times defends reporter Taylor Lorenz after Tucker Carlson's attacks". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  47. ^ a b c Lytton, Charlotte (October 9, 2023). "Taylor Lorenz: I receive death threats just for doing my job". The Times. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  48. ^ a b Knodel, Jamie (December 17, 2022). "Musk reinstates suspended journalists after Twitter poll". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 18, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  49. ^ Burga, Solcyre (December 18, 2022). "Twitter Temporarily Bans Washington Post Reporter After Other Journalists Reinstated". Time. Archived from the original on December 18, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  50. ^ Lorenz, Taylor (January 10, 2015). "We're engaged!". TaylorLorenz.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  51. ^ "Taylor Lorenz On The Stress And Strangeness Of Pandemic Dining Out". Zagat Stories. Archived from the original on March 26, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  52. ^ Spike, Carlett (April 21, 2023). "10 with Taylor Lorenz". Quill. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
 
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