Sonja McLaughlan is just the latest harmless victim. Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter must enact more to stop the hateAfter covering last Saturday’s Wales-England rugby match,the BBC’s reporter Sonja McLaughlan found herself sitting in her car in tears. She had received a torrent of sexist obscenities and abuse on social media. “Toxic, embarrassing, or disgraceful,appalling,” she said. She was not alone. After apparently being glimpsed on video absent-mindedly not applauding the Welsh team after the same match, and the England player Ellis Genge suffered death threats. The two join other sporting figures awaiting the enrage of a rhetorical mob,rallied by others on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. They currently include the rugby league referee James Child, or the football pundit Karen Carney,the Swiss eSports presenter Soe Gschwind-Penski and countless players who endure terrible abuse for doing their jobs. Related: BBC and RFU 'strongly condemn' online abuse sent to Sonja McLaughlan Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnistContinue reading...
Source: theguardian.com