MISOGYNY DEBATE: PRESS & MEDIA REPRESENTATION
From Jane Austen on banknotes to Twitter abuse: a roundup of the debates in blogs, newspapers, radio and television.
On the 24th July 2013 the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, announced that an image of Jane Austen would be printed on the £10 banknote. This decision came as a direct result of a three-month campaign led by Caroline Criado-Perez of The Women’s Room. Criado-Perez established the campaign in response to announcement by the Bank of England that it would be replacing the image of Elizabeth Fry on the £5 banknote with one of Winston Churchill, leaving a complete absence of historical women of merit on printed currency.
In the 48-hour period following the announcement of the campaign’s success, Criado-Perez was the target of numerous and sustained abusive communications via Twitter and email. These abusive messages threatened violence, rape, and death. A police investigation resulted in the arrest of several individuals. A second petition was then set up on 27th July 2013 calling for Twitter to install a button which would enable users to 'report abuse'. Over 100,000 people had signed this petition within days putting pressure on the Twitter UK office to take action. This prompted discussions about free speech and the accountability of those responsible for maintaining online platforms. Criado-Perez and several prominent female figures, including Labour MP Stella Creasy and Historian and broadcaster Mary Beard, began to speak publicly across a range of media about the issue of abuse directed towards women online. Despite arrests, the abuse and threats have abated but not ceased.
The materials archived in this post show the prominent debates and criticisms that occurred across various media between 23rd July 2013 and 5th August 2013. These have been placed chronologically within their respective groupings (Blogs, Online Publications and Podcasts, Radio, Newspaper, Television) so that those viewing these resources can chart the developments and discussions as they occurred.
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If there is an article, blog post or broadcast that you think is relevant and should be added, please do help us so that we can make this a comprehensive archive to share. We have offered to collate the press materials but it has been hard to keep on top of all the output, especially blogs and comment pieces. If you can share back to us links to your own journalism or others who have blogged or written features or taken part in broadcasts, this help will be greatly appreciated! Please do contact us at historyworks@gmail.com or send in your missing link via twitter @historyworkstv
Blogs, Online Publications & Podcasts
23 July 2013
‘Men’s Rights: We Don’t Want Them’
By Jem Bloomfield, quiteirregular blog.
24 July 2013
‘Why Jane Austen is a great choice for the new tenner’
By Caroline Criado-Perez for The Libertine
24 July 2013
‘The Jane Austen banknote victory shows young women are packing a punch’
By Zoe Williams for The Guardian’s Comment is Free section.
797 comments.
25 July 2013
‘Women on bank notes: I was wrong’
By Helen Lewis for the New Statesman. Published at 10:42.
37 comments
26 July 2013
‘Bank of England Sees Sense (and Sensibility)’
By Natasha Turner for Ms. Magazine Blog
27 July 2013
‘After the Jane Austen announcement I suffered rape threats for 48 hours, but I'm still confident the trolls won't win’
By Caroline Criado-Perez for The New Statesman’s Voices: Views from elsewhere. Published at 14:10.
222 comments
27 July 2013
‘Twitter's inadequate action over rape threats is itself an abuse’
By Stella Creasy for The Guardian’s Comment is Free. Published at 18:04
27 July 2013
‘Rape threats on Twitter won't get women to shut up. If we shout back we'll win’
By Caroline Criado-Perez for The Independent’s Independent Voices.
27 July 2013
‘On the history of misogyny’
By Joanne Bailey, Joanne Bailey Muses on History blog
27 July 2013
‘Against a Twitter “report abuse” button’
By stavvers, Another Angry Woman blog
28 July 2013
‘Trolls, Caroline Criado-Perez, and how to tackle the dark side of Twitter’
By Owen Jones for The Independent’s Independent Voices
29 July 2013
‘100 Years On. How Much Has Really Changed?’
By Sam Bridger
29 July 2013
‘Twitter reporting and general points on moderation’
By Rachel Bagelmouse, Studio Living blog
30 July
‘Rape Threats: It’s A Free Speech Issue’
By Jem Bloomfield, quiteirregular blog.
30 July 2013
‘How the Twitter rape scandal's changing the online abuse debate’
By Kim Graham for BestDaily.co.uk
30 July 2013
‘A Twitter pal to swallow’
Feminist Armchair Regime blog.
30 July 2013
‘How to use the internet without being a total loser’
By Hadley Freeman for The Guardian’s Comment is Free at 15.29
589 comments
31 July 2013
‘How to rid Twitter of misogyny – and make it fit for debate’
By Simon Jenkins for The Guardian’s Comment is Free.
668 comments
31 July 2013
‘Reclaiming the net: Twitter, trolls and threats’
By Charlotte Walmsley.
31 July 2013
‘Don't Ignore the Trolls. Feed Them Until They Explode.’
By Lindy West. Published at 17:15.
31 July 2013
The backlash against feminism aims to preserve the 'manosphere'
By Suzanne Moore for The Guardian’s Comment is Free. Published at 20:01.
31 July 2013
‘“Wake-up call” for Twitter from Jane Austen bank note campaigner’
By Kirsten Reach, Melville House.
01 August 2013
‘Body Politic’
By Professor Mary Evans, Centennial Professor at LSE’s Gender Institute.
01 August 2013
‘Victim blaming, attention seeking and Caroline Criado-Perez’
Ending Victimisation & Abuse blog.
01 August 2013
‘Delingpole Misogyny No Shock Horror’
By Tim Denton for Zelo Street Blog. Published at 10:05.
01 August 2013
‘"I'm not giving up" says Caroline Criado-Perez as Twitter abuse storm thunders on'
By Chris Baraniuk.
02 August 2013
‘The Fight for Feminism’
By Vicky Beeching
02 August 2013
Caitlin Moran blog post
02 August 2013
‘Twitter trolls mess with Mary Beard at their peril’
By Elizabeth Grice. Published at 22:00.
02 August 2013
‘The women-hating Twitter trolls unmasked: From a respected military man to a former public schoolboy, men who anonymously spew out vile abuse online’
By Paul Bracchi, Daily Mail. Published at 22:02.
03 August 2013
‘Why we can’t allow trolls to bully half the population out of the great communication space of our age’
By Carolyn Hitt, WalesOnline. Published at 06:00.
03 August 2013
‘Ssh’
By Helen Lewis.
03 August 2013
'Twitter on abuse: "People deserve to feel safe on Twitter"'
By Joe Svetlik for CNET's blog Crave. Published at 12:00.
03 August 2013
Suzanne Moore, Twit Longer post
04 August 2013
‘Twitter boycott is my small symbolic gesture against online misogyny’
By Suzanne Moore for The Guardian’s Comment is Free. Published at 09:30.
920 comments
04 August 2013
‘Twitter climbdown is too little, too late’
By Joan Smith for The Independent’s Independent Voices.
04 August 2013
‘Trolling, trolling, trolling… ‘
By Tracy Kuhn, Volvo Diaries blog. Published at 10:56.
04 August 2013
‘WHY I’M NOT PARTICIPATING IN #TWITTERSILENCE’
By Vicky Beeching.
04 August 2013
‘#12wmn12hrs’
Storify by Fern Riddell, @FernRiddell.
04 August 2013
‘International Women's Day - Badass ladies from history!’
By Greg Jenner, @Greg_Jenner.
05 August 2013
‘How do you think we can make men care about the damage sexism does?’
By Adam, Zeeblebum blog.
05 August 2013
‘Social Abuse Survey'
A PiktoChart published by Simon Cohen.
05 August 2013
‘Abuse on Twitter: Troll attack’
By W.B., The Economist blog. Published at 15:20.
05 August 2013
‘A Brief History of Western Misogyny and the Cultural Production of the Female Body’
By Elizabeth Fremantle.
05 August 2013
‘Twitter is not the problem. Porn is’
By Tanya Marlow, Thorns and Gold blog.
05 August 2013
‘Why is the colour blue like arguments on Twitter?’
By Alex Andreou for the New Statesman’s blog. Published at 13:03.
06 August 2013
‘Feminism: Are Men Doing It? One man’s experience’
By Trystan Kent, The Quail Pipe.
06 August 2013
‘Why is it ok for men to threaten and diminish Louise Mensch online but not Caroline Criedo-Perez?’
make trouble, question everything blog.
06 August 2013
‘Stella Creasy receives Twitter photo of masked, knife-wielding man’
By Alexandra Topping and Ben Quinn, The Guardian. Published at 09:24.
07 August 2013
‘@HumaBirdProject + #inspiringwomen’
By James Baker for the British Library’s Digital Scholarship blog.
07 August 2013
‘Man arrested and bailed over Twitter abuse of Labour MP Stella Creasy and Caroline Criado-Perez’
By Nick Renaud-Komiya, The Independent.
07 August 2013
‘On bomb threats and boredom’
By Penny Red.
07 August 2013
‘Kicking the trolls off the bridge’
Liberti Magazine.
07 August 2013
‘The Problem With Male Feminists’
By Jem Bloomfield, quiteirregular blog.
07 August 2013
‘Misogyny runs so deep in this society, it is even used against abused children’
By Polly Toynbee for The Guardian’s Comment is Free. Published at 10:20.
07 August 2013
Guest blog: Caroline Criado-Perez, on 'the gutless idiots' online who threatened her with sexual violence
By KateMumsnet, Mumsnet.com. Published at 11:47.
20 posts.
08 August 2013
‘WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE INTERNET THAT TURNS PEOPLE INTO MASSIVE DICKS?’
By Martin Robbins, Vice.com.
Podcasts
24 July 2013
‘Violence against women in the digital realm’
Tech Weekly Podcast, The Guardian. Published at 06:00.
A round table discussion hosted by the End Violence Against Women Coalition, Jane Martinson, Women's Editor of the Guardian is joined by a panel of experts to discuss violence against women in the digital world. On the panel is Professor Sonia Livingstone of the LSE and Director of the EU Kids Online network, Laura Bates, founder of the @everydaysexism project, Ikamara Larasi of black women's organisation Imkaan and Holly Dustin, Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition.
03 August 2013
‘Sex, violence and Twitter: is it time to force creepy sexists to shut up?’
Telegram Podcast, The Telegraph.
315 comments.
07 August 2013
Recording of Iain Dale’s discussion with Vicky Beeching on the subject of misogyny, trolling and Polly Toynbee's article, on LBC 97.3FM.
Radio
Material predating the success of the Women on Banknotes campiagn
01 May 2013
‘Women on Bank Notes; Adoption; Young Feminists’
BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour.
Extract from the above programme with Helen Weinstein and Caroline Criado-Perez: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p018gh5x
05 June 2013
“Do we need radical feminism?”
Finn Mackay and Laurie Penny on BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour.
11 June 2013
“Women on Banknotes”
Caroline Criado Perez on BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour.
27 June 2013
“Modern Feminism”
BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour.
Material that followed the success of campaign
24 July 2013
“Is trolling putting women off taking part in public events?”
Lis Howell on BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour.
25 July 2013
“Women on Banknotes”
Caroline Criado-Perez on BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour.
28 July 2013
‘Thousands back call for Twitter to act on harassment’
Caroline Craido-Perez on Radio Five Live Double Take.
29 July 2013
‘How to deal with rape threats on Twitter’
Stella Creasy MP and Mary Beard on BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine.
Start at 31:24 and ends at 43:10.
29 July 2013
‘Labour MP Stella Creasey receives rape threats on Twitter’
BBC Radio 4’s The World at One
30 July 2013
Both men and women receive abuse online - but why is it so often sexual and violent when trolls are targeting women? Why do some men hate women?
Nicky Campbell, Radio 5 Live Your Call.
01 August 2013
Caroline Criado-Perez and the Sun's associate political editor David Wooding with Richard Bacon, Radio 5 Live.
Starts at 1:14:25 and ends at 1:30:32.
Podcast of the above programme: http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/dailybacon
03 August 2013
Guardian Journalist Suzanne Moore interviewed by Stephen Nolan.
BBC Radio 5 Live.
Starts at 39:06 and ends at 48:39.
04 August 2013
"I got one rape threat, one death threat, one bomb threat"
Paddy O'Connell interviews Caroline Criado-Perez about Twitter abuse and the Twitter boycott.
BBC Radio 4 Broadcasting House.
Podcast of the above programme - http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/bh
07 August 2013
‘Barrister criticised and online bullies’
Vanessa Feltz, BBC London 94.9.
Podcast recording of discussion with Vicky Beeching: http://vb-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/vb-bbc-london-130806.mp3
07 August 2013
‘Twitter Online Abuse’
Bill Thompson on BBC World Service.
Newspapers
24 July 2013
‘Jane Austen To Be On £10 Notes From 2017’
Sky News.
24 July 2013
‘Jane Austen Will Go On £10 Notes From 2017, Bank Of England Announces’
By Jessica Elgot, Huffington Post. Published at 15:29.
3 pages of comments
24 July 2013
‘Jane Austen unveiled as face of new £10 note’
By Emma Barnett, Women's Editor for The Telegraph.
145 comments
24 July 2013
‘Bank of England plays it safe with Jane Austen quotation on new £10 note’
By Rupert Jones, Guardian.
24 July 2013
‘Jane Austen to appear on £10 note’
By Katie Allen and Heather Stewart, Guardian.
241 comments
24 July 2013
‘Jane Austen to grace Britain's 10-pound note’
By Henry Chu, Los Angeles Times.
24 July 2013
‘Change for a tenner: Victory for equality campaigners as Jane Austen announced as face of £10 note’
By Emily Dugan, Independent.
27 July 2013
'Twitter Rape Row: Abuse at £10 Campaigner'
Sky News.
28 July 2013
“Arrest Made After Twitter Rape Threats” with two imbedded videos.
Sky News.
28 July 2013
‘Arrest after Twitter threats against women's campaigner’
Channel 4 News, includes video interview with Caroline Criado-Perez.
28 July 2013
‘Feminists boycotting Twitter is not the way to end trolling’
By Dr Brooke Magnanti, The Telegraph. Published at 10:52.
29 July 2013
‘Twitter's response to rape threats 'inadequate', says Yvette Cooper’
By Matthew Taylor, The Guardian. Published at 09:17.
29 July 2013
‘Twitter To Install Report Abuse Button After Caroline Criado Perez Rape Threat’
Huffington Post. Published at 13:34.
29 July 2013
‘Who are the trolls?’
By Helen Lewis, New Statesman. Published at 20:50.
71 comments.
29 July 2013
‘Caroline Criado-Perez Twitter abuse case leads to arrest’
BBC News. Last updated at 13:42.
29 July 2013
‘Twitter abuse: Why cyberbullies are targeting women’
BBC News. Last updated at 14:06
29 July 2013
‘Mary Beard silences offensive Twitter troll’
The Guardian. Published at 17.48.
197 comments
29 July 2013
“Twitter Rape Row: How do you Police the Web?”
Mark White, Sky News.
29 July 2013
“Twitter Rape Row Report Abuse Button Agreed”
Sky News.
30 July 2013
‘Second arrest over Twitter abuse claims’
Channel 4 News. Two imbedded videos featuring Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Paraic O'Brien, and Del Harvey.
30th July 2013
‘Troll says sorry after someone threatens to tell his mum’
Channel 4 News
30th July 2013
‘Twitter bosses face grilling from MPs after trolls continue to make vile threats to rape and kill female MPs as man, 25, is arrested over abuse against female politician’
By Matt Chorley, Vanessa Allen, James Chapman, James Tozerand Mark Duell, The Daily Mail. Published at 19:47.
30th July 2013
‘Police in north-east England arrest man as part of Twitter abuse investigation’
By Ben Quinn, The Guardian. Published at 19:59.
30th July 2013
‘Twitter faces inquiry over internet trolls’ rape threats against MPs and activist, as man is arrested’
By Sarah Morrison, The Independent.
30 July 2013
‘Comment: Twitter, Facebook & Google are the scapegoats of the 21st Century’
By Ian Dunt for Politics.co.uk’s Comment and Analysis section. Published at 09:13.
31 July 2013
“Twitter Admits Failing Rape Threat Women”
Sky News. Includes video interview with Del Harvey.
31 July 2013
‘Why does it always come back to rape?’
By Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett and Holly Baxter of the Vagenda Magazine, for The New Statesman.
126 comments
31 July 2013
‘Stella Creasy Shames Toby Young For Breasts Tweet In Newsnight Twitter Debate’
Huffington Post. Published at 14:03.
01 August 2013
‘Oxford student latest to receive Twitter bomb threat’
By Rose Troup Buchanan, The Independent.
01 August 2013
‘Stella Creasy: the MP who 'won't back down'’
By Esther Addley, The Guardian. Published at 20:21.
01 August 2013
“Twitter Bomb Threat Sent to Women Journalists”
Sky News.
02 August 2013
‘Twitter trolls mess with Mary Beard at their peril’
By Elizabeth Grice, Telegraph. Published at 22:00.
03 August 2013
“Twitter Says “Sorry” to Women Over Abuse”
Sky News.
03 August 2013
‘Lucy Mangan: net trolls and the currency of hate’
By Lucy Mangan, The Guardian.
179 comments
03 August 2013
‘Twitter abuse and bomb threat claims probed by police’
BBC News. Last updated at 04:02.
03 August 2013
‘Twitter issues new rules to crack down on abuse’
The Guardian. Published at 11:43.
03 August 2013
‘What is turning so many young men into internet trolls?’
By Claire Hardaker, The Observer. Published at 15:42.
03 August 2013
‘Twitter's Tony Wang issues apology to abuse victims’
BBC News. Last updated at 17:05.
03 August 2013
‘Twitter boss says sorry to targets of troll abuse’
By Mark Townsend and Louise Moon, The Observer. Published at 21:43.
388 comments
04 August 2013
‘Television classicist Mary Beard sent bomb threat by 'trolls' just hours after apology by Twitter boss’
By Heather Saul, The Independent.
04 August 2013
‘Mary Beard is latest woman to be sent bomb threat on Twitter’
By Maev Kennedy, The Guardian.
04 August 2013
‘Bomb threat tweet sent' to classicist Mary Beard’
BBC News.
04 August 2013
‘Twitter 'trolliday' protest against abuse divides opinion’
Alastair Stewart, ITV News. Published 09:27.
04 August 2013
‘Caroline Criado-Perez: 'Twitter has enabled people to behave in a way they wouldn't face to face'
By Simon Hattenstone, The Guardian. Published at 19:00.
04 August 2013
‘#twittersilence is trending, but is it working?’
By Marta Cooper, The Telegraph. Published at 15:18.
04 August 2013
‘Opinion divided over Twitter trolliday protest’
Channel 4 News.
04 August 2013
‘Bid to Honor Austen Is Not Universally Acknowledged’
By Katrin Bennhold, The New York Times.
06 August 2013
‘FEAR OF JANE AUSTEN’
By Rebecca Mead, New Yorker.
07 August 2013
‘Screw you! The psychology of anger and aggression’
By Dean Burnett, The Guardian. Published at 07:30.
07 August 2013
‘Diary: Internet trolls, Twitter rape threats and putting Jane Austen on our banknotes’
By Caroline Criado-Perez, New Statesman. Published at 14:53.
07 August 2013
‘Six ideas for making social media safe - could they work?’
By Dave Lee, BBC News. Published at 16:46.
07 August 2013
‘What do you do the day after a death threat?’
By Laurie Penny, New Statesman. Published at 16:57.
07 August 2013
‘Twitter threats probe suspect bailed’
BBC News. Published at 21:04.
Counter-pieces (includes blogs)
27 July 2013
‘Caitlin Moran's #trolliday Twitter boycott will encourage trolls, not silence them’
By Mic Wright, Telegraph.
28 July 2013
‘Twitter has created an anti-woman monster’
By Hannah Betts, The Telegraph. Published at 08:48.
30 July 2013
‘Today's young women think they're victims... Do stop whining, sisters. We've WON the sex war’
By Carol Sarler, Daily Mail. Published at 08:07.
111 comments
30 July 2013
‘Twitter abuse: most trolls are harmless attention-seekers. Just block them and move on’
By Toby Young, The Telegraph.
173 comments
31 July 2013
‘Twitter abuse: Stella Creasy has overstepped the mark’
By Toby Young, The Telegraph.
387 comments
01 August 2013
‘Is this seriously the best modern feminism can do? Nipples, banknotes and internet trolls?’
By Dan Hodges, The Telegraph.
1028 comments
02 August 2013
‘Twitter abuse: Does Caitlin Moran want to ban herself from Twitter?’
By Toby Young, The Telegraph.
93 comments
05 August 2013
'Caitlin Moran and her #TwitterSilence group are jumped-up attention seekers desperate for a cause'
By Samantha Brick, The Daily Mail. Published 15:51.
Television
20 July 2013
'Panel Discussion: More women on banknotes?'
BBC World News with Caroline Criado-Perez.
24 July 2013
‘Jane Austen To Be On £10 Notes From 2017’
Sky News Article with imbedded video.
24 July 2013
‘Banks need more 'sense and sensibility' says BoE governor’
Channel 4 News.
24 July 2013
‘Woman of £10 note: Jane Austen to appear on new tenners’
Channel 4 News.
24 July 2013
Chris Salmon (Chief Cashier) talks about the choice of Austen, the design of the note and when it will come into circulation.
Bank of England YouTube account.
25 July 2013
‘New Jane Austen Banknote’
BBC News.
28 July 2013
‘Pressure On Twitter To Act On Threats’
Interview with Caroline Criado-Perez and Vicky Beeching.
28 July 2013
'Twitter Must Take Abuse Seriously'
Sky News interview with Caroline Criado-Perez.
28 July 2013
'Social media ethics & trolling'
Vicky Beeching on Sky News.
28 July 2013
‘Twitter sexism - what is the solution?’
Channel 4 News.
29 July 2013
‘Is the internet a haven for misogyny?’
Jon Snow with Laurie Penny and Luke Gittos, Channel 4 News.
29 July 2013
'I feel under siege'
Caroline Criado-Perez on BBC Newsnight.
29 July 2013
‘Twitter to look at abuse reporting’
BBC News.
29 July 2013
‘MP Stella Creasey in Twitter message crackdown call’
Stella Creasy on BBC News.
30 July 2013
‘Second arrest over Twitter abuse claims’
Channel 4 News article with 3 embedded videos.
30 July 2013
‘Twitter 'is not the wild west'’
Twitter’s Del Harvey interviewed by Krishnan Guru-Murthy on Channel 4 News.
30 July 2013
‘Paul Mason on tracking down twitter trolls behind rape threats’
BBC News.
30 July 2013
‘Is there a tech solution for dealing with trolls?’
Paul Mason, Economics editor of Newsnight blog post with embedded videos from the Newsnight Episode.
30 July 2013
BBC Newsnight.
Extracts of the above programme on YouTube:
Twitter Trolling Intro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5-24ON5GbY
Creasy & Toby Young debate, Del Harvey interview.
30 July 2013
‘Twitter 'in active dialogue' over rape threat abuse cases’
BBC News.
31 July 2013
‘Talking to the Twitter trolls and those who study them’
Paul Mason, BBC News.
31 July 2013
The Last Leg, Series 2 Episode 1
First Broadcast on Channel 4 at 22:03.
02 August 2013
‘UK arrests made in Twitter rape threats’
CNN.
03 August 2013
‘Twitter trolls, feminism & cyber-abuse’
Vicky Beeching on Sky News.
03 August 2013
‘Twitter boss apologises to women over abuse’
Channel 4 News.
05 August 2013
‘Mary Beard: 'Violent Twitter threats have to stop'’
BBC Breakfast.
07 August 2013
‘Jane Austen currency fight turns abusive on Twitter’
By CBS This Morning. Published at 08:26.
07 August 2013
‘Mark Carney: 'Tremendous sympathy' for savers’
Channel 4 News.
Discussion of the resistance and abuse that followed the decision to represent Jane Austen on the bank note starts at 3:30 and ends at 4:20.
08 August 2013
‘Vicky Beeching interviewed by Eamonn Holmes about cyber-bullying’
Sky News.
