Vice vs Sexy Cyborg

[Underseer]

https://www.patreon.com/posts/18216256

Vice did an article on a Chinese woman who goes by the name Sexy Cyborg.

On the surface, it seems that Vice was in the right: she asked them not to report certain things, when she did not receive assurance that they wouldn't, she panicked and doxxed the journalists, which is indeed wrong.

The crux of the matter is a fundamental difference between two cultures: America and China. I know basically nothing about China. I’ve visited there once, including going to Wu’s hometown of Shenzen where I gave a talk. Even doing that much was serious business -- it was difficult to get the required visa, and I was instructed multiple times that I had to be very, very careful what I say about politics and religion. And that’s as a foreigner, who at worst would just be kicked out of the country. If a Chinese National is caught holding the “wrong” opinions or if they’re seen to be doing something like, I don’t know, forming a social movement based on telling women and girls that they are equals who deserve to thrive in male-dominated tech spaces, the punishment can be much, much worse.

Even having been to China and seen some of that firsthand, it still took me a lot of thought and consideration to come around to seeing Wu’s viewpoint. That’s how strong our cultural bias is, and someone -- anyone -- at Vice should have had the awareness to take a step back and realize that maybe in this case, it would be worth changing the standards a little in order to work with a subject who could literally end up in prison because of a poorly written article, or even a well-written article that doesn’t translate accurately into Chinese when it hits Chinese social media. For instance, an article that champions Wu’s subversive push for women’s equality could be dangerous to her, as Jackie Luo pointed out in a Twitter thread where she lists several feminists and political bloggers who have ended up in Chinese prisons recently.

I'm more than a little torn here.

On the one hand, I shudder to think that American media might feel the need to restrict what they report on because of censorship in another country. On the other hand, I can certainly sympathize with this woman's fear of being imprisoned or worse.

She basically lost her career because she doxxed someone, which is against Patreon policy, so now she can't make money from Patreon anymore. It is indeed her fault, but should Vice have been more sensitive to her fears that their article could have gotten her in trouble with the Chinese government? They do have a habit of jailing feminists, so simply making positive statements about female entrepreneurs in the wrong way can get someone in trouble.

Oh, and if you prefer a video version of the above transcript, here you go:



Trigger warning: the above was written by Rebecca Watson, who believes that women are not inferior to men (which totally counts as persecuting men with her Female Privilege), which could trigger an emotional outburst from our more fragile and delicate forum members. If the thought that women are not inferior sends you into hysterics, then perhaps you are too much of a princess snowflake to handle reading the above article or watching the above video. Please don't cry at me because you didn't heed my warning.

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

I am totally on Sexy Cyborg's side in this, no question. Vice acted totally irresponsibly. Decent media outlets would try to understand that Chinese society and American society are not the same, and would hold to both the spirit and the letter of their agreements with people willing to speak out like Sexy Cyborg was. She was taking a risk talking to them AT ALL, and they should have respected that.

Rebecca Watson, on the other hand, I'm more mixed on after elevatorgate. I was a fan of hers before that, when she was on Skeptics Guide to the Universe (good podcast).

 

[Underseer]

I am totally on Sexy Cyborg's side in this, no question. Vice acted totally irresponsibly. Decent media outlets would try to understand that Chinese society and American society are not the same, and would hold to both the spirit and the letter of their agreements with people willing to speak out like Sexy Cyborg was. She was taking a risk talking to them AT ALL, and they should have respected that.

Where do you draw the line, then? To what extent should Chinese censorship restrict what Western media can say?

Rebecca Watson, on the other hand, I'm more mixed on after elevatorgate. I was a fan of hers before that, when she was on Skeptics Guide to the Universe (good podcast).

Oh yes, elevatorgate was clearly an attack on men by the evil feminists and their Female Privilege. You're so oppressed.

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

I am totally on Sexy Cyborg's side in this, no question. Vice acted totally irresponsibly. Decent media outlets would try to understand that Chinese society and American society are not the same, and would hold to both the spirit and the letter of their agreements with people willing to speak out like Sexy Cyborg was. She was taking a risk talking to them AT ALL, and they should have respected that.

Where do you draw the line, then? To what extent should Chinese censorship restrict what Western media can say?

It isn't the Chinese Censorship that I am concerned about. It is Sexy Cyborg's safety. If Sexy Cyborg was safe in the USA or some other western country and was on board with telling what they told, then I would be 100% behind them telling this story despite Chinese government or society not wanting them to.

Oh yes, elevatorgate was clearly an attack on men by the evil feminists and their Female Privilege. You're so oppressed.

It was and I'm not. And it paled in comparison to what Vice did to Sexy Cyborg.