The Biden administration approved a hefty sum of $5.7 million in grant funding to George Washington University.
The purpose? To establish a program aimed at providing psychological care to journalists who believe they are victims of misinformation-driven harassment campaigns.
The initiative, named Expert Voices Together, is described as a socio-technical system designed to offer real-time support to experts experiencing online harassment.
This project’s primary objective is to equip journalists, and eventually other experts, with tools for monitoring and reporting alleged abuse. It also promises personalized assistance with digital safety and access to mental health care specialists as part of trauma-informed care.
You can’t make this up…
Biden Admin Shells Out Over $5 Million To Give Journalists ‘Trauma-Informed’ Support If They’re Getting Trolled.
Tay Tay will probably be first in line 😂https://t.co/5lV3DjjsIx
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) September 18, 2023
This isn’t the first time George Washington University has received such funding. In 2021, the National Science Foundation (NSF) allocated $749,222 to the university for this project.
The project was approved for continuation in 2022, with an additional $5 million in taxpayer funds. The work associated with the grant is ongoing and is projected to end in August 2024.
The NSF justifies this expenditure by arguing that providing journalists with mental health counseling is part of an effort to address the rapid spread of misinformation.
They believe that harassment undermines confidence in pivotal sources of knowledge and reduces expert participation in the information ecosystem. This grant is part of a broader NSF initiative to bolster trust and authenticity in communications systems.
Interestingly, the project’s 2021 grant abstract suggested changing the actions of bystanders to abuse and harassment as a possible way to combat harassment. However, this language is conspicuously absent in the most recent grant materials.
Raise your hand if you are sick of this sh!t.
Shut it down. Not one more penny. https://t.co/oJVmE6mKv9
— The Researcher (@listen_2learn) September 20, 2023
The Poynter Institute also played a role in administering a pilot program for the platform. They offered newsrooms $5,000 to test the service, provided they had already identified their staff’s safety and well-being as a key priority.
This move comes amidst high-profile public outbursts from some liberal journalists over the supposed harassment they face on social media.
For instance, Taylor Lorenz, a tech reporter at the Washington Post, broke into tears during an interview with MSNBC’s “Meet the Press,” describing the online bullying she experienced as “horrifying.”
However, just weeks later, Lorenz doxxed Chaya Raichik, the previously anonymous operator of the viral Libs of TikTok Twitter account, leading to Raichik receiving death threats. Lorenz then mocked Raichik for tweeting about the threats.
In light of these developments, these resources would be better allocated elsewhere.
