(CHICAGO) — In 2018, Huffington Post reporter Luke O’Brien exposed the identity of Amy Mekelburg, the person behind the alt-right Twitter handle, “@amymek.”
As O’Brien explained in his article, “For five years, the mysterious Twitter account ― which has more than 200,000 followers, including Sean Hannity, Roseanne Barr and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, has earned endorsements from Donald Trump and Michael Flynn.” With close to 25 tweets a day, the account has tirelessly spewed far-right propaganda and, Islamophobia.
In the aftermath of the revelation, O’Brien received thousands of threats and Twitter suspended his account for a time after he responded to a Twitter user who accused him of “going after” Mekelburg’s husband.
Twitter suspended O’Brien’s account — it has since been reinstated.
In this podcast, The Click reporters Roona Korde-Samos, Taylor Blair and Paras Shah discuss their thoughts and the ethics challenged as this story unfolds.
Related Posts
October 1, 2024
Urban League of Louisiana Hosts 2024 Debate Party
The crowd applauded Harris several times, especially when she criticized Trump. “He has no plan for you. Only to defend himself,” she said.
January 11, 2024
UNC’s Daily Tar Heel Shirks Objectivity for Disruptive and Powerful Front Page
The Daily Tar Heel, UNC's weekly student newspaper, took a stand and presented stories from a tragic day when the University was under lockdown after an active shooter entered the premises. The editorials surrounding the incident challenged reporting norms and made a statement about their individual ethics as reporters.