Washington Post defends Taylor Lorenz reporting after story on ‘Libs of TikTok’ Twitter account

The Washington Post is standing behind the reporting of one of its top columnists after a story published Tuesday sparked pushback from supporters of a popular conservative Twitter account.

Taylor Lorenz wrote a report examining the origins of the viral conservative Twitter account “Libs of TikTok,” whose postings, she noted, “morphed into a social media phenomenon, spreading anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and shaping public discourse.”

The account has been circulated widely in conservative media in recent weeks and has influenced prominent politicians and Republican operatives, her article pointed out.

Critics took issue with how Lorenz went about some of her reporting, including going to the account creator’s home in order to verify their identity.

Some accused Lorenz of “doxxing” the account’s creator, a method used by people online to broadcast the personal information of their enemies in order to encourage harassment.

“Taylor Lorenz is a diligent and accomplished journalist whose reporting methods comport entirely with the Washington Post’s professional standards,” Cameron Barr, senior managing editor at the Post said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that the report “did not publish or link to any details about [the creator’s] personal life.”

Lorenz, who formerly worked at The Hill, among multiple other outlets, has been outspoken in the past about the online harassment she has faced while reporting on internet culture and the creator economy. She has accused one of her previous employers, The New York Times, of not fully supporting her in the face of harassment.

“Rather than debate ‘doxxing,’ I hope people can read this story and see the striking escalation of attacks against gay and trans people, and the crucial role this account has played in the right wing media ecosystem,” Lorenz said in a tweet on Tuesday.