Archive 3 - Letter to Hannah at the Huffington Post

Dear Hannah  @ Huffington Post,

Thank you for linking to my blog and my Facebook page (which I discovered from the incoming links on my blog) in your article yesterday. However, as HP is a reasonably prestigious online news aggregator and website, I would like to enquire about the vocabulary and tone of your piece, quoting Diana Denza and the “Fat is Not a Feeling” movement. The words of a journalist are tools that can change the world and as such I believe that they should be wielded impartially, responsibly and fairly.

1)      At no time did I “directly link” to any of Diana’s “personal social media”, I’d invite you to retract that comment. Do you believe that one screenshot (of my Twitter screen, featuring a quote regarding myself written in capitals by Diana ) constitutes “plastering” a Facebook wall? Is it usual in journalist circles to link to a personal Facebook page in any case?

2)      How do you know that I started a blog for “the sole purpose of belittling Diana” simply because it  had one post? If you can see my blog, you know how to contact me to ask.  Is it not standard professional ethics to report or at least consider both sides of a debate?

3)     In what way do you feel my open letter to Diana is “belittling”? Are there any insults or harsh language in the blog? The only way the blog could be considered belittling is if the content and points made in it are true. In which case, the “belittling” is by showing the other side to be wrong.

Hannah, this is important. Media such as blogs and Twitter feeds are suited to personal opinions, melodramatic language and exasperation, I believe that is acknowledged and accepted. However, a site such as the Huffington Post – even in an opinion piece – should surely carry some kind of ethical standards or culpability  rather than simply echoing the over-emotive hyperbole and dishonest implications of pressure groups in order to avoid the real debate.

There are far more important issues in the world than a Facebook icon and dwelling  on it, labelling critics and expressing such insecurity – even when the petition has achieved its goals – reflects poorly on its supporters in my opinion.

Finally, for what it’s worth, I wouldn’t worry about that Snickers bar. I think you look fantastic. If I were you, I’d update my status as “feeling fat” after the Snickers bar and then “feeling fantastic” after taking the photo in your article. This is how the real world works.

Regards,

Greg