Doxxing vs Reporting: The Vital Differences
The suspension of journalists on Twitter by Elon Musk paints a bigger picture of the distrust in journalism with allegations of “doxxing.”
A stack of newspapers Credit: Suzy Hazelwood, Pexels
Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter began a turbulent time for the platform since the transition of power in October of last year. This difficulty includes Musk’s handling of what content is allowed and what is promoted on Twitter. This includes journalistic content on the platform that reports on Musk and his activities from different news organizations. In December of last year, Musk suspended several journalists, claiming they shared personal information about his location from a now-banned Twitter account that tracked his private jet through public sources. He states in a Dec. 15 Twitter thread that the information shared by journalists is “basically assassination coordinates” and that “Same doxxing rules apply to ‘journalists’ as to everyone else.”
Musk used the term “doxxing” to justify the suspension of journalists on Twitter. This only adds to the misconceptions about what doxxing is, as opposed to legitimate journalistic practices. Trust in the media is consistently very low, and today, the misconstruing of journalism as doxxing is not helpful. Musk used his platform to further damage the public’s perception of journalism, but education about what doxxing is and the difference between it and good reporting practices can remedy this distrust.
First, it is important to know what doxxing is. An article by U.S. News defines doxxing as purposefully releasing someone's personal/private information to the public. This information can be a home address, phone number, social security number, work address and contact information, IP address or more compromising details. Doxxing opens up the potential for individuals to be harassed online and in person, have their identity stolen, be stalked or be threatened.
Doxxing can also come from different motives. The same article says that political, criminal and personal reasons are all motives for why someone may seek to dox others. As for the legality of doxxing, releasing information that is publicly available is not a crime, but releasing illegally obtained information or engaging in harassment from the information is prosecuted.
As for what counts as valid reporting practices, the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) has a code of ethics that many journalists follow when reporting. One guide in the code of ethics states, “Realize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than public figures and others who seek power, influence or attention. Weigh the consequences of publishing or broadcasting personal information.” This is an important ethical standard that journalists follow, while also making a call about what sort of information is valid to publish.
A critical point to note is that journalists have the ability to use the resources around them to report on a story in a way that reflects the truth, while also gathering information in a manner that does not compromise an individual. It is also important to note the intentions behind journalists when they report on what is going on. There's no way to speak for all journalists, but the ethical standard that guides journalists informs them to act in a way that minimizes harm, like not publishing personal information that puts someone at risk and has no newsworthy qualities.
When looking specifically at the situation with Musk banning journalists for allegedly doxxing him, it is important to know that the information these journalists were reporting on was publicly available. Musk's main grievance was the tracking of his private jet through a Twitter page, @ElonJet that used public websites to gather the information, according to the Washington Post. The account responsible for the jet information was suspended by Musk, and journalists reporting on this subject were subsequently suspended and reinstated after widespread backlash, although the damage was already done.
Musk banning these journalists for alleged doxxing misses a key point: these journalists are reporting publicly available information and reporting on a public figure. Given Musk’s stance as the owner of Tesla and Twitter, his actions are both public and newsworthy. These journalists are not compromising a location that risks Musk’s personal safety, and the practice of reporting information pertaining to a public figure is legitimate journalism.
The bigger picture here is the distrust in the media that is made worse through the mischaracterization of reporting practices. By alleging doxxing is a method of journalistic reporting, it adds to the continued distrust of the public towards journalism. Americans’ trust in the media is at a record low, and the precedent of misrepresenting reporting practices to justify silencing journalism is a tangible example of this distrust.
The remedy to this situation ultimately comes down to better transparency with how reporting is done, as well as general education as to what journalism is. Journalistic institutions have been a cornerstone of American democratic society for centuries, with information being freely shared as a way to serve the public. To misconstrue a practice that is motivated to harm with a practice that is meant to inform is a dangerous precedent that needs to be addressed.