Washington Post journalist Taylor Lorenz doxes popular 'Libs of TikTok' account

Libs of TikTok/Twitter

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Taylor Lorenz, a journalist for the Washington Post doxxed the identity of the “Libs of TikTok” account holder.

In an article on Tuesday, the journalist, whose age ranges from 37 to 49, and whose beat includes speaking to young children on TikTok, exposed the popular conservative account for maintaining a curated feed of adults who brag about indoctrinating children in schools.

Ahead of the article’s publication, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ press secretary, Christina Pushaw, revealed that Lorenz had contacted her for comment.

“We are running a story exposing the woman behind the ‘Libs of TikTok’ account, our story mentions your many interactions with the account and praise of it,” wrote Lorenz to Pushaw. In response, Pushaw replied with a screenshot of Lorenz shedding tears in a recent MSNBC interview in which she decried doxxing and harassment, which she claims to face on a daily basis as a female journalist. 

The Bezos Post’s internet hall monitor is so excited to “expose” @libsoftiktok. Here is my comment: 🤡 pic.twitter.com/SodXls9NV7

— Christina Pushaw 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) April 19, 2022

“Taylor Lorenz is about to 'expose' the private citizen behind some anonymous account on Twitter, and when people criticize her for it, she and her friends will claim Taylor is the Real Victim™ and anyone criticizing this type of 'journalism' will be guilty of causing her trauma,” wrote journalist Glenn Greenwald at the time.

Following the article’s publication on Tuesday, Lorenz, who was formally at the New York Times, prompted a massive backlash across social media and became a trending topic. The article, which was widely disseminated by her colleagues at the Washington Post and allies on the left, received condemnation from critics who say that the article serves no newsworthy purpose.

“This is wrong,” wrote political commentator Tim Pool. “One of the most important journalistic ethics is to minimize harm. The story is not served by exposing a name, the story is served by explaining their background and motives. Based on the responses to the story you can see the true motivation was to cause harm.”

“Taylor Lorenz is a terrible journalist and worse human. Targeting a Twitter account that literally just posts Leftists owning themselves because that account damages the Left is pure Lorenz,” stated The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro.

“There's a real story about how [Libs of TikTok] by simply posting videos became objectively one of the most important conservative activists in the entire country,” wrote commentator Saagar Enjeti. “Taylor Lorenz refuses to engage with the actual content/why it resonates and chooses to try and destroy her instead.”

Hi @TaylorLorenz! Which of my relatives did you enjoy harassing the most at their homes yesterday? pic.twitter.com/QehkBSgcmG

— Libs of Tik Tok (@libsoftiktok) April 19, 2022

As detailed by Libs of TikTok, Lorenz visited her relatives to solicit comments about her.

She added that Lorenz allegedly harassed an account bearing a similar name to her own in a desperate attempt to fish for information, she threatened the account that they will be implicated as “starting a hate campaign against LGBTQ people if they don’t respond to her.”

Taylor Lorenz harassed an account yesterday with a similar name. In a desperate attempt to fish for information, she threatened the account that they will be implicated as “starting a hate campaign against LGBTQ people” if they don’t respond to her pic.twitter.com/1oLZe5zyk5

— Libs of Tik Tok (@libsoftiktok) April 19, 2022

As further detailed by journalist Glenn Greenwald, Lorenz spread a “stupid viral lie” after she announced she intended to publish Libs of TikTok’s real name.  After the account provided proof that Lorenz went to her relative’s houses, the account holder asked Greenwald to report it to deter the Washington Post journalist from “stalking more people.”

“Taylor purposely wrote the article to imply the confirmation came from me,” explained Greenwald on Twitter. “She had already announced to multiple people she knew the name and would publish it. The WP tried to pretend I provided the confirmation because they're lying gossips who lie routinely about their enemies.”

“I really want to see the parallel world in which people visit Taylor's house and the homes and workplaces of her relatives to dig up dirt on her,” he added. “I have a strong feeling the people defending Taylor doing this to private citizens won't be similarly supportive if it's done to her.”