(NEW YORK)— PEN America today strongly condemned threats and intimidation against staff of the Haitian Times, including the doxxing and swatting of the executive editor, following the online news outlet’s coverage of anti-immigrant conspiracy theories targeting Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio.
The doxxing and swatting occurred on Monday after the editor and her colleagues had experienced racist threats and harassment following the popularization of the conspiracy theories by rightwing media. Swatting is an intimidation tactic that involves calling the police or SWAT team to a private residence under false pretenses, often in retaliation for speech, and it has resulted in several deaths.
“We strongly condemn the intimidation of the staff of the Haitian Times,” said Viktorya Vilk, digital safety director at PEN America. “Swatting, which combines the threat of physical harm with online abuse, is a severe intimidation tactic and must be understood as a direct and deliberate threat to press freedom. If journalists are unable to cover politics without fear of physical reprisal, their absence will create a void in which mis- and disinformation thrive – a threat that is magnified during a contentious election season. The perpetrators of the attack must be held accountable for this vile attempt to stifle a free press.”
The Haitian Times, based in Brooklyn and founded in 1999, covers the Haitian diaspora.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Malka Margolies, [email protected], 718-530-3582