Local newscasters find themselves the target of bullies and stalkers far too often. And social media has provided easier access than ever for the weirdos to reach out directly to TV personalities. So what do you do when one of your “fans” takes it too far?
Take this as an example… this guy was already blocked from contacting his local news anchor on Facebook and Twitter… and yet he keeps coming back for more:
The practice of creating “serial accounts” and “targeted abuse” are both against Twitter’s Rules. But of course the reality is, enforcing those rules is difficult even for Twitter. If the messages become violent or threatening, you should take that to law enforcement. Assuming the messages are more annoying than sinister, you can continue to block the user’s various handles as they crop up – although it may be worth trying to just “ignore” it for a while to see if the perpetrator gives up out of boredom. Also, if you haven’t already, you should file a report with Twitter.
Facebook also has Community Standards forbidding bullying, violence, spam and more. If you think a user has violated these rules, Facebook also asks that you report it to them. However, Facebook does emphasize: “Because of the diversity of our community, it’s possible that something could be disagreeable or disturbing to you without meeting the criteria for being removed or blocked. For this reason, we also offer personal controls over what you see, such as the ability to hide or quietly cut ties with people, Pages, or applications that offend you.”
Cyber stalking is a serious matter. It can endanger your team and your organization…or at the very least, be downright intolerable. For additional tips, check out www.StaySafeOnline.org or the Stalking Resource Center from The National Center for Victims of Crime.
