Taylor Lorenz

Taylor Lorenz (born October 21 c. 1984–1987 or 1978[lower-alpha 1]) is an American journalist for The Washington Post. She was previously a technology reporter for The New York Times Business section, covering topics related to internet culture.[1] In 2020, Fortune magazine included her in their 40 Under 40 listing and Adweek included her on their "2020 Young Influentials Who Are Shaping Media, Marketing and Tech" list. She was a 2019 Knight Visiting Fellow at Harvard University and is an affiliate at Harvard's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.[2]

Taylor Lorenz
Lorenz in 2020
BornOctober 21 c. 1984–1987 or 1978[lower-alpha 1]
New York City, U.S.
EmployerThe Washington Post
Awards
Writing career
GenreJournalism
SubjectInternet culture
Websitewww.taylorlorenz.com

Early life and education

Lorenz was born in New York City[3][lower-alpha 1] and grew up in Old Greenwich, Connecticut.[9] She attended Greenwich High School[9] and a Swiss boarding school. She attended college at the University of Colorado Boulder,[10] later transferring to Hobart and William Smith College, where she graduated with a BA in Political Science.[11] Lorenz has stated that social media site Tumblr caused her to become interested in internet culture.[12]

Career

Lorenz joined The New York Times in September 2019.[13][14] She previously worked as Global Head of Social Media for the Daily Mail,[15] a senior editor and director of emerging platforms at The Hill,[16] and wrote as a technology and culture writer for Business Insider,[17] The Atlantic, and The Daily Beast.[7][2][18] For the Times, Lorenz works as a culture[19] and technology reporter, covering trends in social media and the internet habits of young people.[7][20] According to The Caret, her reporting is consumed frequently by "Silicon Valley venture capitalists, marketers and...anyone curious about how the internet is shaping the ways in which humans express themselves and communicate."[21]

Lorenz was an active user of Clubhouse, an audio-based social media platform popular in the venture capital community.[22][23][24][25]

In mid-2020, Lorenz signed a deal with publisher Simon & Schuster for a book titled Extremely Online: Gen Z, the Rise of Influencers, and the Creation of a New American Dream.[26]

In February 2022, The Washington Post announced that Lorenz would be leaving the Times and joining the paper as a columnist starting March 2022.[27][28]

In April 2022, Lorenz launched a Substack account, offering exclusive content for paid subscribers.[29]

Accolades

Lorenz was named to Fortune's 40 Under 40 listing for 2020 under the "Media and Entertainment" category. Fortune stated that she has "cemented herself as a peerless authority" whose name became "synonymous with youth culture online" during her time with The Daily Beast and The Atlantic.[7] That same year, Adweek included her in their "2020 Young Influentials Who Are Shaping Media, Marketing and Tech" listing, stating of Lorenz that she "contextualizes the internet as we live it."[30] Reason magazine credited her with popularizing the term "OK boomer" in a story declaring "the end of friendly generational relations."[18]

2021 lawsuit

In August 2021, Lorenz, along with The New York Times, were sued by influencer talent agent and entrepreneur Ariadna Jacob for defamation in relation to an August 2020 article about her company, Influences.com. Jacob claims in the lawsuit that the article contained "numerous false and disparaging statements" about her and her business, including the accusation that she leaked nude images of one of her clients and hiked up the rent on her "content house" tenants. Jacob also claimed that Lorenz failed to disclose her working relationship as a client of United Talent Agency, a firm that she covered favorably in The New York Times and was a rival to Influences, creating a potential conflict of interest. Jacob claims that she lost 85 clients following the publication of the article and is seeking damages in excess of $6.2 million. Jordan Cohen, spokesperson for The New York Times, stated that they would defend the lawsuit: "Ms. Jacob's main complaint is that The New York Times gave voice to young people who felt they had been mistreated by her. It's troubling that she has turned to litigation to try to silence those who criticize her business practices."[31][32][33][34]

Libs of TikTok

On April 19, 2022, The Washington Post published an article by Lorenz on the Twitter account Libs of TikTok. The article further publicized the identity of the account owner as Chaya Raichik, an Orthodox Jew who worked in real estate. These details were scraped from Raichik's previous Twitter account.[35] According to The Daily Dot, the revelation of the account's identity "ignited a media firestorm".[36] The article drew criticism from American conservatives who accused Lorenz of doxxing, antisemitism for mentioning Raichik's religion, and of hypocrisy for having previously spoken out against online harassment.[37][38][39] Raichik also accused Lorenz of doxxing. In an interview with political commentator Tucker Carlson on Fox News, Raichik accused Lorenz of being "a known hypocrite" who is "known to dox people."[40]

Some conservatives said Lorenz's visitation of the home of Raichik's relatives as part of her reporting was harassment.[41] However, Tom Jones of Poytner argued that Lorenz was "Doing her job", saying that "Has there ever been a journalist who hasn't knocked on a door at least once in their career?".[42] The NGO StopAntisemitism.org also criticized Lorenz for mentioning Raichik's religious identity, arguing that it was unnecessary.[43] Andrew Silow-Carroll, editor in chief of The Jewish Week, defended the inclusion of her religious beliefs in a blog for The Times of Israel, arguing that it "shed light on the growing connection between faith and right-wing politics".[44] YouTuber Tim Pool and The Daily Wire CEO Jeremy Boreing purchased a billboard in Times Square to accuse Lorenz of doxxing. In response, Lorenz called the billboard "so idiotic it's hilarious".[45]

Lorenz stood by her reporting[46] and accused conservatives of trying to "sow doubt and discredit journalism".[47] Cameron Barr, a senior managing editor at the Post, defended the article, saying that "Lorenz is a diligent and accomplished journalist whose reporting methods comport entirely with the Washington Post's professional standards" and claimed that the Post "did not publish or link to any details about [Raichik's] personal life".[37] In response, Libs of TikTok said that the article did include a link with personal information that was removed.[41] According to The Times of London, "Supporters of Lorenz meanwhile pointed out that Raichik's followers were only too enthusiastic about doxxing when it came to teachers being smeared as paedophiles".[33] Libs of TikTok gained about 200,000 new Twitter followers in the day after the article was published.[48]

Personal life

Lorenz maintains an active social media presence on multiple platforms including Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok; in 2020 she said that she spends "all day, every day on the internet."[19]

In July 2020, when Lorenz was still a resident of New York, she asked for advice in a tweet about where to move in the Los Angeles area. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Tweet drew criticism and "revealed deeply entrenched stereotypes that Angelenos harbor about one another."[49] That summer, she moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.[50]

In January 2015, Lorenz announced her engagement to Christopher Mims, a technology columnist at The Wall Street Journal.[51][52] In a 2022 interview with Zagat, Lorenz identified herself as vegan.[53]

In April 2022, Lorenz tweeted that she had been "relentlessly" harassed by an editor of the Drudge Report, who had threatened to ruin her career. After Matt Drudge personally contacted Lorenz and told her no editor of the Drudge Report had been in contact with her, Lorenz deleted the tweets and said that she was joking.[54][55]

Notes
  1. According to Politico, Lorenz's birthday is October 21.[4] In February 2016, CBS News stated that she was 30,[5] in August 2018 – prior to her employment with the newspaper – The New York Times stated that her age was 31,[6] and in September 2020, Fortune listed her age as 35.[7] However, in March and April 2022, Lorenz said that she was 43 years old.[8]

References
  1. "MEDIA MOVES: Styles NYT to Business NYT, Taylor Lorenz". Qwoted. July 30, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  2. "Taylor Lorenz - The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved September 7, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. Esposito, Brad (February 8, 2021). "Very Fine Day #2: Taylor Lorenz". Very Fine Day. Retrieved February 28, 2021 – via Substack.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. Sherman, Jake; Palmer, Anna (October 21, 2020). "Politico Playbook: New poll: Biden edges Trump on the economy". Politico. Retrieved February 27, 2021. Birthdays: ... NYT's Taylor Lorenz ...{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. CBS News staff (February 1, 2016). "Cries of "oh my God" heard on moving Amtrak train". CBS News. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  6. La Ferla, Ruth (August 29, 2018). "These Companies Really, Really, Really Want to Freeze Your Eggs". The New York Times. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  7. Fortune staff (September 2, 2020). "Taylor Lorenz | 2020 40 under 40 in Media and Entertainment". Fortune. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  8. Multiple sources:
  9. Marchant, Robert (March 18, 2021). "CT native Taylor Lorenz got attacked on Twitter. She's not the only woman to face online harassment". Greenwich Time. Retrieved March 24, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. Lammer, Aaron; Linsky, Max (August 19, 2019). "Longform Podcast #355: Taylor Lorenz". Longform.org (Podcast). Event occurs at 11:32. Retrieved July 21, 2021. I grew up in Connecticut, in Greenwich, Connecticut, I went to this kind of small Swiss boarding school and then I went to University of Colorado for college.
  11. Roush, Chris (April 30, 2018). "Lorenz hired by The Atlantic to cover tech". Talking Biz News. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  12. Lammer, Aaron; Linsky, Max (August 19, 2019). "Longform Podcast #355: Taylor Lorenz". Longform.org (Podcast). Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  13. Sicha, Choire (August 14, 2019). "Taylor Lorenz to Join Styles". The New York Times Company (Press release). Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  14. Sherman, Jake; Palmer, Anna; Ross, Garrett; Okun, Eli. "Politico Playbook PM: The geeky economic indicator that could seal Trump's fate". Politico. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  15. Capital staff (July 18, 2014). "The 60-second interview: Taylor Lorenz, head of social media, The Daily Mail/Mail Online". Politico. Retrieved February 28, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. Epstein, Kayla (September 7, 2017). "Under the watchful eye of Snapchat's Maps". Chicago Tribune. The Washington Post. p. 2. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  17. "Taylor Lorenz". Business Insider. Insider Inc. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  18. Gillespie, Nick (February 26, 2020). "Taylor Lorenz Makes Sense of Online Culture for the Rest of Us". Reason.com. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  19. Lorenz, Taylor; Underwood, Lindsey; Grose, Jessica (July 16, 2020). "How to Report on Internet Culture and the Teens Who Rule It". The New York Times. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  20. Barber, Kayleigh (March 24, 2020). "How The New York Times' Taylor Lorenz gets teenagers to talk about their digital habits". Digiday. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  21. "Taylor Lorenz - Interview". The Caret. February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  22. Koebler, Jason; Merlan, Anna; Cox, Joseph (July 2, 2020). "Silicon Valley Elite Discuss Journalists Having Too Much Power in Private App". Vice. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  23. Newton, Casey (July 8, 2020). "The creators of the buzzy audio app Clubhouse made a depressingly common mistake". The Verge.
  24. Levy, Stephen (July 10, 2020). "Where Are the Adults in the Clubhouse?". Wired.
  25. Basu, Tanya (January 25, 2021). "The future of social networks might be audio". MIT Technology Review.
  26. Deahl, Rachel (June 1, 2020). "Deals: Lorenz Goes 'Online' at Simon & Schuster". Publishers Weekly. Vol. 267, no. 22. p. 11. ISSN 0000-0019 – via DigitalPW.com.
  27. Klein, Charlotte (February 1, 2022). "TAYLOR LORENZ HOPES THE NEW YORK TIMES WILL "EVOLVE IN THEIR WAYS" AS SHE LEAVES FOR THE WASHINGTON POST". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  28. "Taylor Lorenz joins The Washington Post as a columnist". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  29. Washington, Hugh Tomlinson (April 22, 2022). "Libs of Tiktok: Twitter provocateur gives Republicans new weapon in war on liberals". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  30. Adweek staff (August 9, 2020). "Meet Adweek's 2020 Young Influentials Who Are Shaping Media, Marketing and Tech". Adweek. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  31. Siu, Antoinette (August 13, 2021). "TikTok Talent Agent Ariadna Jacob Sues NY Times, Reporter Taylor Lorenz for Defamation (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  32. "Talent Agent for TikTok Personalities Sues Over New York Times Story Alleging Influencer Exploitation". New York Law Journal. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  33. Flood, Brian (August 26, 2021). "Entrepreneur files $6.2 million defamation suit against New York Times, star reporter Taylor Lorenz". FoxNews. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  34. https://pdfserver.amlaw.com/legalradar/41382524_complaint.pdf
  35. Lorenz, Taylor (April 19, 2022). "Meet the woman behind Libs of TikTok, secretly fueling the right's outrage machine". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  36. Goforth, Claire (April 20, 2022). "Libs of TikTok's deleted tweet accusing anti-teen suicide organization of 'grooming' resurfaces". The Daily Dot.
  37. Mastrangelo, Dominic (April 19, 2022). "Washington Post defends Taylor Lorenz reporting after story on 'Libs of TikTok' Twitter account". The Hill. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  38. Kampeas, Ron (April 21, 2022). "Twitter activist behind far-right 'Libs of TikTok' revealed to be US Orthodox Jew". The Times of Israel. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  39. Quay, Grayson (April 19, 2022). "Conservatives complain of 'doxxing' after exposé reveals woman behind 'Libs of TikTok' account". The Week. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  40. Tiffany, Kaitlyn (April 22, 2022). "'Doxxing' Means Whatever You Want It To". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
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  42. Jones, Tom (April 21, 2022). "The Taylor Lorenz controversy should not be a controversy at all". Poynter. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  43. Starr, Michael (April 21, 2022). "US Right, Left clash on orthodox Jewish activist's 'doxxing'". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  44. Silow-Carroll, Andrew (April 25, 2022). "Why the 'Libs of TikTok' founder's Jewish identity was fair game". The Times of Israel. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  45. Allsop, Jon (April 27, 2022). "Piers Morgan, Donald Trump, and the doomed transatlantic culture wars". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  46. Starr, Michael (April 21, 2022). "US Right, Left clash on orthodox Jewish activist's 'doxxing'". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  47. Stelter, Brian (April 21, 2022). "Taylor Lorenz discusses 'Libs of TikTok' and her reporting practices". CNN. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  48. Wiggins, Christopher (April 20, 2022). "Anti-LGBTQ+ 'Libs of TikTok' Exposed, Conservatives Are Extremely Mad". Advocate. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  49. Hernandez, Daniel (July 17, 2020). "A New York writer asked 'L.A. Twitter' where she should live. It didn't go well". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  50. Lorenz, Taylor; Mohney, Chris (December 7, 2020). "Taylor Lorenz on the Stress and Strangeness of Pandemic Dining Out". Zagat Stories. Zagat. Retrieved February 28, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  51. Lorenz, Taylor (January 10, 2015). "We're engaged!". TaylorLorenz.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  52. Campbell, Colin (May 4, 2015). "Man stabbed to death outside Health Care for the Homeless". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 28, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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  54. Oliver, Darcy (May 2, 2022). "Lorenz walks back Drudge harassment claim". CNN. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  55. Wulfsohn, Joseph A. (May 3, 2022). "Taylor Lorenz walks back claim she was being 'relentlessly' harassed by a 'Drudge Report editor'". Fox News. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
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