[ikeashark]

Peter Thiel is gay??

[kristopolous]

This was like the biggest tech drama of 2007, but mostly because Theil successfully ran the journalism company that reported it out of business.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gawker

[rbanffy]

While I have no sympathy for Thiel, outing someone against their will is just wrong.

Journalism has to be responsible.

This article is a clusterfuck, no pun intended.

[kristopolous]

So it's 2007. LGBT groups are trying to protect people from getting fired for being gay and legalize gay marriage.

There's a conservative christian billionaire who is actively funding political groups blocking this.

You, a journalist, working at a tabloid, finds out he's secretly gay. Sound like a story?

There's context to all of these things.

[tasuki]

Yes it's a story. But the thing I'm most interested in is... Why? Why does he do that?

[kristopolous]

Because people mostly behave based on their virtues and principles not on greedy self interest

We all have different ones

[tasuki]

An optimistic answer. I like it!

But, like, Peter Thiel genuinely thinks life ought to be harder for gay people? He's a good Christian and thinks gay people will go to hell? I still don't really get it.

[nailer]

You mean because a trashy news article outed somebody as gay for clicks? By helping someone else whose sex tape was leaked without their consent?

I’m sure you wouldn’t want your own private life leaked this way.

[kristopolous]

If journalists were constrained by the consent of every public figure and institution they mention all you'd have is flowery propaganda.

You can see what this would look like already by searching for prnewswire https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqKQgKIiNDQklTRkFnTWF...

Companies pay to place those things and some outfits run them. It'd all look like that.

Anyways, journalist reach out for comment and are supposed to consider the response of the parties involved but that's about it.

[nailer]

Not publishing articles on other people’s sex lives is not “flowery propaganda”. Christ.

That was an awful thing to defend, have a sense of shame and apologise Chris.

[kristopolous]

No. Finger wag elsewhere. Some journalism looks like TMZ and Business Insider.

[nailer]

You know it’s wrong.

[ikeashark]

Seriously? Would you be okay with a "journalist" showing the whole world your sextape?

[kristopolous]

1. I'm not a public figure

2. Sure. Have a great time

[ikeashark]

1. You don't need to be famous, how do you think blackmail works on non-famous women?

2. freaky