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I'm really trying to understand this. Where are all the women and feminists who would be raging through the streets if this story was about a man and a tabloid abusing survivors’ trust? https://www.news.com.au/national/unprofessional-unethical-unsafe-abc-breaches-rape-victims-privacy-in-new-tracey-spicer-documentary/news-story/584bcc2fc1bb28c534ff8d7a79e660f1
I understand supporting friends when they’ve made mistakes. I understand we should never support mob attacks and pile-ons, particularly if someone is not doing well.
I also understand (all too well) how difficult it can be to be the recipient of survivor stories and what it’s like to be unable to respond at times.
but this “documentary” is not a bad moment or a failure to cope. It’s an abuse of power.
And it’s not just about Tracey Spicer. It’s how #MeToo 
was harnessed in Australia and retraumatising survivors beyond the women outed in the documentary.
was harnessed in Australia and retraumatising survivors beyond the women outed in the documentary.
This is about the ABC and how media more broadly understands & reports men’s violence against women. It’s not a trivial or niche issue. Nor is it just a criminal issue.
#MVAW (yes that includes sexual harassment) is about human rights, health, education, productivity, economics, politics, welfare, capitalism and media.
Egregious breaches of trust by public institutions touches all those issues and cannot be ignored by anyone who believes collective action to prevent #MVAW is necessary.
It’s easy to protest bad behaviour by people we don’t like. It’s far more difficult to condemn people we respect/care for. But do we ignore it because we think they’re nice people?
Is “but he’s such a good bloke” defence only abhorrent if it applies to men we easily detest? If principles only apply when they’re easy, they’re not principles, they’re slogans.
I feel some sympathy for Tracey Spicer and I believe her intentions were good. But I know how vulnerable survivors are when they trust journalists. Good intentions don’t excuse this.
The ABC not only should know better, it DOES know better. They are our most trusted institution but they won’t be if they ignore/trivialise trauma.
I can’t imagine how scared and sick survivors must be feeling. So many will never trust journalists again because of this “documentary”
The response needs to be so much more than silence or #sorrynotsorry I hope the survivors get at least that much. They deserve so much more.
