Reach’s Online Safety Editor, Dr Rebecca Whittington, has launched a new podcast called Go Doxx Yourself, unpicking the human stories behind cyber nightmares.
The publisher says the podcast is designed to humanise online safety risks, with Rebecca digging into real-life human stories of people affected by online harm alongside a range of guests, including experts in online safety and digital law.
As well as talking to people at the centre of the story, top tips and tricks will be offered about navigating a turbulent and sometimes frightening digital landscape and what to do when online life goes wrong, the publisher continued.
The limited series of 10 episodes, produced by Reach’s podcast editor, Daniel McLaughlin, launched on July 23 featuring the story of Kirsty Paterson, the Sad Oompa Loompa whose image went viral following the disastrous Willy Wonka Chocolate Experience in Glasgow last year.
Kirsty has shared her story of what it was like to realise her image was not only being shared widely online, but was also being used as TV chat show topics, in advertising and being sold as merchandise, all outside of her control as hateful comments rolled in. The intense scrutiny and trolling pushed Kirsty's mental health to the brink before she reclaimed the narrative.
Other episodes include the case of the atomic catfish - how a festishist used catfish accounts to dupe scores of women, including many journalists, into conversations and viewing of his fetish content, with a take from a victim of the catfish and a viewpoint from a legal expert.
Rebecca has also interviewed Ellis Whitehouse, a journalist who covered how former Love Island star Georgia Harrison helped change the law after winning a case against her ex, who, without her consent, shared a video of them engaging in sexual activity.
And there’s an episode focusing on football forums alongside sports journalist and LGBT campaigner Jacob Leeks and Sanjay Bhandari from Kick It Out. It looks at how players and fans are exposed to racism, homophobia, sexism and ‘banter’ that goes bad, with tips on how to navigate footballing spaces online and retain a love for the fans and the game.
Episodes will be released weekly every Wednesday until the end of September and can be accessed via Apple and Spotify.
Commenting on the podcast launch, Rebecca said: "At Reach so many of our journalists cover stories of people going about their everyday lives, only to be upended by a digital event that changes their lives forever. It's not uncommon for any of us to be targeted by online fraudsters or to come into contact with a catfish pretending to be someone else. I couldn't help but think about what happens after the headlines have died down?
“How do ordinary people recover and get back on track after something major happens, like being made famous overnight thanks to a social media post or picture? That's when I decided to investigate some of the real-life, human stories behind the headlines and produce a podcast that will be as interesting as it is useful.
"I'm very grateful to those who have shared their stories with me for Go Doxx Yourself. It's not easy to talk about some of these subjects, but by helping to shine a light on how easy it is to become a victim of a cyber nightmare, my guests will be helping others to identify how to protect themselves or how to get help if they need it."
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