Friday, October 30, 2015

SXSW Reinstates Online Harassment Panel After Criticism

Jack Dempsey / Invision for Universal Music Group

South by Southwest director Hugh Forrest said Friday he "made a mistake" in canceling two panels on gaming and online harassment amid threats — a decision that drew criticism — and said he is reinstating an all-day panel on the topic.

“Earlier this week we made a mistake,” said Forrest said in a blog post published Friday.

Several media companies — including BuzzFeed and Vox — said they would not participate unless the panels retuned. "

The resulting feedback from the individuals involved and the community-at-large resonated loud and clear,” he said. “While we made the decision in the interest of safety for all of our attendees, cancelling sessions was not an appropriate response.”

“By canceling two sessions we sent an unintended message that SXSW not only tolerates online harassment but condones it, and for that we are truly sorry,” he wrote.

Scheduled for Saturday March 12, the “Online Harassment Summit” will feature participants from the two previously planned panels, including Katherine Cross and Carolien Sinders from “Level Up: Overcoming Harassment in Games.”

The summit will include Randi Harper, Katherine Cross and Caroline Sinders from “Level Up: Overcoming Harassment in Games,” as well as Perry Jones, Mercedes Carrera, and Lynn Walsh from “SavePoint: A Discussion on the Gaming Community.” We are working with both groups to develop the most productive focus for their appearances.



from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/1WovkTp

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