Why all men are sexist > Complacency in a sexist society Cazzy Lewchuk Contributor cc M: are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.” - Margaret Atwood Every man is a sexist. Merriam-Webster defines sexism as “prejudice or discrimination based on sex; especially discrimination against women.” To keep things simple, I'll focus on that definition: To be sexist is to be prejudiced against women. I think the fact that women are discriminated against in society is obvious and doesn't need to be argued. You can look at the statistics for yourself: Women have it worse in pretty much every way. To me, this is clearly a result of patriarchal oppression. Women do not put themselves in this position. They are systematically discriminated against, disregarded, and dehumanized by males in society, who possess the majority of the power. Whether cis or trans, it appears men experience a status and privilege in society that makes them think women are inferior. When you live in a society that treats females as second-class citizens, youre going to have some of that bias, consciously or not. Not every single man directly oppresses and abuses women, but we all experience a privilege that women will never know. Some men reading this will deny they are sexist, perhaps even becoming angry. It’s upsetting to suggest we oppose women. To be called prejudiced is perceived as one of the worst things you can be. However, I think it’s important to acknowledge we're all prejudiced, and that we're working on it. By denying there's a problem, you are only contributing further to a sexist atmosphere. For what it’s worth, I’ll admit to sexist and disrespectful behaviour. I’ve certainly never abused anyone or supported such a thing, but I have treated women in an unacceptable matter. I've regretted and apologized for my actions, and they were wrong. I think all men have done something like this—we’ve done it to our families, friends, and many other women in out lives. We interact with women as individuals and in groups in a much different way than we would to another man, and a lot of this behaviour is negative and toxic. There is a difference between blatantly disrespecting a woman and making an immature mistake, particularly ifthe behaviour is repeated. Owning up to our actions and admitting we were in the wrong is important, as well as not making the same mistake again. It's not my place as a man to speak for the experiences of women. It’s even less so to suggest I know a woman's thoughts on other women or gender dynamics in general. However, in a sexist society, I'd suggest that toa degree all women are internally sexist as well. They are raised to believe they're second-class citizens. There's going to bea toxic masculine influence that leads them to disrespect feminine actions, even the ones they perform themselves. Every man needs to do better. I’m not saying we all must devote the rest of our lives to women’s advocacy issues, but recognizing and fighting sexism in society is something that can be done everywhere. We need to be honest about our responsibility and role in creating a society free from gender discrimination. Above all, we have to give women a chance to lead and advocate for their own rights. Men should have a voice in feminist and gender issues, because these things affect everybody, but they should not overshadow the discussion. Men have dominated literally everything since the dawn of civilization, it’s time to let women lead and take control. This is not a radical or complicated subject. This is basic-level gender and women’s studies, which is an entire academic field. Most women know how sexist all men are, and more men than ever are starting to understand. We owe it to women everywhere to recognize our faults and learn how we can be better. Petty journalism > Ambulance chasing and the importance of the second source Rebecca Peterson Assistant Editor ‘Ox a day already filled with tragedy and heartbreak, I was further saddened to read on Twitter that musician Tom Petty had passed away. Everyone was reporting confirmation— CBS, CBC, The Rolling Stone... There was no doubt in my mind that he was dead. Well-respected members of the media took to Twitter to offer their condolences, blue checkmarks beside their Twitter handles a further testament to the integrity of this report. There was one small snag: Tom Petty wasn't dead. As of writing this right now, on Monday evening, Tom Petty is still fighting for his life in critical care. The phrase “thoughts and prayers” has been used far too many times for the meaning to remain intact, but I do absolutely wish him well and hope he pulls through. However, this whole debacle is a good example of a common problem in modern reporting, especially with reporting through social media: We're losing the ability to wait for at least two primary sources. TMZ, to my knowledge, was the first to report Tom Petty’s death, and cited the testimony of the LAPD. CBS quickly picked up the story, also citing an “official report” from the LAPD. All subsequent reports were simply linked back to the CBS story, which in turn came from TMZ, which, if you look at the article on their site, was featured alongside articles such as “Sexy Stars in Hawaii—Soak in the Tropical Hot Shots” and “Cardi B vs Azealia Banks—Who’d You Rather?!” TMZ may not always be a reliable source of information, to say the absolute least. Turning around and placing the blame on TMZ for making a mistake is like demanding Adam Sandler refund your movie ticket—you had to have known what you were getting into. (¥Y_ Has Life hack culture gone too far? (¥ Who truly deserved to win ‘Big Brother 19’? And more! Reporters and news outlets should be interrogating their sources, making sure there are more than one reputable firsthand accounts before publishing anything, but they aren't. Why? It’s a problem with many facets— the slow death of print media, the move to reporting on social media, the importance of gaining profit through site clicks; in summary, everyone wants to be first to the story, first to declare. Everyone wants to be the source, which is precisely the problem. A news article should not be considered the same as a firsthand account. Misinformation is not a victimless crime (as the last American election keenly demonstrated). It doesn’t just embarrass well-meaning well-wishers and news outlets; it can cause real and lasting emotional and even physical harm. Shoddy, sourceless reporting can devastate families and friends who see their loved ones’ images plastered on Twitter in premature obituaries, and can even complicate a crisis by confusing people in the area worried for their lives. Tom Petty’s daughter was particularly affected by today’s incident, directing an understandably enraged tirade at The Rolling Stone on her Instagram account: “How dare you report that my father has died just to get press because your articles and photos are so dated.” Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be a problem that will go away any time soon. As much as | might question the ethics of ambulance chasing and dodgy reporting on social media, | still get many of my news leads from social media. Even now I'm repeatedly refreshing my Twitter page, seeing if there’s been any update on Tom Petty’s condition that might render this article obsolete before the paper hits the stands. I suppose all I’m asking is that we remain critical, and we look to the source of the information. If an article is citing another news outlet, take it with a grain of salt.