Krista Ford, daughter of a city councillor and niece to the mayor, felt the brute force of the media for a tweet she posted on August 29. “Stay alert, walk tall, carry mace, take self-defence classes & don’t dress like a whore,” This was taken to mean that victims of rape and sexual assault are responsible for the crimes committed against them.
[pullquote]“Stay alert, walk tall, carry mace, take self-defence classes & don’t dress like a whore.” – @kristaford[/pullquote]
I first read about this on The Globe and Mail website, and heard about it as the subject of discussion on CBC Radio later in the day. A quick Google search confirmed similar articles were posted on other news websites. The exposure Krista Ford has received from the media is nothing short of excessive. However, I cannot understate the gravity of her statement. The way a person chooses to dress should never be perceived as consent for sexual assault.
Does being the niece of a mayor warrant meticulous scrutiny from the media? As a self-proclaimed model and personal trainer, Krista — her last name aside — is a private citizen. She doesn’t influence legislation and is not an apparent role model for society, so there is no reason why news stations should think she is deserving of the limelight.
The disconnect between statement and individual that social networks like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter provide is a nesting ground for what can at times be offensive and unfounded comments. The tweet was the source of nationwide backlash and debate, despite Ford’s humble Twitter following of just under fifteen hundred. Her tweet probably would have disappeared into the ether without a second thought, had her last name not been Ford.
Does being related to well-known members of society automatically serve as consent for relentless media coverage? If Krista Ford and her views on sexual assault are so important, why was she referred to in articles merely as the niece of Mayor Rob Ford?
