Taylor Lorenz, a self-proclaimed independent journalist, has once again found herself without a platform. Vox Media ended its podcasting agreement with the 40-year-old after her comments celebrating the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson sparked widespread backlash.
Last week, Lorenz referred to Thompson’s killer as a “national hero” and claimed her opinion was based on internet memes and TikTok videos glorifying the act. While Lorenz attempted to walk back her statements by insisting she wasn’t advocating for murder, her remarks that healthcare executives “deserve to suffer and die” have left many unconvinced.
Vox Media originally partnered with Lorenz in February, when she was still employed by the Washington Post. Her podcast, Power User, was touted as a high-profile addition to Vox’s content lineup. However, reports suggest that Lorenz’s increasingly radical rhetoric had already strained the relationship. The murder comments only sealed her fate.
Lorenz’s troubles with major media outlets are not new. In October, she departed the Washington Post under a cloud of controversy. Reports indicate she was dismissed after misleading editors about a social media post accusing President Joe Biden of war crimes. Prior to her time at the Post, Lorenz left the New York Times amid criticism over her relentless coverage of Claudia Conway, a teenager and the daughter of Kellyanne Conway.
In recent months, Lorenz has adopted more extreme positions, from lambasting maskless Americans to doubling down on accusations against Biden. Her shift to independent journalism appears to have given her more freedom to push boundaries, but it’s come at a significant cost to her professional credibility.
