A <em>Scandal</em>-ous Bit of Twitter Fakery [Update]

Who is one of the most embarrassed media people shuffling around New York today? Without a doubt Courtney Pajor, a director of special sales for ABC-TV. Last night, TheWrap's senior TV writer Jethro Nededog under the headline above exclusively revealed that she was manning the controls @Scandall411, an account puporting to be that of an avid Scandal fan. As Nededog worked on the piece, the account was renamed (@GrantforPrez) and eventually deleted, while an associated Scandal411 WordPress site got toggled to private. From Nededog's item: “I am 100 percent sure that Scandal411 is Courtney Pajor,” one individual who’s had multiple interactions with the blogger said. TheWrap is also in possession of documents that link Pajor to the Scandal411 Twitter account, though the individual who provided them asked to remain anonymous. A spokesperson for TheWrap told FishbowlNY they are working on several follow-ups. We'll add links to those items as they become available and imagine one or more heads will roll over this. (ABC told TheWrap: "We take these allegations very seriously. We are investigating the situation and will handle accordingly.”) TV Week and the New York Daily News have picked up today on Nededog's report and the heat on this is only going to increase. One of the other issues is that Pajor, as @Scandal411, sometimes used profane language. Among the reader responses left to Nededog's item is this one, from IberibeNdiocha: But is she not allowed to be herself outside of work? Sure, the show is produced by her employer, but as long as she is doing it on her own time and not in her capacity as an employee at ABC, then I don't see the problem. That being said, I can see how it would be problematic (should ABC have a policy against this) if she abused her access to gain exclusive information for the benefit of her personal blog... If ABC doesn't have a policy that clearly outlines that such behavior is not allowed, then she didn't break any laws. Update (October 25): A spokesperson for ABC refuted TheWrap's original report today. Instead, they allege that the person operating the Twitter account/fan page was a former roommate of Pajor. NOT, at any time, Pajor herself: ABC’s findings raise even deeper questions about evidence obtained by TheWrap that links the ABC employee to the Scandal411 account; if Pajor’s ex-roommate is behind the account, it would mean she was masquerading as Pajor in potentially illegal ways.

Fishbowl

A Scandal-ous Bit of Twitter Fakery [Update]

Richard Horgan

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Richard Horgan