Eva Storck

Department: Man and Communication
Website: www.evastorck.nl

Anonimus et Libertas

The freedom of speech is sacred. Yet, when people air their thoughts in anonymous online posts, often content gets compromised, believes Eva Storck. On the internet, boorish badmouthing scores more points than informed opinions because there are no personal consequences for the user. The social consequences however, are vast. Extreme stances dominate the debate, drowning out subtle argument. To expose this negative trend, Storck created a special edition of Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad, filled cover-to-cover with anonymous online responses to current affairs issues. The result is Anonimus et Libertas; a physical embodiment of how anonymous online behaviour influences offline perception of the news in a ‘digital butterfly effect’.