As an investigative journalist, there comes a point when you’ve told the truth, laid out the facts, and put the story into the open. You’ve done your part. You’ve documented, provided evidence, and even repeated yourself more times than you should have. Yet, instead of letting the truth stand, some people can’t resist dragging your name back into the mud.
The irony is clear: the people who keep bringing you up are often the same ones who have nothing else to offer. No track record of real work. No education or accomplishments to point to. No consistent output that proves their credibility. Their entire identity becomes built around trying to discredit someone who has already moved far past them.
Easy Targets and Hard Truths
It’s easy for people who have never met you to beat up on you. It’s even easier for them to get offended when you fight back, because the mirror you hold up shows them everything they lack. That cycle — provoke, accuse, repeat — is designed to pull you into wasting your time and energy.
But here’s the truth: you don’t need to fight every battle.
Once you’ve told the truth, you don’t owe anyone endless explanations. Their need to keep talking is proof that your truth hit harder than their lies ever could.
Don’t forget: there is no such thing as bad publicity. The more they talk, they’re actually engaging the social media algorithms; websites get more hits. The more they’re using the name, the more it’s backfiring, because who they’re yelling about will only help people on your side, find you. They’ll see which way the facts land.
And, if you own a website, you can always check the IP Addresses of the people who harass you and turn them in, too.
When Silence Is Power
Silence, in this case, isn’t weakness. It’s strategy. By choosing not to engage, you make their noise echo louder in the emptiness they’ve created for themselves. Eventually, people notice who’s producing substance and who’s just recycling bitterness.
The difference, is that bullies of this sort normally choose people with no way to fight back; no platform to defend themselves. And if they do it, start a Substack, or a Medium Blog, chronicle the abuse in a just the facts manner and walk away from it.
The key is protecting your time and energy. Every hour you don’t spend fighting with them is an hour invested in your education, your work, your vision, and your good standing; things they can never touch.
And any further harassment they inflict can be screenshotted and turned over to their growing police file, anyway. No additional work necessary beyond that.
Focus on What They Can’t Take Away
What can’t be buried?
- Your education: the work you put in to learn, grow, and master your field.
- Your work product: the tangible results you’ve created that stand on their own.
- Your good standing: the relationships, opportunities, and credibility you continue to build.
These are things your detractors will never have the power to erase. They may shout louder, but they can’t change the record. And at the end of the day, they’re the ones making fools of themselves.
Let Them Burn Out
The people who thrive on trying to bury your name eventually take care of themselves. Obsession takes energy, and when it’s fueled by resentment instead of purpose, it burns out.
Meanwhile, you’re free to keep creating, learning, and building.
The best revenge isn’t clapping back. It’s continuing to succeed in ways they can’t touch.
Don’t forget: DMCA Takedowns are a powerful tool against these individuals if they can’t keep their hands off your content; if they move to video content and they’re a monetized creator, they will HAVE to share proceeds with you.
🖤 Love what we do? Support Clutch.
