Social media harnessed to expose white nationalists at rally

NEW YORK (AP) — One of the social media posts resembled a wanted poster or a missing-persons flier: Photographs of men were arranged in rows, seeking their names and employers.

But the Facebook post wasn't circulated by law enforcement in the search for a suspect or by relatives looking for a missing loved one. It was the work of ordinary people trying to harness the power of social media to identify and shame the white nationalists who attended last weekend's violent rally in Charlottesville, Va.

Meanwhile, a Twitter account dedicated to calling out racism, YesYoureRacist, identified people who attended the rally using photos culled from the news and social media and listed their places of employment and other information. A website created Sunday dedicated itself to collecting the names, social media profiles, colleges and employers of people photographed at the rally.

At least one person has lost his job as a result, showing that angry online groups can be used to renounce racism as well as promote it.

"The goal with online shaming is very short term and driven by people's desire to feel as if they are fighting back and having an impact," said Brian Reich, who's written several books on digital communications, behavior and political influence. "They are afraid, appalled and they want to stop it."

But is it helpful? Reich said those behind these efforts "are arguably fanning the flames," giving attention to a group – white supremacists – that feeds on attention.