Ginger Gorman is a troll hunter. But not the kind who seeks out ugly monsters that lurk under bridges and scare unsuspecting billy goats. Gorman is an award-winning journalist. Her weapon of choice is a laptop and an internet connection. Her targets are those anonymous individuals who use the internet to demean, mock, harass, terrorise and terrify. The depth of her first-person research into the sick world of trolling is vast and surprising, and it’s all chronicled in Gorman’s first book, Troll Hunting.
An attractive Canberra mum-of-two, with striking black hair, ruby red lipstick and a flair of the Mad Men era to her dress, isn’t exactly how most people would picture an expert on predatory internet use. Ginger Gorman is full of surprises. Just last week she invited the local newspaper to document her getting a new tattoo; an armpit to thigh spirograph representing the ‘tangled lines’ of her relationships with the trolls she hunts.
If you find yourself in the middle of a big cyberhate event, Ginger says the fastest way to get help is through the eSafety office. There are loads of resources there designed specifically for women there too. Ginger Gorman’s book ‘Troll Hunting’ is in stores now. She will be in conversation with Future Women’s Editor at Large, Jamila Rizvi at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne on 13 March.