Evaluation of Social Media Sources

The nature of my controversy, the death of Jahi McMath, is that it was widely discussed over all social media forums. However, it was very rarely the cause of a new forum to be created. For example, the hashtag #jahimcmath is still trending somewhat currently, almost two years after her death. However, if there were any Twitter pages about Jahi McMath, they no longer are in use or are able to be viewed by the public. 

One example of a social media page that is still currently in use is the Facebook page "Keep Jahi Mcmath on life support." Because this page is only fully accessible with a Facebook account, I have screenshotted the majority of recent posts and added them below. It is impossible (unless you have super computer skills) to sleuth out whoever first began the page or who runs it currently. It would appear that some of the posts are written by Dr. Paul Byrne, who provided expert witness support during the various legal battles over McMath. It is impossible to tell if the post was actually written by him or simply submitted to an admin to be posted by the page. However, the names of people who post on the page are very public, and these people can be corroborated. Often times they are average, everyday people who simply feel sorry for the family and want to express their grief through an online forum. The people post from all over the world, although there is a large concentration of posters from Oakland, which is near McMath's home. The page does not follow, endorse, or promote any other pages or people. The content can sometimes be corroborated with medical science and various news sources, although there is an obvious bias. The account is updated pretty regularly, with the last update occurring in June. There were likely no changes in McMath's health since, which is usually the cause for a new post. The page was formed in 2013 immediately after doctors suggested that McMath be removed from life support. The source of information is biased, but reliable as a source close to McMath.

"Keep Jahi Mcmath on life support"

A second example of a social forum that discussed McMath is the website "mommyish.com." On this forum, an author created a post titled "There's No Excuse for Using Jahi McMath's Body to Push a Political Agenda." The author, Maria Guido, can be corroborated on Twitter, where she clearly exhibits a pro-leftist persona. She currently works for the magazine Scary Mommy and occasionally writes for Time. At the time of the post, Guido was living in Brooklyn, which is very removed from Oakland, CA. On mommyish.com, Guido is followed mostly by pregnant couples or new parents. On her Twitter, Guido is followed by over 2,000 people and organizations. The information in her post on mommyish.com can be corroborated by medical and physical proof. However, she does make some extreme claims that may have been somewhat motivated by political bias. Guido does not usually post about McMath specifically, but she relates it to the pro-choice v. pro-life debate that she often posts about. Guido's post on mommyish.com is eleven months old. The source of information is reliable, but biased.

Currently, people are not having social media discussions about Jahi McMath the way they were close to two years ago. However, the related conversations about pro-life and medical politics are still as relevant today as they were in 2014.