Nikkita Oliver is angry we’re quoting her tweets

Activist and former mayoral candidate Nikkita Oliver seems angry and frustrated that media outlets she doesn’t want to talk to are quoting comments she makes on social media.

“Dear reporters and journalists,” she tweets. “My twitter and Facebook do not count as comment for your articles. You want an official statement on an issue, ask for one. If I decline to comment for your article, don’t grab comments from my social media for click bait. Have some integrity!”

Integrity is not the issue here, of course. The subtext of her request is quite interesting because she’s implying she should have control over what a free press writes when discussing her activism.

“This is about the rigor of reporting. Get a quote. Email. Call. Inbox. Get a quote,” she tweeted.

Only, she doesn’t respond to all requests. For example, while on KIRO and on KTTH, Oliver didn’t respond to a single request for comment or interview requests. I don’t take it personally, of course. But I’m supposed to never cover her because she doesn’t want to talk to me? That’s not how it works. President Donald Trump tweets out ridiculous things; am I supposed to ignore them because the President won’t come on my show?

When called out for her position, Oliver got defensive, claiming she shouldn’t qualify as a public figure.

“I’m not a public official; which is not reactive,” she tweeted. “I hold no public office. Define public figure”

Oliver is undoubtedly a public figure. She is an active community activist pushing for policy changes and she’s a former Mayoral candidate. She is also a lawyer, so, legally speaking, she should at least understand that she qualifies. It’s unclear why she repeatedly asked what a local figure is. I put in an interview request to talk with her, so I wouldn’t have to rely on her tweets. She hasn’t yet responded to my request.

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