How aspiring influencers are forced to fight the algorithm – MIT Technology Review

There are two ways to try to understand the impact of content moderation and the algorithms that enforce those rules: by relying on what the platform says, and by asking creators themselves. In Tylers case, TikTok apologized and blamed an automatic filter that was set up to flag words associated with hate speechbut that was apparently unable to understand context.

Brooke Erin Duffy, an associate professor at Cornell University, teamed up with graduate student Colten Meisner to interview 30 creators on TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube, and Twitter around the time Tylers video went viral. They wanted to know how creators, particularly those from marginalized groups, navigate the algorithms and moderation practices of the platforms they use.

What they found: Creators invest a lot of labor in understanding the algorithms that shape their experiences and relationships on these platforms. Because many creators use multiple platforms, they must learn the hidden rules for each one. Some creators adapt their entire approach to producing and promoting content in response to the algorithmic and moderation biases they encounter.

Below is our conversation with Duffy about her forthcoming research (edited and condensed for clarity).

Creators have long discussed how algorithms and moderation affect their visibility on the platforms that made them famous. So what most surprised you while doing these interviews?

We had a sense that creators experiences are shaped by their understanding of the algorithm, but after doing the interviews, we really started to see how profound [this impact] is in their everyday lives and work the amount of time, energy, and attention they devote to learning about these algorithms, investing in them. They have this kind of critical awareness that these algorithms are understood to be uneven. Despite that, theyre still investing all of this energy in hopes of understanding them. It just really draws attention to the lopsided nature of the creator economy.

How often are creators thinking about the possibility of being censored or having their content not reach their audience because of algorithmic suppression or moderation practices?

I think it fundamentally structures their content creation process and also their content promotion process. These algorithms change at whim; theres no insight. Theres no direct communication from the platforms, in many cases. And this completely, fundamentally impacts not just your experience, but your income.

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How aspiring influencers are forced to fight the algorithm - MIT Technology Review

Poker pro accused of cheating eliminated from WSOP Main Event – Las Vegas Review-Journal

There were several notable players still alive in the World Series of Pokers Main Event at the start of Day 5 on Monday, including defending champion Koray Aldemir and 2020 winner Damian Salas.

But one name on the chip counts stirred up stronger reactions and ruffled more feathers in the poker community than any other.

Ali Imsirovic arrived at the WSOP as public enemy No. 1, hounded by unsubstantiated allegations from fellow poker pros that he cheated online and during live tournaments.

He was a source of ridicule at the tables and on social media throughout his run in the $10,000 buy-in No-limit Holdem World Championship at Ballys before being eliminated Monday in 229th place for $46,800.

The Main Event continues Tuesday with Day 6 at Ballys and inches closer to the final table. Karim Rebei of Algeria was the unofficial chip leader at the dinner break Monday with 197 players remaining.

Imsirovic is the 2021 Global Poker Index player of the year and currently sits No. 2 on GPIs rankings. He also captured PokerGO Tour player of the year honors in 2021, winning 14 high-roller events.

Since he burst onto the poker scene a handful of years ago, the 27-year-old originally from Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, has more than $18 million in live career earnings, according to HendonMob.com.

But in April, high-stakes pro Alex Foxen accused Imsirovic of using real-time assistance (RTA) and multi-accounts online, and colluding with players he financially backed during live tournaments. He also was alleged by Foxen of looking at another players hole cards during a $100,000 buy-in high roller event.

Ali is known as a cheater to almost all in the high roller community, however without much ironclad proof, most stay silent, Foxen wrote on Twitter.

Justin Bonomo, pokers all-time leading money winner, made similar allegations on social media against Imsirovic, as did three-time WSOP bracelet winner Chance Kornuth.

RTA is a form of software that tells a player in real time the optimal way to play a hand during a tournament or cash game. It is considered cheating by online poker sites.

Imsirovic has not responded to the accusations publicly and has declined to be interviewed during the WSOP. But his presence has caused a stir with every deep tournament run hes made.

Imsirovics Wikipedia page was anonymously edited to describe him as a Bosnian-American professional RTA-advantaged poker player from Vancouver, Washington.

He finished fourth in the $100,000 buy-in High Roller Bounty No-Limit Holdem event at the start of the WSOP as some members of the poker community questioned whether he should be allowed to play despite the fact that the cheating allegations havent been proven.

During Day 4 of the Main Event, Imsirovic was reportedly mocked by poker pro Dan Smith before he was seated at the feature table for PokerGOs coverage. Imsirovic somehow managed to fly under the radar for most of the session, though, as Zilong Zhangs aggressive betting and speech play captivated the audience.

Imsirovic also was prominently mentioned the past two days in the WSOP tournament updates, which are provided by PokerNews. That recognition was the subject of a heated debate on Twitter, with some players taking exception to how Imsirovic was portrayed.

I hope it doesnt go unnoticed that @PokerNews had zero issue shadow banning (Paulina Loeliger) last year, refusing to cover her in any capacity, but have zero issue doing full write ups & max coverage on a collection of known cheaters who have fleeced the community for 8 or 9 figs, poker pro Matt Berkey posted.

Berkeys tweet prompted several responses, with PokerNews executive editor Chad Holloway defending the work of tournament reporters who provide updates.

A potentially uncomfortable situation for the WSOP was avoided early Monday evening, as Imsirovic was eliminated by Austin Apicellas pocket queens. In the hand recap, he was described as the scandal embroiled Imsirovic.

^

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.

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Poker pro accused of cheating eliminated from WSOP Main Event - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Smip launches the first-ever social media protection platform USA – English – USA – PR Newswire

Smip's platform will monitor and protect the hundreds of thousands of businesses and influencers who have their social media accounts attacked and compromised every month

NEW YORK, July 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Smip announces the launch of its AI-based platform that protects influencers, content creators and businesses from losing control of their virtual assets. Every day, 100k accounts are compromised. Smip protects accounts from cyber-attacks, hacking attempts, social engineering risks, platforms' compliance violations and account blockages.

Social media accounts have become a crucial tool for their owners. For many, they are an important business tool and asset. But perhaps more importantly, they become part of their owner's identity. "Social media users pour their heart and soul into their accounts. It is heartbreaking when they lose them, and more often than not, financial restitution can't help owners cope with the loss of their access to their audience and to the content they created'', says Nave Ben Dror, Smip's CEO. "Sadly, social platforms are unable to help these account holders due to the massive amount of users that get hacked, hijacked, blocked, shadow banned or are otherwise compromised".

Loss of account access is becoming a pandemic

More than 300M businesses and social media influencers rely on their social media accounts all over the world. Smip's research suggests that businesses and influencers are constantly targeted by social media hackers and cyber-attacks. In the past 2 years, hacking attacks targeting social media influencers and businesses have spiked by over 200%. Smip estimates that more than 25% of businesses and influencers will suffer from hacking attempts at some point.

Unfortunately for creators, platforms don't seem to have the resources or motivation to help each of them individually. In fact, creators overwhelmingly share that in addition to being targeted by external threats, they are constantly dealing with the threat of having the platforms block access to their accounts either by flat out blocking them, or reducing their social reach through algorithmic means or what they now call "shadow banning", where the social media platform reduces content visibility without even letting the creator know.

Taylor Richardson shared her nightmare experience. "I worked hard to get an audience on TikTok. I grew my fan base to 326.7K, but then I lost it all when TikTok suddenly banned my account for reasons unknown, without any prior notice. My account means everything to me; it's my only source of income, and to have it continuously banned by TikTok damages my career and my life in ways I never thought imaginable!" "I couldn't even notify my fans. I tried every avenue possible but there was no response. I'm not big enough to get direct service from the social network".

The damage to Taylor far exceeded just the financial loss. Taylor says that the emotional distress and pain of losing everything she worked so hard for was immeasurable. "It wasn't about the money. This account is my life. These followers are my family". Taylor's story is just one of the thousands that happen every day, and throughout our short time in the industry thus far, we have already helped hundreds of influencers and businesses retrieve their accounts and solved a plethora of problems that social media platforms continue to throw their way!

About Smip

Smip is a startup specializing in cyber protection for virtual assets. Virtual assets have become valuable business and personal tools, and therefore new risks have risen. Smip's seamless technology pro-actively monitors and protects virtual assets from hacking, blocking, and other risk events.

For more information, please visit: smipin.com

Contact:

Nave Ben Dror

[emailprotected]

SOURCE Smip

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Smip launches the first-ever social media protection platform USA - English - USA - PR Newswire

Warzone players furious over lack of weapon balance in Season 4 – CharlieINTEL.com

The Owen Gun SMG is extremely effective in close-range combat, and here are all of the attachments, Perks, and equipment you need to create the best loadout for it in Warzone Pacific Season 4.

Warzone Pacific features a strong selection of powerful SMGs that you can use to cause some serious pain to your enemies in close-range combat, and the Owen Gun is an extremely reliable option.

While weapons like the Welgun and brand-new Marco 5 dominate the short-range meta in Season 4, you can still. You can make it even deadlier with the right attachments, Perks, and equipment.

Heres the best Owen Gun loadout in Warzone Pacific Season 4.

Well start off this Warzone loadout by equipping the Recoil Booster muzzleand theHockenson 142mm Rapid barrel to improve the Owen Guns fire rate and hip-fire accuracy,

Next, well use the m1941 Hand Stop and Brace perk to bring the recoil and weapon kick under control. You can then take advantage of the improved accuracy by using the precise sight of the Slate Reflector.

Youll want to have high mobility in close-range combat, so we recommend equipping the Quick perk, Fabric Grip, and Removed Stock as they will boost movement speed, ADS speed, and sprint-to-fire speed.

Coming to our choice of ammo, we went with the 7.62 Gorenko 72 Round Drums to ensure that you have plenty of rounds to bring down multiple targets, and the Lengthened ammo type to increase the bullet velocity.

E.O.D is a great choice for Perk 1 since it provides resistance to explosive damage from Grenades and Thermites. You can then select Overkill to pair this SMG with a medium-range option like the Vargo 52.

For our final Perk, we went with Amped to swap between our two weapons much quicker. This Owen Gun suits an aggressive playstyle, thus the Stim and Throwing Knife equipment combination is the ideal choice for scoring quick kills.

The Owen Gun shouldnt be too difficult to unlock as it is available to players at Level 29. If you dont have access to Vanguard, you may want to invest a Double XP token and take the weapon to the Rebirth Island Resurgence playlist for some easy kills.

In addition, there are always upcoming Double XP events announced for Warzone and Vanguard and you can check when the next Double XP event will be.

TheH4 Blixencurrently holds the top spot SMG in Season 4 because of its high K/D ratio of 1.79. TheType 100became thefastest-killing SMG in Season 3 and has continued its reign in Season 4.

For more Warzone, check outwhy players are furious over lack of weapon balance in Season 4 as well as this genius trick to get rid of Rebirth Island tower campers.

Image Credit: Activision / Raven Software

Excerpt from:

Warzone players furious over lack of weapon balance in Season 4 - CharlieINTEL.com

Warzone Mobile job listing suggests the game will have lucky draw loot box features – CharlieINTEL.com

The Owen Gun SMG is extremely effective in close-range combat, and here are all of the attachments, Perks, and equipment you need to create the best loadout for it in Warzone Pacific Season 4.

Warzone Pacific features a strong selection of powerful SMGs that you can use to cause some serious pain to your enemies in close-range combat, and the Owen Gun is an extremely reliable option.

While weapons like the Welgun and brand-new Marco 5 dominate the short-range meta in Season 4, you can still. You can make it even deadlier with the right attachments, Perks, and equipment.

Heres the best Owen Gun loadout in Warzone Pacific Season 4.

Well start off this Warzone loadout by equipping the Recoil Booster muzzleand theHockenson 142mm Rapid barrel to improve the Owen Guns fire rate and hip-fire accuracy,

Next, well use the m1941 Hand Stop and Brace perk to bring the recoil and weapon kick under control. You can then take advantage of the improved accuracy by using the precise sight of the Slate Reflector.

Youll want to have high mobility in close-range combat, so we recommend equipping the Quick perk, Fabric Grip, and Removed Stock as they will boost movement speed, ADS speed, and sprint-to-fire speed.

Coming to our choice of ammo, we went with the 7.62 Gorenko 72 Round Drums to ensure that you have plenty of rounds to bring down multiple targets, and the Lengthened ammo type to increase the bullet velocity.

E.O.D is a great choice for Perk 1 since it provides resistance to explosive damage from Grenades and Thermites. You can then select Overkill to pair this SMG with a medium-range option like the Vargo 52.

For our final Perk, we went with Amped to swap between our two weapons much quicker. This Owen Gun suits an aggressive playstyle, thus the Stim and Throwing Knife equipment combination is the ideal choice for scoring quick kills.

The Owen Gun shouldnt be too difficult to unlock as it is available to players at Level 29. If you dont have access to Vanguard, you may want to invest a Double XP token and take the weapon to the Rebirth Island Resurgence playlist for some easy kills.

In addition, there are always upcoming Double XP events announced for Warzone and Vanguard and you can check when the next Double XP event will be.

TheH4 Blixencurrently holds the top spot SMG in Season 4 because of its high K/D ratio of 1.79. TheType 100became thefastest-killing SMG in Season 3 and has continued its reign in Season 4.

For more Warzone, check outwhy players are furious over lack of weapon balance in Season 4 as well as this genius trick to get rid of Rebirth Island tower campers.

Image Credit: Activision / Raven Software

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Warzone Mobile job listing suggests the game will have lucky draw loot box features - CharlieINTEL.com

There are two uncomfortable sides to the Florence Pugh nipple controversy. – Mamamia

As a young, blonde, white, thin and able-bodied woman, criticism around her body can still sting, but it also provides her entry into the world of entertainment and power.

Voices coming together to defend a body that fits into conventional standards of beauty is always a worthy cause, but only when those voices extend their power to include marginalised bodies. Because these bodies are also censored and ridiculed on platforms such as thisoften to a larger, more painful extent.

Women of colour, plus size women, transgender people, and many more marginalised groups regularly face torrents of criticism and censorship around their bodies. These groups of people have been speaking up for years about the idea that social media platforms are much more likely to allow abuse and censorship around their bodies to go uncheckeda stark contrast to their thin and white counterparts.

But that's a more difficult conversation to have, and unfortunately there is no one-size-fits-all message of body empowerment that can speak to all groups.

For all the famous voices who threw their support behind Florence, for all the people who reposted her words with messages of support, and the media outlets who championed her "clap back", there is a larger group of people who cannot find comfort here.

For many people, simply choosing to love yourself, or, as Florence writes, telling your industry to "f**k that", will make no active change to their situation.

It is of course not up to Florence Pugh (or her nipples) to stand up for all marginalised bodies, but her words are a reminder to us all that there are two uncomfortable sides to this conversation.

There is the idea that no body, no matter how conventionally attractive, should be subject to abuse.

And then there's the second idea: One that reminds us that if we're going to lend our voices of support to one specific group of bodies, then those voices need to be just as active in protecting those whose bodies are in more danger.

Laura Brodnik is Mamamia's Entertainment Editor and host of The Spill podcast.You can follow her on Instagram here.

Feature image: Getty/Mamamia.

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There are two uncomfortable sides to the Florence Pugh nipple controversy. - Mamamia

Middle East filmmaker and actress on Venice jury with Julianne Moore – Arab News

DUBAI: Amapiano a style of house music with jazz and lounge-music influences that emerged in South Africa has captured the imagination of artists across the world. Egyptian choreographer Yara Saleh is one of those introducing the genre to the Arab world, choreographing a series of innovative amapiano dance routines and she caught Spotifys attention in the process.

Saleh who has worked with regional superstars Tamer Hosny, Nelly Karim, Wegz and Sharmoofers was championed by Spotify, which featured her in its Music that Moves series, which tells stories of locally grown music crossing borders and shaping culture around the world.

Being a part of a global mini-documentary with established artists and creatives that elevated cultural knowledge was a genuine honor, Saleh, who has an engineering background, told Arab News. One of my biggest passions in life is to explore other cultures deeply and represent them through everything that I do.

Dance was always an integral part of Egyptian and Middle Eastern culture, she continued. Social media has played a major role in showcasing dance and exposed people to other styles. TikTok, in particular, has made dancing more accessible and easier for people to engage with.

The Cairo-born choreographer believes that performative dance, for years, has been widely undervalued in the Middle East. But she said that this programmed judgment will inevitably transform once (people) see its value and impact with the influence of globalization and social media.

Salehs passion for dance was sparked at a young age when she was introduced to ballet. The dancer, who enjoys performing to hip-hop, house, jazz funk, afrobeats, amapiano and dancehall music, said she faced a lot of criticism when she decided to become a full-time dancer.

It was challenging due to the instability of this industry. But I always managed to find support along the road and find time to stay grounded, focused and centered, she said.

Saleh has performed in the US, Jamaica and the Middle East, and says she would love to perform at, or choreograph for, Afro Nation, the worlds biggest afrobeats and Caribbean music festival.

So far, she said, one of her greatest achievements is introducing dancehall a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s to the Egyptian dance community.

Being a pioneer is a responsibility that I do not take lightly. Dancehalls raw vibes instantly resonated with me and felt natural to my body. It is a culture that taught me more about expression, tapping into both my masculine and feminine energies, she said.Its been an eye-opening and fruitful journey to see people appreciate and fall in love with dancehalls message.

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Middle East filmmaker and actress on Venice jury with Julianne Moore - Arab News

Is Labour changing its mind on trans issues? – The Spectator

Amid the noise of the Tory leadership fight, some significant comments in the papers could be missed today.Heres the quote, from a Sunday Times interview with an intelligent, ambitious female politician in her forties:

Biology is important. A woman is somebody with a biology that is different from a mans biology. Were seeing in sport sensible decisions being made about who cannot compete in certain cases.

She says she would have a problem with someone with male genitals identifying as a woman and using a female changing space, and isnt entirely sold on the use of gender pronouns. You dont have to say to someone, Shall I call you he or she? its pretty obvious. But there are also difficult cases of somebody who is born as one sex and defines as another. I wouldnt want to deny their right to define themselves in the way they want to be defined.

Even by the standards of recent days, thats pretty punchy. In particular that line on rejecting pronouns because its pretty obvious strikes me as potentially controversial. I certainly know people and groups who would find that offensive. No candidate in the Tory race has thus been so outspoken on sex and gender.So are those quotes above yet another Conservative attempt to stoke a culture war?

That phrase has been used a lot recently, generally with disapproval and often by people keen to dismiss the concerns that some women raise about the impact of trans-rights policies on their rights and standing. And framing womens concerns as the product of right-wing, social conservative politics makes them easier for lots of people in politics and the media to ignore and denigrate those concerns as marginal and ideological.

Of course, theres nothing illegitimate about being either right-wing or socially conservative (Im neither) but in much of our public discourse, those things are routinely denigrated, put beyond the pale of acceptability. So its significant that the author of those comments above cannot possibly be described as a right-winger or a social conservative. She is Rachel Reeves, Labours shadow chancellor.

The fact that Reeves, as smart and decent a politician as youll find in the Commons today, has said these things could have many implications. Could it strain Labour unity? Its pretty hard to reconcile those comments with the position of some of her frontbench colleagues.

Could it reflect a new approach to trans issues from the Labour leadership? Reeves is today taking a much clearer line than Sir Keir Starmer, who has been more equivocal.I dont know the answer to those questions, which can wait for another day.

My point here today is simpler. Rachel Reeves, the Labour shadow chancellor, has backed banning transwomen from womens sport and excluding them from womens spaces. And shes rejected using gendered pronouns. By doing so, Reeves has provided yet more evidence to prove that concerns about trans rights policies and their impact on womens rights are not right-wing or conservative. Nor are they marginal or ideological.

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Is Labour changing its mind on trans issues? - The Spectator

Review: Netflix’s ‘Hello, Goodbye and Everything In Between’ is a surprisingly mature teen rom-com – Arab News

DUBAI: Amapiano a style of house music with jazz and lounge-music influences that emerged in South Africa has captured the imagination of artists across the world. Egyptian choreographer Yara Saleh is one of those introducing the genre to the Arab world, choreographing a series of innovative amapiano dance routines and she caught Spotifys attention in the process.

Saleh who has worked with regional superstars Tamer Hosny, Nelly Karim, Wegz and Sharmoofers was championed by Spotify, which featured her in its Music that Moves series, which tells stories of locally grown music crossing borders and shaping culture around the world.

Being a part of a global mini-documentary with established artists and creatives that elevated cultural knowledge was a genuine honor, Saleh, who has an engineering background, told Arab News. One of my biggest passions in life is to explore other cultures deeply and represent them through everything that I do.

Dance was always an integral part of Egyptian and Middle Eastern culture, she continued. Social media has played a major role in showcasing dance and exposed people to other styles. TikTok, in particular, has made dancing more accessible and easier for people to engage with.

The Cairo-born choreographer believes that performative dance, for years, has been widely undervalued in the Middle East. But she said that this programmed judgment will inevitably transform once (people) see its value and impact with the influence of globalization and social media.

Salehs passion for dance was sparked at a young age when she was introduced to ballet. The dancer, who enjoys performing to hip-hop, house, jazz funk, afrobeats, amapiano and dancehall music, said she faced a lot of criticism when she decided to become a full-time dancer.

It was challenging due to the instability of this industry. But I always managed to find support along the road and find time to stay grounded, focused and centered, she said.

Saleh has performed in the US, Jamaica and the Middle East, and says she would love to perform at, or choreograph for, Afro Nation, the worlds biggest afrobeats and Caribbean music festival.

So far, she said, one of her greatest achievements is introducing dancehall a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s to the Egyptian dance community.

Being a pioneer is a responsibility that I do not take lightly. Dancehalls raw vibes instantly resonated with me and felt natural to my body. It is a culture that taught me more about expression, tapping into both my masculine and feminine energies, she said.Its been an eye-opening and fruitful journey to see people appreciate and fall in love with dancehalls message.

Original post:

Review: Netflix's 'Hello, Goodbye and Everything In Between' is a surprisingly mature teen rom-com - Arab News

REVIEW: Netflix’s ‘Girl in the Picture’ is a twisted true-crime tale – Arab News

DUBAI: Amapiano a style of house music with jazz and lounge-music influences that emerged in South Africa has captured the imagination of artists across the world. Egyptian choreographer Yara Saleh is one of those introducing the genre to the Arab world, choreographing a series of innovative amapiano dance routines and she caught Spotifys attention in the process.

Saleh who has worked with regional superstars Tamer Hosny, Nelly Karim, Wegz and Sharmoofers was championed by Spotify, which featured her in its Music that Moves series, which tells stories of locally grown music crossing borders and shaping culture around the world.

Being a part of a global mini-documentary with established artists and creatives that elevated cultural knowledge was a genuine honor, Saleh, who has an engineering background, told Arab News. One of my biggest passions in life is to explore other cultures deeply and represent them through everything that I do.

Dance was always an integral part of Egyptian and Middle Eastern culture, she continued. Social media has played a major role in showcasing dance and exposed people to other styles. TikTok, in particular, has made dancing more accessible and easier for people to engage with.

The Cairo-born choreographer believes that performative dance, for years, has been widely undervalued in the Middle East. But she said that this programmed judgment will inevitably transform once (people) see its value and impact with the influence of globalization and social media.

Salehs passion for dance was sparked at a young age when she was introduced to ballet. The dancer, who enjoys performing to hip-hop, house, jazz funk, afrobeats, amapiano and dancehall music, said she faced a lot of criticism when she decided to become a full-time dancer.

It was challenging due to the instability of this industry. But I always managed to find support along the road and find time to stay grounded, focused and centered, she said.

Saleh has performed in the US, Jamaica and the Middle East, and says she would love to perform at, or choreograph for, Afro Nation, the worlds biggest afrobeats and Caribbean music festival.

So far, she said, one of her greatest achievements is introducing dancehall a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s to the Egyptian dance community.

Being a pioneer is a responsibility that I do not take lightly. Dancehalls raw vibes instantly resonated with me and felt natural to my body. It is a culture that taught me more about expression, tapping into both my masculine and feminine energies, she said.Its been an eye-opening and fruitful journey to see people appreciate and fall in love with dancehalls message.

Here is the original post:

REVIEW: Netflix's 'Girl in the Picture' is a twisted true-crime tale - Arab News