RIP Corp #5: Sex, Lies and Classifieds: The Fall of Backpage

Years before QAnon, myths and distortions about children being sold for sex fueled a politically-motivated moral panic in the name of protecting kids, yet largely targeting sex workers, not sex traffickers. This episode of RIP Corp is about Backpage — the classified advertising website founded in 2004 — and the path that led to its dramatic closure in 2018. The fall of Backpage led to a turning point in the coverage of sex work and criminal justice while also foreshadowing future media flashpoints.