Person1, agreed that you have to be careful about loshon hara about everyone. However, there is a particular problem with speaking badly about the Frum oilam to the Secular or not-Jewish oilam. Everything you write online is being said to the Secular or not-Jewish oilam. Most of the above statements that you quoted from me were said in response to generalizations that had been made putting down the Frum oilam or those who learn Torah.
I have noticed that often posters in the coffee room do not realize the connotations of what they are saying and how it can be heard by the general oilam. It’s all about the context and the way things are phrased. One problem that often comes up is that people lose sight of the context in these threads.
It’s not that everyone is perfect and it’s not that we shouldn’t be trying to work on ourselves. It’s a question of how, where, why, when and to whom things should be said.
I understand that you want to raise awareness of this issue, and you are right. But it has to be done the right way. The way you phrased things and the medium you chose were seriously problematic. And yes, you do have to be dan l’kaf zchus and assume that the newspapers mean well and it was an occasional slip-up and if someone says something to them, they will correct it. If you don’t feel that way, then you should certainly not say anything, since it certainly has no toeles.
And no, I do not think you have a right to post online that Lipa’s music is assur. There are halachos about when Lashon hara can be said l’toeles, and there are many, many conditions! One of the biggest stumbling blocks for loshon hara is the fact that people use “toeles” as an excuse too often! If you seriously think there was a toeles in what you wrote about Lipa or about the Frum newspapers, call the Shmiras Halashon hotline and ask them!! Loshon hara is a very serious issue, especially online, and you can’t say things like that without asking first!! And you have to make sure that you ask experts in the topic and that you tell them exactly what you wrote!!
“What I actually tried to convey in my previous messages was that you should be equally careful about Hotzaas Shem Ra about other groups and communities. Some frum people aren’t.’
The way you phrased it now was probably okay. The way it was phrased before was very different and it gave a very different message (although knowing you, I’m sure it was completely unintentional.)
I do think thought that it is kidai for you to go back and look at the examples you are talking about and see if it’s possible that they had a reason for writing what they did. It is POSSIBLE that it was written in the context of defending the Frum world against attacks by the not-Frum world. I’m not saying that was necessarily the case, but it is a definite possibility. If you think that was not the case, you should definitely write to them.