BuzzFeed returns to SXSW lineup following online harassment fiasco

BuzzFeed said it would only come back to the South by Southwest festival panel roster if organizers put online harassment back on the agenda, and it's making good on its word. The web firm tells Recode that it's returning to SXSW 2016's lineup now that the event has instituted a day-long Online Harassment Summit. The SXSW team has "moved in the right direction," BuzzFeed says. There's no word yet on whether or not fellow abstainer Vox Media is returning, although it won't be surprising if the online publisher follows suit.

The return theoretically ends a short but fierce drama that SXSW had been trying to avoid. It cancelled anti- and pro-GamerGate panels in a bid to counter threats of violence, but many felt this sent the wrong message -- that bullying was an effective way to silence any criticism, especially from harassment victims. It's too soon to say whether or not the summit is an improvement, but it should at least return the focus to the issues the panels were meant to discuss.

[Image credit: Mark Norman Francis, Flickr]