An online economics forum notorious for its sexist, racist, and abusive commentary has been found to have posts originating from several renowned US universities and even the Federal Reserve, according to a recent study conducted by researchers from Boston University and Yale University. Economics Job Market Rumors (EJMR), a website established in 2008 to assist newly graduated PhD holders in their job searches, has long been plagued by hateful and damaging content, all of which is submitted anonymously. In their study, the researchers were able to unveil the internet addresses connected to two-thirds of the posts, thus identifying the physical locations of many users, although their identities remained undisclosed.
Out of the approximately 7 million posts made on the site over the past 12 years, a significant portion were found to have originated from users associated with prestigious schools such as Stanford University, Columbia University, and the University of Chicago, as well as the Federal Reserve. The researchers labeled around 10% of all posts as "toxic," encompassing content that was abusive, defamatory, racist, or misogynistic. Shockingly, some of these toxic posts even came from schools with highly ranked economics departments.
This study challenges the notion that EJMR is merely a fringe element in the economics profession. The researchers found that the users who post on the site predominantly consist of economists, including those occupying esteemed positions in academia, government, and the private sector. However, the Federal Reserve declined to comment on the matter, while spokespersons for Stanford, Columbia, and the University of Chicago did not respond to requests seeking their input.
The study also shed light on the universities where the researchers themselves work, as both Boston University and Yale University were found to have a significant percentage of toxic posts originating from their campuses, mirroring the situation at other top-tier institutions.
Despite the condemnation of EJMR by many economists over the years, the profession has struggled in its efforts to shut down the site. The study revealed that the site's popularity even saw a surge during the Covid-19 pandemic. The ability for users to post anonymously and the minimal moderation of comments by the website's anonymous host make it nearly impossible for victims to take legal action against users or for the economics community to pressure the host into dismantling the platform.
At the American Economic Association's annual conference earlier this year, a group of economists urged the organization to take more decisive action against EJMR. At the time, then-AEA President Christina Romer, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and a former Obama administration official, referred to the site as a "cesspool." Some economists have disclosed that the content on the site has negatively impacted their career trajectories. Moreover, the influence of the site seems to extend beyond the economics profession, which remains predominantly male and white.
Last year, during the nomination process of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, the first Black woman appointed to the board, she faced an aggressive Republican campaign against her. Some of the arguments used against her bore a striking resemblance to those posted on EJMR.
The authors of the study explained how they were able to decipher the website's system for assigning user names to posts. While internet addresses can be easily altered through widely available tools, such as virtual private networks, the authors believe that most EJMR users do not employ such obfuscation techniques.
Since the circulation of the paper's abstract in May, the website has reportedly altered its method of anonymizing posts, according to Ederer, one of the study's authors.