Last Reviewed on June 19, 2019, by eNotes Editorial. Word Count: 189

So You've Been Publicly Shamed (2015) is a book written by journalist Jon Ronson discussing the phenomenon of using the internet as a tool for public shaming. As a nonfiction work, there are not characters, per se, but Ronson did interview a series of people who were shamed on the Internet, including the following:

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Jonah Lehrer is an author and blogger accused of plagiarism and recycling his own work.

Justine Sacco was a communications executive from the media company IAC. She was fired for an inappropriate tweet about the AIDS crisis in Africa. Sacco's Wikipedia profile reroutes users to an article about online shaming.

Lindsey Stone lost her job as a charity worker after an inappropriate photo of her at the Arlington National Cemetery went viral.

Congressional representative Ted Poe experienced widespread backlash after a report from a magazine owned by AlterNet Media claimed that he and other political leaders were attempting to remove the rights of soldiers' families to decide what sort of prayers could be read at their funeral service. It was said that Poe and others were attempting to make Christian ceremonies mandatory for all veteran funerals.