ESPN Online Controversy
You may have heard the recent ESPN online controversy that will have many Asian-Americans tuning out. Its no wonder people are upset after ESPN editor, Anthony Federico, published a mobile story entitled, Chink in the Armor. This ESPN online controversy is one of the most embarrassing racist blunders the media has seen in years. Apparently it wasn’t intentional. Really? That seems a little hard to believe.
ESPN Online Controversy | Angry Readers
The hard thing to believe about this ESPN online controversy is that it wasn’t even the first slip up of its kind, another occurred just earlier last week on ESPNews!
The same offensive phrase was used earlier, on ESPNews on Wednesday night, as an anchor, Max Bretos, was interviewing Walt Frazier, the former Knicks guard who is now an analyst on the local MSG Network.
Do people not know that this is a very offensive slur, no matter how long ago it originated? Many are arguing on behalf of ESPN that the word is very old. Who cares? In an interview with Politico, Rep. Judy Chu explains where the word came from and why its offensive to call someone by this word.
“The same offensive phrase was used earlier, on ESPNews on Wednesday night, as an anchor, Max Bretos, was interviewing Walt Frazier, the former Knicks guard who is now an analyst on the local MSG Network.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/73077.html
She wasn’t the only person outraged by the ESPN Online controversy there were responses to this incident flooding the Twitter airwaves coming from all over. Here’s another reply from ESPN’s comment section.
A commenter on the ESPN site, Justin Wise, reacted this way: “Truthfully, you can’t file this one under ‘Oops, our bad.’ This is categorically one of the worst blunders I’ve ever seen in media. How something like this could pass through your filters, regardless of time, doesn’t matter. ESPN should be ashamed of themselves.’’
ESPN Online Controversy | What ESPN Has to Say
Although both the writer of the article that sparked the ESPN online controversy and the speaker apologizing as well, no one is truly admitting fault. Check out this half-hearted apology from ESPN editor Anthony Federico:
ESPN editor Anthony Federico, who was fired on Sunday, told the New York Daily News that his headline — “Chink in the Armor: Jeremy Lin’s 9 Turnovers Cost Knicks in Streak-stopping Loss to Hornets” — had “nothing to do with me being cute or punny.”
“I’m so sorry that I offended people. I’m so sorry if I offended Jeremy,” he said.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/73077.html#ixzz1mxW0BOYf
As a matter of fact, Anthony Federico said that he has used the word chink in many different headlines. What! Who is this guy? Anyone in their right-mind would’ve known that printing something like this would spark an ESPN online controversy. For God’s sakes, this is like using the N word to describe a player and then claiming that you didn’t think anybody would have a problem with it.
The one thing that shocks me most about this ESPN online controversy is the following (you’re not going to believe this):
Officers of the Asian American Journalists Association called the wording of the headline “inexcusable.’’
A letter to ESPN on the group’s Facebook page said “this incident does not live up to the Leadership in Diversity Award that AAJA bestowed on ESPN in 2010. But we trust that you will transform this incident into a teachable moment.’’
They’re awarded a Diversity Award by the AAJA and they still let something like this slip on by them? What do you think about the ESPN online controversy?
Image attribution: http://philliplorenzo.com/2012/02/14/jlinvdaybadmovies/