Media 2070 FINAL - Flipbook - Page 72
It’s no coincidence that communities hurt by systemic
racism only see journalists in their neighborhoods
when people are shot or buildings burn down. It takes
commitment to correct and improve that relationship.
It is an insult to our work, our communities, and our
neighbors to see that trust destroyed — and makes us
that much more likely to face threats and aggression.
The carelessness of our leadership makes it harder to
do our jobs, and at worst puts our lives at risk.
We’re tired of shouldering the burden of dragging
this 200-year-old institution kicking and screaming
into a more equitable age. We’re tired of being told of
the progress the company has made and being served
platitudes about ‘diversity and inclusion’ when we raise
our concerns. We’re tired of seeing our words and
photos twisted to fit a narrative that does not reflect
our reality. We’re tired of being told to show both sides
of issues there are no two sides of.
Things need to change.7
That same day, the paper issued a public apology for the
headline:
The Philadelphia Inquirer published a
headline in Tuesday’s edition that was
deeply offensive. We should not have
printed it. We’re sorry, and regret that we
did. We also know that an apology on its
own is not sufficient.
The headline accompanied a story on the
future of Philadelphia’s buildings and civic
infrastructure in the aftermath of this
week’s protests. The headline offensively
riffed on the Black Lives Matter movement,
and suggested an equivalence between
the loss of buildings and the lives of black
Americans.
That is unacceptable. ...
Finally, we apologize to Inquirer journalists,
particularly those of color, who expressed
sadness, anger, and embarrassment in
a two-hour newsroom-wide meeting
Wednesday. An enormous amount of
pressure sits on the shoulders of black and
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brown Inquirer journalists, and mistakes
like this, made by the publication they work
for, are profoundly demoralizing. We hear
you and will continue to listen as we work to
improve.8
The following day, dozens of journalists of color called
in sick in protest. And two days later, the Inquirer’s top
editor, Stan Wischnowski, resigned.9 In addition, more
than 40 community leaders and social-justice groups
— including the Philadelphia Association of Black
Journalists, the Asian American Journalists Association
Philadelphia, and the National Association of Hispanic
Journalists (Philadelphia chapter) — have called on the
paper to “nurture deep relationships with the community
and develop a community-first, anti-racist newsroom
philosophy.”10
On the West Coast, Black and Latinx journalists are
challenging The Los Angeles Times management and
ownership to address its lack of newsroom diversity, the
coverage of communities of color and the treatment of
journalists of color.
A June 24 article about the conflict revealed that out of
more than 500 journalists who work at the paper, 61
percent are white even though white people make up just
26 percent of Los Angeles County. This stands in contrast
to Latinx reporters, who make up just 13 percent of
newsroom staff but almost half of the county population.
And the paper employs just 26 Black journalists, which
accounts for just 5 percent of the newsroom staff.11
The story described how “internal critics” view the
changes that have taken place at the paper over the
years. They believe the outlet has “reinforced an internal
hierarchy that put people of color at a disadvantage”
and created a “tiered newsroom, where veteran editors
and reporters, who are largely white, have relied on a
secondary class of primarily younger, less-experienced
Latino, Asian and Black reporters who are paid
significantly less than older counterparts.”12
Current and former Black Los Angeles Times journalists
used the hashtag #BlackatLAT on Twitter to call out
the paper’s mistreatment. The L.A. Times Guild’s Black
Caucus also wrote a letter to the paper’s owner, Dr. Patrick
Soon-Shiong, and noted that “the nation’s reckoning over
race has put a much-needed spotlight on inequities at The
Times.” Citing the 1992 riots in Los Angeles that followed
the acquittal of police officers who had beaten Rodney
King, they declared:
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