ESPN has fired the employee responsible for a racially charged Jeremy Lin-inspired headline on their mobile site. They have also handed a 30-day suspension to their network anchor who used the term ‘chink in the armor’ to refer to Lin. In their statement this morning they said:
We again apologize, especially to Mr. Lin. His accomplishments are a source of great pride to the Asian-American community, including the Asian-American employees at ESPN. Through self-examination, improved editorial practices and controls, and response to constructive criticism, we will be better in the future.
The network clearly took this issue as seriously as could possibly be expected of them. This review and action must have taken an inordinate number of ESPN executives hours to discuss and vet. The fact that they did it over a long holiday weekend, when the news cycle is slower and many of them are enjoying a couple days off, speaks volumes.
Plus, the dismissal of an employee, particularly in this economy, is a harsh outcome that clearly conveys the serious nature with which ESPN approached this issue. I know people were demanding that “heads roll” over this incident. I personally hate to see people lose their job over a mistake, so I’m hoping ESPN found that the headline was intentionally racially charged, as that would certainly be grounds for the most serious of action.
An ESPN spokesperson graciously declined a question about the nature of their internal findings.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 2:06 PM
I wonder if the staff writer had the headline calling someone a faggot if you would still feel bad about someone losing their job over a mistake.
Making that headline is not a mistake they knew exactly what they were doing. A mistake would have been misspelling a word in a headline or a putting a pic from the wrong game up. Not using a racial slur in a headline trying to be cute and racist all at the same time.
That person deserves to be fired and if they had used the word faggot in a headline about a gay athlete then that would also be grounds for termination.
I will give credit to outsports for posting this story, because GLAAD isn’t talking about it.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 2:28 PM
“the truth will set you free but first it will piss you off”
This is so true and I’m pissed. From this and having people still telling the lie that racism isn’t a problem in this country. To stories of kids getting beat up for being gay and dealing with homophobia.
I wish we could be more like how the Black Panther Party was in it’s early years before Hoover decided that grits in the morning was a threat to national security. Where they had the rainbow coalition and there goal was to bring together the different ethnic groups that were fighting. They joined forces with the White Panther Party, the Young Lords, the Red Power, the Red Guard, and all because they wanted the same thing equality for all. Huey even talked about how gay rights were also part of the fight for equality. This is what we need to join forces, NOW!
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 2:46 PM
I’m sorry, but that’s BS. The amount of homophobia that is filtered from that site, as well countless, countless others only leads to slap on the wrists.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 2:48 PM
I agree with you, Ace. I 100% agree. The Panthers believed in peace, but used violence as a means to an end when necessary. ActUP was a radical group like this from the 70s. We NEED that group again.
Want to start one?
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 2:52 PM
Ace, did you read the rest of my comment? I said I feel bad if it was just a mistake, so I’m hoping it wasn’t just a mistake. If it wasn’t just a mistake, then they took the action they had to take.
If the person had written “faggot” I’d feel exactly the same way. I don’t want people to lose their job – I want them to learn lessons about bigotry. We don’t always have to jump to “fire the guy.”
But again, if it was intentional – he got what he deserved.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 3:00 PM
“That person deserves to be fired and if they had used the word faggot in a headline about a gay athlete then that would also be grounds for termination.”
The problem is, the journalist would not have been fired. He would have been suspended. There is a double-standard in this country when it comes to racism and homophobia, and I agree, gay people need to start taking measures into their own hands, and I don’t mean in protest. I mean in terrible things. Gay people will never get the respect they deserve, so what do we as a people have to lose that we already do NOT have? Nothing.
I say start sending messages to Americans.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 4:16 PM
I also agree, 100% with Ace.
Like most things racial, Zeigler doesn’t bother to understand.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 5:08 PM
I’m so tired of these totally baseless claims of racism against me. I’m the one who broke this story in the first place!!!
But because someone doesn’t agree with you they “don’t understand” or are racist. Wow. These accusations have been flung at people in this country for several years now, and it’s shameful. You have no idea my background or my family history. You only see the color of my skin. Shame on you.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 5:21 PM
BTW, I had written about Lee Steele’s homophobic comment the same exact thing I wrote about this firing:
“I actually feel sorry for him. He made a really stupid mistake, and now he may pay for it with his career. I don’t want him Tweeting stuff like that, but in this economy do you want people losing their jobs? I’m not sure that’s the most productive way to handle it.”
So sorry, your baseless race-baiting doesn’t work here.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 6:19 PM
Kyle it is a dream of mine to start an organization like that in the next 5 years. I already have an idea for my own version of the Ten Point Program.
Jason what kind of message do you want to send?
Joetx I get the same vibe, mine is with the mistake comment.
Cyd If I wanted to call you a racist I would. Idk if you’re just naive about how hateful people can be or not. The whole idea that the person who made the headline could have made a mistake is crazy. That would be like me working at any job and saying to an Arab man hey rag head, and then going don’t fire me it was just an honest mistake.
If you really feel that bad about people losing their jobs then why didn’t you say that you disagreed with GLAAD when they wanted Roland to be fired from CNN?
ESPN made the right move by firing the person responsible and if someone makes a headline calling a player a faggot, dyke, etc, etc, they deserve to be fired as well.
I say we use this story to join forces with other people who truly believe in the fight for equality for all. And people who do not try to invalidate a persons feelings when they talk about the discrimination that they face. By joining forces it makes it harder to deny us our rights. We need to deliver the message that you either give us the respect that we deserve………or we’ll take it. The Black Panther Party was started with just 2 men who had a vision. The NAACP was founded by Blacks and Jews. We can start our own movement right now. If we work together, who can stop us?
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 6:39 PM
Cyd, do you really believe lessons are learned when a person makes a comment like this and is only suspended? It’s admirable that you do, but there is no lesson learned with these people.
Ace, do you have a website or contact info?
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 6:59 PM
If the writer intented the headline as a racial slur then he deserved to be fired. If it was an accident, just using a common phrase, then no he did not deserve to be fired and ESPN better have some good layers for a wrongful dismissal lawsuit.
Calling people racist or homophobic is used by some people to stifle conversation, not to start a conversation and create a learning moment. It doesn’t really advance either issue.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 7:24 PM
I decided to make a tumblr blog @ http://testingtestingru.tumblr.com/
You can make comments in the ask section then I can post them if you want it to be made public (just let me know in the ask section if it’s a private or public response.) This can be a way for us to toss some ideas around on what is the best course of action in the fight for our rights.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 7:41 PM
Jeremy Lin’s comments (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/02/espn-fires-lin-appropriate-employee-suspends-anchor-jeremy-lin-new-york-knicks-espn-radio-espnews/1#.T0GIMvGPVQ0):
“I don’t think it was on purpose or whatever, but (at) the same time they have apologized. And so from my end I don’t care anymore,” Lin said after leading the Knicks to a 104-97 win over Dallas on Sunday. “Have to learn to forgive, and I don’t even think that was intentional. Or hopefully not.”
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 11:30 PM
Thanks, Ace.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 11:48 PM
Sorry to break it to you, Zeigler, but having been a long-time visitor on OutSports, it’s a trend that I see with your posts – dismissive of minorities’ concerns, while tougher on minorities who commit homophobic actions than white guys who do the same thing.
on Feb 20th, 2012 at 1:38 AM
Can someone just ban Joetx already? This is a site that could do away with trolls.
It’s a unique site run only by two dedicated founders, and with the amount of arguing I constantly see from Zeigler with obvious trolls it’d really be a shame to lose one of the founders to frustration.
This is a labor of love, people. Don’t let it be ruined for everybody else.
on Feb 20th, 2012 at 11:11 AM
The comments have really gone off-topic and become about Cyd.
I would love to hear people’s thoughts about the phrase used. I am a stand-up comedian, and a rice queen and have used the phrase “chink in the armor”. It never even occurred to me that this could be racist in any way. Its too bad because it can be an appropriate phrase.
With that said, I was with a group of people when someone brought this up. A gentlemen about 65 said I’m too young to understand that this is a racist phrase (the origin) so there must be some kind of racist phrase associated with it.
on Feb 20th, 2012 at 4:22 PM
@ Lucrece – I made an observation on Zeigler’s history of posts. You can disagree & debate, but to call me names & call for my banning says a lot about your abilities as to the latter.
on Feb 21st, 2012 at 2:43 PM
@ Rich – the phrase “chink in the armor” is not racist in & of itself–chink is an old word meaning “narrow opening or crack.” But the word “chink” has also been used as a slur against Chinese people. The person who wrote that headline was making a pun with a racial slur. There is NO WAY that could have been unintentional
.
It would be kind of like using the word “niggardly” in an article about Serena Williams–absolutely racist and unacceptable. I don’t see how anyone could argue otherwise.
on Feb 23rd, 2012 at 10:40 PM
Did ESPN overreact?
NY Daily News: Jeremy Lin headline slur was ‘honest mistake,’ fired ESPN editor Anthony Federico claims
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/jeremy-lin-slur-honest-mistake-fired-espn-editor-anthony-federico-claims-article-1.1025566#ixzz1nGNQfg4j