1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Jemele apologizes

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by hondo, Jun 17, 2008.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. cougargirl

    cougargirl Active Member

    Waylon, either you forgot the blue font or have contributed to one of the two most idiotic statements I have ever seen on this board ...

    Race is a very important yet very delicate issue in our society and while I wish people could speak more frankly about it, the only way to get a point across is to do it in an intelligent, structured manner. Not in judgmental, ignorant blather that ends up seriously offending people.

    That said, the Hitler comment in the column got me because of the decision to characterize the ungodly phenomenon Hitler represented - an brutal, evil and state-sponsored regime that killed six million Jews and targeted people because of their skin, their sexual preference and their religious preference - in such a cavalier, almost flippant manner.

    There is free speech, and then there is good judgment. Calling Hitler a "victim" is tasteless.
     
  2. forever_town

    forever_town Well-Known Member

    I understand your point, but hasn't that ALWAYS been true of copy editors? Even before the days of BLOGS!!! or the Interwebs or even -- GASP! -- the computer?

    The copy editor is the most thankless full-time job in newspapers IMO.
     
  3. Mediator

    Mediator Member

    However, I always appreciate a good Pol Pot comparison when talking about, say, lacrosse.
     
  4. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    Let's apply the same reasoning to Simmons' Boston fratboy blatherings.
     
  5. Simon_Cowbell

    Simon_Cowbell Active Member

    Well, Hitler probably was a victim of severe mental illness.
     
  6. TheMethod

    TheMethod Member

    I think there are certain things that it is good for media outlets to have, among them:

    Good writers
    Relentless reporters
    Insightful columnists
    Diverse voices

    ESPN should have all of those things, and does. I'm not sure one is more valuable than another, except that I would put a premium on reporting. A white man of equal ability would not have been given the job Jemele has. Of course he wouldn't. And it's too bad for that white man of equal ability, I guess. It's just that he's not qualified to have an African-American voice, because he's European-American. Just as Jemele Hill is not qualified to do Wright Thompson's job, because she can't write her name. It's that simple. I don't know if that's fair or not.

    The shame is that Jemele Hill is a terrible columnist. And I find it surprising that she is the best ESPN could come up with to fill whatever need it perceived it had. Then again, in all my travels, I've only met two other black women who were sportswriters, so the pool from which to choose may actually be quite small.
     
  7. mustangj17

    mustangj17 Active Member

    Anyone I know who has worked with Jemelle has said tremendous things about her work ethic. So I find it hard to believe she would be hired because of her skin color.
     
  8. WriteThinking

    WriteThinking Well-Known Member

    I think there is something to this.

    ESPN writers, by and large, are the sort of "name" writers/columnists who are unlikely to be edited very much, if at all, just because of who they are.

    I'd bet that is how the original, unedited version ended up posted for hours. I like how ESPN minimized that to the Boston Herald's Jessica Heslam by saying the column was changed within hours, as if that made it OK, and as if that's not eternity when it comes to the worldwide web.

    The problem with Hill's column really was that it was exactly ESPN's style, in many ways. And, as such, it went unrecognized by others for its juvenile tone, trite subject matter and the load of hyperbole and exaggeration that it was.

    This is an example of a sports person who needed to be careful of using inappropriate historical words or references just for effect or emphasis when they don't otherwise fit the context.

    It's the same problem newspapers ran into and began cautioning writers about when they developed rules in the wake of 9/11 regarding references to Ground Zero, or saying something in sports was like going to war, or using quotes to the effect of, "It's war," or going overboard in designating someone a hero.

    But then, those who forget history are doomed to repeat it...
     
  9. Mediator

    Mediator Member

    Agreed Mustang. I've heard the same things from ESPN bosses. I've heard her speak and, despite youth and relative inexperience, she is very level-headed and aware of her ummm.... unique place in the business. She made a horrid analogy here, but she's generally provocative, and the greatest sin she could commit in the eyes of ESPN would be to be boring.

    Look at the ESPN roster of columnists if you get a chance. Now look at Yahoo, NBC Sports, CBS Sportsline... Hard to argue a minority's path is paved with gold.

    I'm glad someone up there doesn't fit the mold, even if she's not perfect. And hopefully she grows from this.
     
  10. shockey

    shockey Active Member

    this might be the most naive post in the history of naive posts. :eek: :eek: :eek:
     
  11. JayFarrar

    JayFarrar Well-Known Member

    Here's my question, why should she?
    Honest question.
    She's already got what most people consider the most plum gig in sportswriting — a full-time column for ESPN and on-air appearances.
    What's next after that?
    If improvement is the first step to promotion, she's got not reason for improvement because she can't really be promoted.
    And again, if you don't like reading her, then why are you reading her?
     
  12. hondo

    hondo Well-Known Member

    I work very, very hard on my golf game. Doesn't mean the Tour should give me an exemption to the Travelers this week.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page