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Is “Thug” the Same as the “N-Word”?

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Player’s Comments Prompt Debate Over “T-Word”

Ex-NBC Latino Writer Questions NBC’s Commitment

Twitter to Capitalize on Large User Base of People of Color

News Reports Tip Us to People to Avoid on the King Holiday

. . . Editor Apologizes for Photo of Black Woman as Chair

Asian Journalists Board Committed to a Unity Alliance

Transgender Snafu Said to Argue for More Diversity

Insult to Indians Escapes Outrage of Non-Native Journalists

Asian Americans Represent in Bay Area

Short Takes

Player’s Comments Prompt Debate Over “T-Word”

“Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman held a press conference Wednesday in which he addressed the backlash to his fiery post-game rant this week and the fact that so many people called him a thug,” Josh Feldman wrote Wednesday for Mediaite.

“In fact the word was dropped quite a lot this week, and Sherman said it’s ‘disappointing’ to hear so many people use the term. He even went so far as to say it’s a more socially acceptable way of calling someone a n*gger.

“Sherman’s comments drew out some real racism online, with people actually dropping the n-word to disparage him, but most people stuck to criticizing him as a ‘thug.’ Sherman already addressed that term in a column he wrote, but today he went one step further to fire back against that particular criticism.

” ‘It seems like it’s the accepted way of calling somebody the n-word nowadays. It’s like everybody else said the n-word and then they say “thug” and they’re like, “Oh, that’s fine.” ‘ “

On Deadspin, Greg Howard added Monday, “When you’re a public figure, there are rules. Here’s one: A public personality can be black, talented, or arrogant, but he can’t be any more than two of these traits at a time. It’s why antics and soundbites from guys like Brett Favre, Johnny Football and Bryce Harper seem almost hyper-American, capable of capturing the country’s imagination, but black superstars like Sherman, Floyd Mayweather, and Cam Newton are seen as polarizing, as selfish, as glory boys, as distasteful and perhaps offensive.”

Deadspin ran a chart showing that “on Monday, people said thug on TV more often than on any other day in the past three years” — 625 times.

Blogger Jeff Pearlman said the episode demonstrated another fact about television. Erin Andrews, the Fox sideline reporter who interviewed Sherman when made his remarks, was “a deer in headlights. She did not know what to do or what to say or how to respond. Someone in the control booth clearly told her to send things away from Sherman — and she did. In short, she wasn’t to be trusted with the situation, and Fox’s heads knew it. As much as America responded negatively to Sherman, he was also — after a must-see game — must-see television. Why was he so angry? How far did this go back? Did it stem from something? Would he confront Crabtree afterward? . . . ,”  a reference to  San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree, the target of his rant.

“Andrews, however, was not signed away from ESPN (by Fox) because she’s a high-caliber reporter, or because she possesses a unique view of the game, or incredible knowledge. She was hired away from ESPN (by Fox) because guys think she’s hot. . . .”

On TV One’s “News One Now,” hosted by Roland Martin, the Sherman episode led to an exchange between two African American commentators, Martin and Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page.

“The reactions to Sherman led to a discussion of the ways in which black men feel pressure to modulate their emotions,” Tommy Christopher reported for Mediate. “Early in the segment, Martin shared how he felt there was a double-standard at CNN, whereby viewers felt that Martin was ‘angry’ or ‘upset,’ but ‘I would look at the white guy sitting next to me, and he was “passionate” and “focused,” and things along those lines,’ and wondered ‘How does that then translate to who gets a show?’

“Page responded that ‘You can’t say that black folks aren’t making it in television,’ and added ‘Who can anticipate what the chemistry is that will make people tune in? You can be an Oprah, who’s very congenial and open and welcoming, or you can be a… I’m trying to think of a black equivalent to a Bill O’Reilly, but nobody’s really given him a chance.’

” ‘That’s my point!’ Martin exclaimed, adding ‘A white man gets to walk through, a white woman gets to… frankly, you can do you!’

“Later, Martin shared a tweet from a black viewer who tweeted ‘So-and-so was acting like an n-word,’ and Martin asked ‘Why is it that you couldn’t just disagree with him, but you had to go there?’

“Page responded ‘Maybe they really were acting like a n-word.’

” ‘Well, what the hell is that?’ Martin asked.

” ‘It’s like Chris Rock said, there’s black folks, and there’s you-know-who,’ Page answered.

“Martin pointed out that Rock later retired and disavowed the routine.

“ ‘White people shouldn’t do it, as we saw in one episode of The Office,’ Page said, ‘but there is a difference.’

” ‘But what is the difference?’ Roland asked. ‘What elevates someone (to) “Now, you’re acting like a n-word’? How do you even define what that is?’

” ‘The dude who broke into my car last week,’ Page offered.

” ‘How about he’s just simply a robber? Because if a white guy broke into your car, would he be the n-word?’ Roland asked.

” ‘Well, it depends,’ Page said, then said that black people have to ‘deal in the reality’ of a world where stereotypes exist.

“Martin asked ‘Do we deal in that reality, or do we make the focus to change that reality?’

“Page later said, of Sherman, ‘I don’t care how many degrees you’ve got, if you’re going to behave like a thug, you’re going to invite that kind of…’

” ‘How did he behave like a thug?’ Roland interrupted. ‘He didn’t cuss anybody out, he didn’t swing at anybody, I’ve seen baseball managers sling bases, throw coolers, go nuts, and you know what they say? That’s the game.’ . . . “

Ex-NBC Latino Writer Questions NBC’s Commitment

“Last Friday, they turned off the lights and let go of four of the seven staffers at NBC Latino, reassigning the others,” Adrian Carrasquillo wrote Tuesday for BuzzFeed. “The site, where I worked from 2011 until last year, was an ambitious, award-winning English-language news site aimed at the Hispanic community.

“Back on the fourth floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, our boss, Chris Peña, used to say: ‘We’ve succeeded when we can shut down the website.’ We’ve accomplished our mission, he meant, when identifying, covering, and advancing stories that impact the Latino community is a vibrant part of the company’s DNA. I don’t think anyone who follows mainstream media would say that’s close to being true today.

“Having Latino journalists in the newsroom is not some bullshit exercise on a diversity checklist, but an acknowledgement that the newsroom should reflect the country, the people you are writing about, the audience. It is, moreover, an obvious practical advantage: Every journalist brings his or her roots and experience to the job, and a newsroom can’t afford to be cut off culturally from a huge piece of American life in the 21st century. . . .”

The staffers let go apparently are Nina Terrero, entertainment editor; Kristina Puga, feature writer; Betty Cortina, consulting senior Web producer; and Peña, executive editor.

The site, now part of nbcnews.com, appears to have been static for the past few days. Kathy Kelly-Brown, spokeswoman for NBC Universal, did not respond to a request for comment.

Twitter to Capitalize on Large User Base of People of Color

“For most of its rather short life, Twitter Inc. . . . rarely mentioned that its user base is more racially diverse than U.S. Internet users as a whole. Now, as a newly minted public company needing to generate revenue, it is moving to capitalize on its demographics,” Yoree Koh reported Monday for the Wall Street Journal.

“As a newly minted public company, Twitter is constantly looking at new revenue streams. Its latest quest: Capitalize on demographics.

“In November, Twitter hired marketing veteran Nuria Santamaria to a new position as multicultural strategist, leading its effort to target black, Hispanic and Asian-American users.

“Together, those groups account for 41% of Twitter’s 54 million U.S. users, compared with 34% of the users of rival Facebook . . . and 33% of all U.S. Internet users, according to Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project.

“Ms. Santamaria says advertisers want to know more about racial and ethnic minorities on Twitter, from basic numbers to the languages in which they tweet. Last month, Twitter began showing ad agencies data from a coming report saying that Hispanics tweet more often than other users and activity among them rises when the conversation is about technology. . . .”

News Reports Tip Us to People to Avoid on the King Holiday

“Civil rights leaders are calling for the expulsion of members of the Arizona State University chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity who planned and participated in a Martin Luther King Jr.-themed party that mocked black people,” Saba Hamedy reported Tuesday for the Los Angeles Times.

“The fraternity suffered a public backlash Tuesday after photos were posted over the weekend of party attendees wearing stereotypical clothing, such as baggy basketball jerseys, bandannas and baseball caps worn backward, and drinking out of watermelon cups. Students used hashtags such as #blackoutformlk, #ihaveadream and #mlkparty to accompany their photos.

“In an email statement to the Los Angeles Times, ASU officials said the fraternity, which has been on disciplinary probation since 2012, had been officially suspended. . . .”

The Rev. Jarrett Maupin, an Arizona civil rights activist, told Journal-isms by telephone that the protest was held in front of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in downtown Phoenix because the university was moving more of its operations to that location.

In a King Day commentary, Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly said, ” ‘Talking Points’ believes that minority Americans do — do have a much tougher time succeeding in the marketplace generally speaking than affluent whites, for example. But it all comes down to something that is accessible in America: education and personal responsibility. Black Americans should understand that if they study and work hard they will likely succeed in this country. And that’s the message about race that all good and honest people should be promoting.”

Socialtimes.com, meanwhile, compiled “this year’s winners of the most inappropriate attempts at viral success” for the King holiday:

“USA Today Stars from all over the entertainment industry honored King and wished followers a happy MLK Day on Twitter. They included Justin Bieber, Jamie Foxx and Lenny Kravitz.

“CNN Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin reposted a quote from King’s famous ‘I Have A Dream’ speech — and took a swipe against President Barack Obama at the same time. ‘Mr. President, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and all who commit to ending any racial divide, no more playing the race card,’ she said in a Facebook post Monday.

“RT [television network] The United States Marine Corps was forced to apologize over the weekend after social media accounts administered by the Armed Forces branch published an off-color remark about King. Ahead of the federal holiday held each January in honor of King, the Marine Corps Special [Operations] Command sent a message early Friday over both Twitter and Facebook in which a gunman in full military garb is seen aiming his assault weapon out of an open window.

“KTLA The owner of a Michigan party space canceled a controversial twerking event after the promoter created flyers showing an altered image of King wearing a gold chain and flashing what appeared to be a gang sign. The event, dubbed the ‘Freedom 2 Twerk’ party was set to be held at Flint’s Social Network Event Center ahead of the MLK holiday.”

. . . Editor Apologizes for Photo of Black Woman as Chair

“For some reason that’s going to need a bit of explaining, someone designed a chair in the shape of a half-nude black woman,” Josh Feldman wrote Tuesday for Mediaite. “And when magazine editor Dasha Zhukova sat down for an interview with online fashion site Buro 24/7, she literally sat down on that very mannequin for a photo, which did not go over well online, especially on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

“Here’s the offending photo:

“That photo, of course, stirred an uproar, and Buro 24/7 quickly took the photo down and replaced it with a cropped version that did not show what Zhukova was sitting on. Miroslava Duma, the head of the site, apologized, saying ‘we are against racism or gender inequality or anything that infringes upon anyone’s rights.’ . . .”

Asian Journalists Board Committed to a Unity Alliance

The Asian American Journalists Association had 1,739 members in 2013, projects a net surplus for the year and its national board “remains committed to UNITY’s founding mission of supporting newsroom diversity, and firmly believes in the need for an alliance that strives for this,” National President Paul Cheung told members on Wednesday.

“2013 was a challenging year for the UNITY alliance partnership, with NAHJ’s decision to leave the alliance as well as a vacancy in the organization’s executive director position,” Cheung wrote, referring to the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. “During this past year, including at our December governing board meeting, AAJA continued to maintain our individual relationships with former alliance members NABJ and NAHJ, as well, of course, with UNITY,” using the acronym for the National Association of Black Journalists.

Cheung reported the membership numbers this way: “Full members: 907 / Gold Full: 174 / Platinum Full: 18 Associate: 141 / Gold Associate: 14; Students: 455 ; Others: 15 Retired / 6 Lifetime.”

Insult to Indians Escapes Outrage of Non-Native Journalists

When L. Brooks Patterson, county executive in Oakland County, Mich., said in this week’s New Yorker magazine, “You do not, do not, under any circumstances, stop in Detroit at a gas station! That’s just a call for a carjacking,” he followed it with, “I made a prediction a long time ago, and it’s come to pass. I said, ‘What we’re gonna do is turn Detroit into an Indian reservation, where we herd all the Indians into the city, build a fence around it, and then throw in the blankets and the corn.’ “

Writing Wednesday for the Indian Country Today Media Network, Simon Moya-Smith, an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, told of his reaction. “Jesus!, I thought. This man just called for the death of everyone in Detroit! Oh, God, please, I implored, let a single big-name news broadcaster catch this direct reference to germ warfare! But I knew all too well what was already being drafted. My fellow journos of the non-Native kind courted his two cents re: commerce and not his racist bellow.”

Moya-Smith continued, “I understand Patterson spat on the face of Detroit, and, rightfully, the nitwitted ninnyhammer should face the fire he flamed, but when someone references smallpox blankets (deliberate extermination), ‘herding’ Indians (Trail of Tears, anyone?) and then building a fence (Auschwitz? … Hello?), you don’t quote passersby about all of the activities of the science center, or how may restaurants they haven’t tried yet.

“But this is America, Jack – a red, white and blue monument to willful ignorance, to sweeping under rugs and to skeletons in closets. . . .”

Moya-Smith also wrote, “And that same spirit of resistance is why I became a journalist. There are far too few Native Americans in newsrooms. Seriously, folks, I see more African American coverage, Latino coverage and Asian coverage by newsrooms which have a larger demographic of African Americans, Latinos and Asians. Hearken! We need more Native American journalists at major networks, so when they, the captains of newsrooms, run down that revered Diversity List of theirs you can stand up and boom, ‘Your list needs some revision.’ . . .”

Asian Americans Represent in Bay Area

Short Takes

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