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Imus firing shows selective memory

Nerissa Young, member, SPJ Ethics Committee Assistant professor, Shepherd University

Is Don Imus a journalist? If he’s not, nothing about ethical journalism applies to his firing by CBS. If, however, he has a role in the larger media entity that requires him to act responsibly, then perhaps he is. At least that’s the stance CBS appeared to take in firing him for his on-air derogatory comment about the Rutgers women’s basketball team.

People have a right to be stupid and to say stupid things. That’s why the First Amendment is important. While his comments weren’t nice, they didn’t violate any Federal Communications Commission regulations; they merely reflected his poor judgment.

Yet, the public outcry forced CBS to fire the shock jock. In an Associated Press report, the Rev. Al Sharpton said: “He says he wants to be forgiven. I hope he continues in that process. But we cannot afford a precedent established that the airways can commercialize and mainstream sexism and racism.”

Excuse me, but what has hip hop and rap music done? Where’s the collective outcry against artists who make money doing the same thing Imus is accused of doing?

I’d like to think Imus’ firing represents a return to a more civilized discourse, but I suspect it doesn’t. It merely shows what happens to a white man who forgets his place.

It’s time for the news media to speak out against any discourse that shows disrespect to a group. Yes, the First Amendment still protects idiots, but the ethical thing to do is to report on all idiots.
Published Friday, April 13, 2007 2:22 AM by NerissaYoung

Comments

# re: Imus firing shows selective memory

Friday, April 13, 2007 4:57 PM by Veronica
But it seems that the media has selective memory too.

Everyone is crying "What about hip-hop?!" as if there has never been protests against hip-hop artists.

The fact is, there has been much protest against degrading rap music. The problem is, it's hardly covered by the media.

For example...

Reverend Calvin Butts held a demonstration a few years back when he had a pile of CDs steamrolled in New York.

Not long ago, Essence magazine began a boycott of artists who demean women in their lyrics.

Spelman College in Atlanta boycotted Nelly because of one of his more explicit music videos.

The former leader of the National Political Congress of Black Women, C. Delores Tucker, went to her grave battling rappers who wrote demeaning lyrics, taking her fight all the way to Capitol Hill.

And remember Queen Latifah's "U.N.I.T.Y.?," with the chorus demanding, "Who you calling a b*tch?!" She set the record straight in the song: "I ain't a b*tch or ho."

And yet many reporters and commentators -- many of whom aren't active listeners or consumers of hip-hop -- have used the Imus situation to try to call activists on the carpet for not going after it.

The fact is, people have been going after demeaning rap music for more than a decade. But the protest has gone largely unnoticed, largely because the media opted out of covering it. The battle has been going on for a long time, but it took the fall of a high-profile radio host to get the media to call troops in for boot camp.

# re: Imus firing shows selective memory

Saturday, April 14, 2007 2:58 AM by Andy Schotz
Actually, Butts and Tucker received a good deal of attention for their stances - especially Tucker. Queen Latifah's song was publicized well when it came out. I say that because I remember all three, even now.
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