News networks condemn remarks by Don Imus as “racist” and “deplorable”

By David Carr
The N. Y. Times
(April 7, 2007) On Wednesday morning, Don Imus called the students who play for the Rutgers University women’s basketball team a bunch of “nappy-headed ho’s.”

Even for Mr. Imus, a nationally syndicated radio host who knows his way around an insult, it was a shocking remark, one that seemed to impugn both the physical and moral characteristics of a team composed mostly of black players.

What followed was a familiar dance for Mr. Imus and the media companies that profit from his ability to shock his way to big audiences: outrage, indignation and, eventually, the expression of deep regret.

And so on Thursday, Mr. Imus wondered aloud on his show what the big deal was, saying people should not be offended by “some idiot comment meant to be amusing.”

But as often occurs in a modern media drama, Mr. Imus’s remarks were picked up on the Web, in this case by the Media Matters for America site (mediamatters.org). And by Friday, both his radio and television outlets were getting out 10-foot poles.

MSNBC, which simulcasts Mr. Imus’s show on cable television, issued an apology, noting that the program is not a production of the network; NBC, its parent company, called the comments “deplorable.”

CBS Radio, which syndicates the radio show, was sorry as well: “We are disappointed by Imus’s actions earlier this week which we find completely inappropriate,” the company said in a statement. “We fully agree that a sincere apology was called for and will continue to monitor the program’s content going forward.”

For his part, Mr. Imus appeared doubly sorry: for a time on Friday, the printed version of his apology, made on Friday morning’s show — he termed his remarks “thoughtless and stupid” — appeared twice on his home page at msnbc.com.

Mr. Imus is one of the most popular radio hosts in the country, with millions of daily listeners on more than 70 stations around the country. The television simulcast of his show on MSNBC is surging in the ratings — “Imus in the Morning,” which the network simulcasts with the New York radio station WFAN, gained 100,000 viewers in the last year, for an average daily total of 358,000, according to Nielsen estimates.

But even with Mr. Imus’s success, his comments gave NBC executives pause. “We take this matter very seriously,” said Allison Gollust, senior vice president for news communications at NBC. “We find the comments to be deplorable, and we are continuing to review the situation.”

This is hardly the first time Mr. Imus has made racially insensitive remarks during a broadcast. In a 1997 interview with “60 Minutes,” he said he chose one white staffer to tell racial jokes on his show. He once referred to the PBS anchor Gwen Ifill as “a cleaning lady.” And in 2001 he took a pledge, guided by the Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page, to refrain from making further racist comments on his program.

Mr. Imus’s defenders say that he is actually an equal-opportunity offender: Jews, gays and Roman Catholics are also his frequent targets. Yesterday’s show, on Good Friday, included a song couplet that managed to rhyme the words “resurrection” and “erection.”

Mr. Imus made his on-air apology yesterday morning amid the topical humor.

“Want to take a moment to apologize for an insensitive and ill- conceived remark we made the other morning regarding the Rutgers women’s basketball team,” Mr. Imus said. “It was completely inappropriate, and we can understand why people were offended. Our characterization was thoughtless and stupid, and we are sorry.”

Yesterday’s show also included an interview with Tim Russert, the host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” one of a great number of political and media heavyweights who appear regularly on “Imus in the Morning.” (The NBC spokeswoman said the statement expressing regret about the remarks reflected Mr. Russert’s feelings about the matter as well.)

Both Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, Democrat of Connecticut, and Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, recently appeared on the show, and media figures including Frank Rich of The New York Times and Chris Matthews of MSNBC have also spent time with Mr. Imus. Senator Barack Obama, Democrat of Illinois, appeared on the show some time ago to promote his book “The Audacity of Hope.”

Richard Prince, a columnist who writes a blog called Journal-isms about media and diversity, said that Mr. Imus was inoculated to some degree by his powerful relationships.

“One of the most offensive things about the whole episode is not just MSNBC playing ball with Imus,” Mr. Prince said. “Not only is the network supporting this kind of program, but think of all the prominent journalists and politicians who are also enabling him and these kinds of comments.”

Mr. Imus’s radio show is idiosyncratic in tone, ranging from thoughtful discussions of politics to the kind of coarse talk that would turn heads in a locker room.

“That’s some rough girls from Rutgers,” Mr. Imus said on Wednesday. “Man, they got tattoos ...” The program’s executive producer, Bernard McGuirk, agreed: “Some hardcore ho’s,” he said. Imus continued, “That’s some nappy-headed ho’s there, I’m going to tell you that.”

Later in the show, Mr. McGuirk characterized the women’s collegiate basketball championship Tuesday night, between Rutgers and the University of Tennessee, as “the Jigaboos versus the Wannabes.”

In a joint statement, Myles Brand, the president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and Richard L. McCormick, the president of Rutgers, said Mr. Imus’s attempt at humor represented an assault on human dignity. “The N.C.A.A. and Rutgers University are offended by the insults on MSNBC’s Don Imus program toward the 10 young women on the Rutgers basketball team,” they said. “It is unconscionable that anyone would use the airways to utter such disregard for the dignity of human beings who have accomplished much and deserve great credit. It is appropriate that Mr. Imus and MSNBC have apologized.”

But for Bryan Monroe, the president of the National Association of Black Journalists and the editor of Ebony and Jet magazines, Mr. Imus’s apology was not enough and called on journalists to boycott the show. “It was stunning, insulting and unbelievable that he went there,” Mr. Monroe said. “But his apology was too little, too late. No matter how contrite, his words hurt so many so deeply that after 40 years in the radio business, it is time for him to go.”

For the time being, though, the apology seemed to be sufficient.

_________________

Don Imus and Bryant Monroe, president of the National Association of Black Journalist, are scheduled to appear on the Rev. Al Sharpton's radio show at 1p.m. eastern. It can heard at www.SharptonTalk.net
_________________

Click here to e-mail a comment to MSNBC TV.
Click here to send a comment to CBS Radio

Go to Target Market News homepage

 

 13th Edition Now Available 
New Buying Power report shows more spending by black consumers on 'necessities'

Thanks to economic gains in the past two years, black households across the U.S., especially middle-class families, are increasing their purchases of lifestyle and leisure items.

According to the newest edition of “The Buying Power of Black America,” there are indications that black households are feeling more confident about making purchases that...
Story continued...
________________________

The African-American
Book Publishing Authority

Now in its eighth year of publication, Black Issues Book Review is the only nationally distributed magazine devoted exclusively to covering the latest news and reviews on black books. BIBR also provides up-to-date news on forthcoming author signings, book fairs and book clubs.
Want this issue? Get it with your new subscription.
Click Here

A TARGET MARKET NEWS PUBLICATION
_________________________



Click here to read more

________________________

  SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 


The trade publication for
in-depth coverage of Black
Consumer Marketing
and Media news