I thought Desisa won. Anyway, this is more about lazy journalism and general ignorance of distance running. If your intent is to see racism in everything, that's on you.
I thought Desisa won. Anyway, this is more about lazy journalism and general ignorance of distance running. If your intent is to see racism in everything, that's on you.
The headline isn't racist. However those calling it out as racist are in fact being racist.
Why? Because if the winner had come from Poland say, there'd be no question of racism, and the same headline would stand against the visual. Yeah, you can call into question the journalist decision to leave the winner's name out of the headline but that doesn't make it racist.
However given the headline was clearly written to emphasize the visual even further, I'd say you're being racist in questioning this. You're literally saying that a black person can't just be described as "Winner" in the headline because they're black!! Surely you can see the racism in that?
Not disrespectful or racist. Solidify and strengthen your so very brittle eyes and ears that get offended too easily.
Trying to Explain wrote:
They choose to emphasize the fact that she was so far ahead that no on else was in the picture. It's a legitimate journalistic decision and it's certainly not racist.
You are totally sidestepping the fact that they refused to leave out her NAME.
Totally dehumanizing.
Even when Secretariat won races nobody wrote “Horse Wins by Four Lengths.”
Get it?
Let me explain to you wrote:
Trying to Explain wrote:
They choose to emphasize the fact that she was so far ahead that no on else was in the picture. It's a legitimate journalistic decision and it's certainly not racist.
You are totally sidestepping the fact that they refused to leave out her NAME.
Totally dehumanizing.
Even when Secretariat won races nobody wrote “Horse Wins by Four Lengths.”
Get it?
Fix: “...they refused to *use* her name.”
Let me explain to you wrote:
Trying to Explain wrote:
They choose to emphasize the fact that she was so far ahead that no on else was in the picture. It's a legitimate journalistic decision and it's certainly not racist.
You are totally sidestepping the fact that they refused to leave out her NAME.
Totally dehumanizing.
Even when Secretariat won races nobody wrote “Horse Wins by Four Lengths.”
Get it?
"dehumanizing" LMAO you people should chill.
George213 wrote:
Let me explain to you wrote:
You are totally sidestepping the fact that they refused to leave out her NAME.
Totally dehumanizing.
Even when Secretariat won races nobody wrote “Horse Wins by Four Lengths.”
Get it?
"dehumanizing" LMAO you people should chill.
+1 making something out of nothing.
rojo wrote:
fwekm wrote:
This is not a "hook". And there are different "levels" of racism. No one is saying this is the same as if they wrote "Some random African won again; who cares?" I'm sure it was an accident, and I'm sure the person who did this is a good person.
But it's also more clear racism than most of what people call racist. They automatically discounted her as a person because she's African, and paired the headline with an emotionless photo because that's their natural reaction whenever an African wins a race
Nice post. I only asked because as a while male I'm used to the media, particularly outfits like the NY Times, calling everything racist. So I thought it very ironic that they'd discount the performance of a leading woman from a male dominated country.
I'm not sure it's really intentionally racist. I mean they'd love to herald a win by say Lopez Lomong.
It is neither intentionally nor unintentionally racist. They didn't discount the performance either. Far from it. if anything they're trying to emphasize how the said runner dominated the scene.
silly thread wrote:
George213 wrote:
"dehumanizing" LMAO you people should chill.
+1 making something out of nothing.
Exactly the reason why political correctness is all the rage nowadays.
Bleeding heart lib here and I think this thread is absurd. Probably 1st rule in Journalism 101 is to consider your audience. And less than 1% of NY times readers know who Mary Keitany is. Move along, nothing to see here.
Lets wrote:
Lets make keitany a household name
She's a household name around the world.
Just not in the USA because of headlines like this.
The ignorant American sports writers are so xenophobic.
Isn't this the site where everyone was cool with Amsterdam not even showing the women's race?
runn wrote:
Lets wrote:
Lets make keitany a household name
She's a household name around the world.
Ding ding, joke of the day!
fwekm wrote:
girl watcher wrote:
I agree with the Bama runner (I'm one too or WAS).
A lot of people are quick to make racism accusations. I'm so sick of that sh*t.
But the hallowed New York Times have lived up to their reputation. Recall this is the same outfit whose touted reporter Walter Duranty won a Pulitzer for acclaiming Stalin while he was starving millions to death. Just take anything from the NY Times (and Washington Post for that matter) with a grain of salt and let the church roll on.
I have noticed that a lot of news websites will often not name the celebrity or athlete in a headline as a "hook" to get you to click on a link. No excuses if this was a hard copy newspaper though.
The ladies all deserve respect.
This is not a "hook". And there are different "levels" of racism. No one is saying this is the same as if they wrote "Some random African won again; who cares?" I'm sure it was an accident, and I'm sure the person who did this is a good person.
But it's also more clear racism than most of what people call racist. They automatically discounted her as a person because she's African, and paired the headline with an emotionless photo because that's their natural reaction whenever an African wins a race
+100
How now Amsterdam cow? wrote:
Isn't this the site where everyone was cool with Amsterdam not even showing the women's race?
LOL, true dat!
efdsnjk wrote:
It's 100% racism. Not the overt, terrible-person kind, but the more pernicious subconscious racism. The same headline of course wouldn't have been written had Keitany been American, but it also wouldn't have been written if she were from an "English-speaking" country, or from Europe, or from Mexico and maybe South America. They would only do this to an African or Asian because the editors don't naturally think of her as a baddass amazing and talented runner who has trained hard and is a real person--they think of her as a random African running machine.
Rojo is totally right--and I will say despite his sometimes cringy remarks, LetsRun is the most important force against racism in our sport.
NoPE wrote:
Me neither. I've seen headlines like that before as well. Racism? This country has gone over the top with that word, it really has.
fwekm wrote:
This is not a "hook". And there are different "levels" of racism. No one is saying this is the same as if they wrote "Some random African won again; who cares?" I'm sure it was an accident, and I'm sure the person who did this is a good person.
I totally agree America has gone over the top with the word "racist" today and I think Robert would probably say the same and that might be one reason he even started this thread. I don't like the climate in America today, where especially in politics, someone just throws out the charge of "racist" and its supposed to end all debate.
We can have subtle, unconscious biases that are racist that don't make us terrible people. But if the term is just thrown about as a slur or towards people you disagree with, we can't really get to combating our hidden prejudices. Obviously there is a world of difference between some Nazi skinhead and the writer of this headline (if you think it is subtly racist).
I've often thought or wondered if how "the African" runners are covered in the sport is subtly racist. We at LetsRun.com have tried to not be apart of this problem, but I'm sure some sociologist could pick apart some of our coverage and say it's racist or sexist. We definitely favor Americans.
But if it was Paula Radcliffe winning her 4th NYC Marathon and dominating like that, I say no way in hell does it say "Winner". Now you could argue, Paula speaks better English, has more of a fan base, etc so that's the reason the headline would be different and not her race, but people are free to disagree.
And the headline has not been changed, the headline in the tweet was only for the print photo. The actual Times article said Keitany.
Times front page:
http://www.letsrun.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IMG_20181105_151207708_HDR.jpgTimes Marathon section photo:
http://www.letsrun.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IMG_20181105_151226705_HDR-e1541521032955.jpgKeitany headline in Times:
http://www.letsrun.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IMG_20181105_151328809_HDR.jpgTimes article on Desisa:
http://www.letsrun.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IMG_20181105_151341250_HDR.jpgNY Post coverage (nothing on cover).
1st article was this:
http://www.letsrun.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IMG_20181105_150727486_HDR-e1541520772363.jpgSports article was actual from AP but at least their photo acknowledged Keitany was a 4 time winner and not a nameless winner:
http://www.letsrun.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IMG_20181105_150931997_HDR-e1541520670175.jpgNY Daily News:
http://www.letsrun.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IMG_20181105_150816206_HDR.jpgBib #1 wrote:
I really don’t have a problem with it. Keitany has < 1% (or thereabouts, you get the picture) name recognition among the general population, so if they had said Keitany instead of winner, no one would know what they were talking about, as opposed the the winner having outclassed everyone else
And it’s not just an American thing either. I rode a cab in Toronto once a few years ago with an Ethiopian driver who had no idea who kenenisa Bekele is
An important precursor to name recognition for an athlete hinges on their name actually being mentioned prominantly in media concerning their exceptional exploits .
It was certainly not the headline Mary deserved.
It certainly reflected the editor's attitude towards the sport of running (i.e., there's no such thing as a running star).
It MAY have reflected the editor's feeling that Mary is just another Kenyan. Though, even if it did, such an attitude wouldn't NECESSARILY be grounded in racism. One could have the same attitude towards Russian chess prodigies or Brazilian soccer players or Iranian Taekwondo fighters, and it wouldn't have to be about race.
Anyway, it's a shame. Especially because the article by Crouse was fantastic, and that's obviously not the headline she would've written herself.
Bib #1 wrote:
I really don’t have a problem with it. Keitany has < 1% (or thereabouts, you get the picture) name recognition among the general population, so if they had said Keitany instead of winner, no one would know what they were talking about, as opposed the the winner having outclassed everyone else
And it’s not just an American thing either. I rode a cab in Toronto once a few years ago with an Ethiopian driver who had no idea who kenenisa Bekele is
Headlines do not presume you already know the people they're talking about. If the headline had said "Keitany" instead of "winner," it would have been perfectly clear who she was--the person who won New York. Nobody would have been confused in the least.
As a result of the headline, however, more people will be talking at their metaphorical water coolers this week about "the winner" or "that woman" who crushed the field. But for that headline, at least some of them would have been saying "Keitany."
If an American were to win a race in Kenya, what would the headline read? It would probably be something along the lines of Kenyans go home DEVASTATED after losing to white devil.
