Spring Break
Examining offenses
Issue date: 10/26/07 Section: Forum
We've spent a week talking about it, and it's created quite a stir on campus. The editorial board of The Daily Barometer felt that the matter required more than just simply running the column submitted by staff columnist Renée Roman Nose.
A few weeks ago, we ran a news story that included a graphic of a college-aged male wearing all black. He was also wearing black face paint. This graphic was designed in the name of school spirit, but it didn't come off that way to some members of our campus community.
It came off as offensive. It could be seen as a throwback to minstrel-era comedians mocking African heritage.
We explain this not in ignorance, but in order to pose a question.
More than a week after this story ran in The Daily Barometer, Roman Nose submitted a column explaining and apologizing for the misdeed that the staff of the Barometer had perpetrated.
In literal shock and dismay that we hadn't heard about this issue before our columnist submitted something she intended to have printed, we chose - as an editorial board - to hold her column until further notice.
Holding Roman Nose's column was not a decision made to silence the voices of those offended. It was not a decision made to hide the something we did wrong.
It was a decision made so that we could appropriately and accurately respond to the campus community - with the opinions of Barometer staff members, community members and especially the opinions and understanding given to us by Renée Roman Nose.
We apologize to the members of our community whom we might have offended. A graphic of an OSU student wearing black face paint was not intended to be negative in any way. It was intended to represent the spirit of a newsworthy event being covered by the Barometer.
For our staff, a reference to minstrel-era blackface was honestly never considered.
Members of the community have asked how it is possible that we could have completely missed the boat on how that was offensive.
A few weeks ago, we ran a news story that included a graphic of a college-aged male wearing all black. He was also wearing black face paint. This graphic was designed in the name of school spirit, but it didn't come off that way to some members of our campus community.
It came off as offensive. It could be seen as a throwback to minstrel-era comedians mocking African heritage.
We explain this not in ignorance, but in order to pose a question.
More than a week after this story ran in The Daily Barometer, Roman Nose submitted a column explaining and apologizing for the misdeed that the staff of the Barometer had perpetrated.
In literal shock and dismay that we hadn't heard about this issue before our columnist submitted something she intended to have printed, we chose - as an editorial board - to hold her column until further notice.
Holding Roman Nose's column was not a decision made to silence the voices of those offended. It was not a decision made to hide the something we did wrong.
It was a decision made so that we could appropriately and accurately respond to the campus community - with the opinions of Barometer staff members, community members and especially the opinions and understanding given to us by Renée Roman Nose.
We apologize to the members of our community whom we might have offended. A graphic of an OSU student wearing black face paint was not intended to be negative in any way. It was intended to represent the spirit of a newsworthy event being covered by the Barometer.
For our staff, a reference to minstrel-era blackface was honestly never considered.
Members of the community have asked how it is possible that we could have completely missed the boat on how that was offensive.
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