Golfweek magazine puts noose on cover (1 Viewer)

st dude

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Most know about Kelly Tilghman's unfortunate comments that the best way for the golfers to ever beat Tiger Woods is to lynch him in a back alley. She apologized. She has no history of such comments. She has been a Tiger Woods fan on the golf channel for many years. Tiger accepted her apology. The golf channel suspended her for two weeks. The consensus of opinion for most folks has been she really should have known better and that her remarks were offensive, although probably not intended in that way.

So golfweek comes out with this cover story:

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Now people are canceling subscriptions. The editor tried to defend himself yesterday.

http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2008/01/17/1235867-golfweek-noose-elicits-strong-reaction

Today he was let go.

http://sports.excite.com/news/01182008/v6105.html


My take: The guy was sensationalizing a story that had run its course. Tilghman made a mistake. She apologized. Woods accepted. She got suspended. The story was fair game for the magazine, but putting the noose on its cover was inflammatory. The editor was trying to boost sales and it backfired. He might sell more of this edition, but Golfweek will lose a bunch of subscriptions in the long run.
 
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Ah! The price you pay to sell subscriptions. Sensationalizing is the media's bread and butter, but sometimes it has a most negative affect.
 
I just saw a headline on wwltv.com where the editor has been fired by Golfweek magazine.
 
not sure what the article or position was on this issue - granted it would have been better to let it pass - but to limit discussions on these issues to "that person should be fired" in the country of free press is troubling.
 
not sure what the article or position was on this issue - granted it would have been better to let it pass - but to limit discussions on these issues to "that person should be fired" in the country of free press is troubling.

Looks like money trumps free speech.
 
not sure what the article or position was on this issue - granted it would have been better to let it pass - but to limit discussions on these issues to "that person should be fired" in the country of free press is troubling.


I don't remotely believe from what I have read the editor got fired for the story. I agree and assume most would agree the story was newsworthy. I think there can be fair debate as to whether Tilghman's suspension was too little, too much, or just right for what she did.

What got the editor released from his job was approving the magazine cover with the noose on it. Many people were offended and thought it was inflammatory. The noose was sensationalizing an issue to sell mags.

I am in the group that thinks its in very poor taste. Thats what I thought the editor got fired for, poor taste, not to limit discussion. To take it to an extreme, he might have put a real picture from an old lynching and then said he was only trying to start a discussion.

Golfweek is in the business of selling magazines and selling ads for their magazine. I can see why the owner decide to let the editor go. The editor made a decision that really hurt the magazine. Sponsors and subscribers werent reacting to the story, I assume all golf mags covered it. It was the cover that was in poor taste.

Tilghman made an off the cuff remark she had no time to think about which was in poor taste. The editor of golfweek actaully thought this thing through. I think he wanted to do something controversial to get attention. In that, he suceeded.
 
I don't remotely believe from what I have read the editor got fired for the story. I agree and assume most would agree the story was newsworthy. I think there can be fair debate as to whether Tilghman's suspension was too little, too much, or just right for what she did.

What got the editor released from his job was approving the magazine cover with the noose on it. Many people were offended and thought it was inflammatory. The noose was sensationalizing an issue to sell mags.

I am in the group that thinks its in very poor taste. Thats what I thought the editor got fired for, poor taste, not to limit discussion. To take it to an extreme, he might have put a real picture from an old lynching and then said he was only trying to start a discussion.

Golfweek is in the business of selling magazines and selling ads for their magazine. I can see why the owner decide to let the editor go. The editor made a decision that really hurt the magazine. Sponsors and subscribers werent reacting to the story, I assume all golf mags covered it. It was the cover that was in poor taste.

Tilghman made an off the cuff remark she had no time to think about which was in poor taste. The editor of golfweek actaully thought this thing through. I think he wanted to do something controversial to get attention. In that, he suceeded.

so if the story would have been in the mag but had another pic on the cover it would have been a non-issue? - that makes it even worse. this is probably the biggest story in golf in years and for someone to be fired because they wrote an article on the story is ridiculous, for a magazine to approve the story but fire the editor over the picture used to promote the story is more absurd.

im sure many think its in poor taste, im sure many thought the whole issue made from Kelly' comments was ridiculous, im sure some thought the topic was worth writing about and others think it warrants further discussion.

and there are others who think the calling for and loss of jobs of those making off the cuff remarks that some, not all see as offensive is going way overboard and to have public figures go national with these requests is also offensive as far more important issues remain a constant, without a call of alarm by those claiming to be protecting of a people because the true facts\causes of those issues would require a long hard look in the mirror.

could be when its all said and done sports commentators are not members of the "press", sports related material written\spoken is not journalism. - their work is just filler between commercial ads in publications, so dont cover any topics of importance as it may cost you a paycheck - but then if that the case why is everyone becoming so upset by what they say?

IMO its about picking and choosing your battles, its east to pick an non-issue or issue of lesser importance, but there comes a time when you have to fight the hard fight.
 
Although as a consolation prize, the editor does get a nomination in the 2008 class of the Really Bad Judgment Hall of Fame.
 
so if the story would have been in the mag but had another pic on the cover it would have been a non-issue? - that makes it even worse. this is probably the biggest story in golf in years and for someone to be fired because they wrote an article on the story is ridiculous, for a magazine to approve the story but fire the editor over the picture used to promote the story is more absurd.

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I couldnt agree less. But its fair debate and I understand what you are saying.

I do think it would have been a non issue had he not put the noose on the cover. That image is what created the problem.

Taste is in the mouth of the beholder. I can see how some might see the image as appropriately provocative to the issue. Most people I believe, like me, found it in poor taste. I think if we ran a poll on the forum most would see it that way.

The editor's job is to make his magazine profitable. Thats what pays the salaries for all the many people who work on the magazine. They depend on him as does the owners of the publishing company.

This is Golfweek, not some heavy duty news magazine. The editor tried to sensationalize the story and it backfired. It appears it will cost them subscribers and maybe advertisers. I can see why the people who own and run the mag were upset. Their magazine caters to people who like to read golf tips, check out golf resorts and see articles on golf equipment.

I also dont agree this is the biggest story in golf in years. Its a little story to me. A commentator for the golf channel mis spoke. Tiger winning majors, the ryder cup, these are big stories.

Let me finish by asking you this. What if the editor put up a picture of an actually lynching of a black man. Still okay? Or does it reach a point where its in poor taste?
 
I couldnt agree less. But its fair debate and I understand what you are saying.

I do think it would have been a non issue had he not put the noose on the cover. That image is what created the problem.

Taste is in the mouth of the beholder. I can see how some might see the image as appropriately provocative to the issue. Most people I believe, like me, found it in poor taste. I think if we ran a poll on the forum most would see it that way.

The editor's job is to make his magazine profitable. Thats what pays the salaries for all the many people who work on the magazine. They depend on him as does the owners of the publishing company.

This is Golfweek, not some heavy duty news magazine. The editor tried to sensationalize the story and it backfired. It appears it will cost them subscribers and maybe advertisers. I can see why the people who own and run the mag were upset. Their magazine caters to people who like to read golf tips, check out golf resorts and see articles on golf equipment.

I also dont agree this is the biggest story in golf in years. Its a little story to me. A commentator for the golf channel mis spoke. Tiger winning majors, the ryder cup, these are big stories.

Let me finish by asking you this. What if the editor put up a picture of an actually lynching of a black man. Still okay? Or does it reach a point where its in poor taste?

well there is a point that you go too far, so no a picture of a black man being lynched would be too far, much in the same way as some took the word lynch as an attack on Tiger who's part black to be an attack on him because he is part black and not the way it was used to illustrate the fact that for the most part he is unbeatable by todays golfers - but that point has been discussed.

to discuss usage of the word Lynch, a noose is a good graphical illustration, not real sure if there is another graphic that you can use, other than someone in the nose, but that is not needed to make the point in this case, if there is i cant think of one - its purpose was to draw attention to the story inside - i didnt read the story but its another persons opinion on the subject, though it seems only a select group of people are able to have a public opinion on this topic, and they dont work for golf weekly it seems.

now if the publisher of the magazine doesnt want his mag to cover such topics, if this topic specifically is distasteful to him or just an opinion other than generic golf critiques that he wants his publication to be know for then they have the right to fire the editor or anyone else he employs, im all behind that - i just think its a shame that its done under pressure of others be they activist or a golf club manufacturer who wants to sell a new club.

- your question speaks to my KEY point, none of this is really that big of an issue when you consider other things going on in this country - those who scream the loudest about such issues see them as "the end of the world" and ignore the huge issues because they dont want to face the reality of those issues IMO have zero credibility and no one should have paid any attention to their "outrage" if this is what they see as problems within this society. - it seems these types of issues create such an uproar to some because they have someone to blame that doesnt resemble the issue. then pat themselves on the back thinking they are improving society and being completely unaware how they cheapen the over all issue(s)
 
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