Several journalists from the Philadelphia Inquirer staged a walkout after the publication released a headline that mocked the Black Lives Matter movement.
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According to the New York Post, a letter signed by 44 “Journalists of Color at the Philadelphia Inquirer” stated that the group will be calling in sick after the publication published a headline comparing the destruction of buildings to the public’s outrage of police brutality. The headline titled “Buildings Matter, Too” was published online and in print on June 4.
“We’re tired of hasty apologies and silent corrections when someone screws up. We’re tired of workshops and worksheets and diversity panels. We’re tired of working for months and years to gain the trust of our communities — communities that have long had good reason to not trust our profession — only to see that trust eroded in an instant by careless, unempathetic decisions.”
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The Philadelphia Inquirer later issued an apology after noting the insensitivity of the headline due to the country’s current political climate. It was signed by Editor Gabriel Escobar, Managing Editor Patrick Kerkstra, and Executive Editor Stan Wischnowski.
“The headline offensively riffed on the Black Lives Matter movement and suggested an equivalence between the loss of buildings and the lives of black Americans. That is unacceptable. While no such comparison was intended, the intent is ultimately irrelevant.The headline offensively riffed on the Black Lives Matter movement, and suggested an equivalence between the loss of buildings and the lives of black Americans. That is unacceptable.
After issuing the apology, the headline was changed to “Damaging buildings disproportionately hurts the people protestors are trying to uplift.”