Golfweek Editor Fired For Noose Cover

(CBS/AP)  Golfweek apologized Friday for putting a noose on the cover of its magazine to illustrate the controversy over a Golf Channel anchor's use of "lynch" in a comment about Tiger Woods. The editor responsible for the cover was replaced.

"We apologize for creating this graphic cover that received extreme negative reaction from consumers, subscribers and advertisers across the country," Turnstile Publishing Co. president William P. Kupper Jr. said. "We were trying to convey the controversial issues with a strong and provocative graphic image. It is now obvious that the overall reaction to our cover deeply offended many people. For that, we are deeply apologetic.

Turnstile is the parent company of Golfweek.

The company said Dave Seanor, the vice president and editor of Golfweek, has been replaced immediately by Jeff Babineau.

Seanor said Thursday that, "We knew that image would grab attention, but I didn't anticipate the enormity of it."

"There's been a huge, negative reaction," he said. "I've gotten so many e-mails. It's a little overwhelming."

Among the critics was U.S. PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, who said he found the imagery to be "outrageous and irresponsible."

"It smacks of tabloid journalism," Finchem said in a statement. "It was a naked attempt to inflame and keep alive an incident that was heading to an appropriate conclusion."

Kelly Tilghman was suspended for two weeks because of comments she made during the second round of this month's Mercedes-Benz Championship, when she and analyst Nick Faldo were discussing young challengers to Woods.

Faldo suggested that "to take Tiger on, maybe they should just gang up (on him) for a while."

"Lynch him in a back alley," Tilghman replied.

Tilghman said she apologized directly to the world's No. 1 player, and Woods' agent issued a statement that said it was a non-issue.

Seanor said editors at the magazine debated several choices for a cover, and he took responsibility for the noose. The title of the cover is "Caught in a Noose," with a sub-title, "Tilghman slips up, and Golf Channel can't wriggle free."

Golf Channel didn't deal with Tilghman's comments until Newsday in New York first wrote about the "lynch" reference three days after the broadcast. The suspension was announced shortly after the Reverend Al Sharpton demanded on CNN that Tilghman be fired.

"We're a weekly news magazine. The big story of the previous week was Kelly Tilghman, and that's what we chose," Seanor said. "How to illustrate that? It was tough. Do you put Kelly Tilghman out there? But was it so much about her or the uproar?

"This is emblematic of why people were so offended."

He said dozens of customers at the merchandise show stopped by the Golfweek stand and put an issue in their bag, with some stopping to discuss and complain.

"Most people who are objecting to it - within the golf industry - are saying this episode was just above over," Seanor said. "I think it's indicative of how, when you bring race and golf into the same sentence, everyone recoils."

Asked if he regretted the cover, Seanor paused before answering.

"I wish we could have come up with something that made the same statement but didn't create as much negative reaction," he said. "But as this has unfolded, I'm glad there's dialogue. Let's talk about this, and the lack of diversity in golf."

He denied the cover was an attempt to sell more magazines, noting that Golfweek is 99 percent subscriptions.

Golfweek is one of two American weekly magazines devoted entirely to golf.

Golf World, coincidentally put on its cover this week a photo of Bill Spiller, one of the black pioneers in the sport, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of his push to integrate the U.S. PGA Tour.

[vmcneal2]

I don''t know what the editor of Golf Weekly was thinking but knowing that many black people view the hangmans noose in same way that Jews view the swastika he should have known better. This is not about freedom of speech, it''s about an employee of a company who put his company in a bad situation. What you say and do as a private citizen is different than what you can say and do as an employee of a company. So for All of you who think our right to free speech is going down the tubes, relax.. put your hoods back in the closet, you can still *** and complain about Al Sharpton and I''ll still *** and complain about George Bush and his crew.

[keithle1]

Everyone is a "racist." Racist, racist, racist. YAWN.

[traccan]

Mythoughtsr:

ummm, Africa isn''t a country. That, + the fact that you think the NAACP and the United Negro College Fund are racist organizations, rather than anti-racist organizations, disqualifies you from further participation in any intelligent conversation.

[toolmangler-2009]

It is a hopeful sign that racists are no longer being allowed to spew hatred without personal consequence, hopefully the Pats, Robertson and Buchanan, David Duke, and Rush will be next.
Posted by brianbwb at 01:28 AM : Jan 20, 2008


If we never heard these words from Blacks themselves, then You might have a valid right to raise sand about Pictures and Words you find ''offensive'', But that isn''t the case. 3/4 of rap songs are filled with every expletive you can think of that belittle Women, Whites, ***, Cops, Kids, and everything but Dropout Dads, Pushers, Pimps and all other things that keep race on and in the minds of people everywhere. No body is allowed to put race out of their minds because we have to ''pussyfoot'' around anything that ''might'' upset the ''reverands''. If you cannot clean up your own act, how can you ask anyone else to clean up theirs? sssshhhheeeeeeeessssshhhhh!!!!!

[assouthall]

I am Black. And I think this is ridiculous. Now, there are things that are blatantly offensive. But this is not the case here.

From what I understand, nooses are most commonly associated with lynching and ranching. Since nooses were the most common form of lynching, I would have chosen the photo too. And I think it would have been a non-issue, especially if I worked at a Black publication.

This whole apologize for everything notion is self-effacing. And it keeps us from what we should be doing, that is, discussing our issues.

I''m tired of empty apologies and victim players. This man definitely deserves his job back. And he shouldn''t apologize for making a great editorial decision.

[mythoughtsr]

SharnCedar, all this sort of thing (firing, suspending people etc) only placates the black man. Affirmative action, the NaaCp, The United NEGRO college fund, Ms. Black America and every other RACIST organization that the blacks have in this country perpetuates the ongoing and never ending racism in this country. All people will NEVER be equal while blacks try to get free money because their own country, Africa, sold them out to the white man.

Tomorrow we "celebrate" another day devoted to keeping racism alive.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by SharnCedar

Your backhanded swipe at Clinton is as transparent, as your knowledge of history and fundamental economics is sorely lacking, as is your proclivity to prevaricate vis a vis ethnic heritage, as an ersatz validation of your anti Clinton fixation.

From a real "Black" man.

Posted by brianbwb

[brianbwb-2009]

I find it funny that people who make racist comments, then get sanctioned by the public, not by the government, are crying about the end of free speech, when it is actually the beginning of being responsible for the consequences of free speech.

The people "Imused" Imus, not the government, The people ostracized Kramer (Richards), not the government, and the fear by the owners of this mag of the reaction from the people is what got this jerk fired, not the government.

It is a hopeful sign that racists are no longer being allowed to spew hatred without personal consequence, hopefully the Pats, Robertson and Buchanan, David Duke, and Rush will be next.

[sharncedar]

But its OK for the Clinton campaign to raise race as an issue and to smear other candidates with the code words that act as the modern nooses. Things like "drugs" and "black" that when combined make people in the ignorant white middle class react with fear and hate. This is the noose the Clintons hung. But they get away with it - why? Is it because they are traitors, in bed with the richest corporate thieves? Where is the outcry when a real lynching takes place, like the one that happened to Obama? Where is the outrage there?

I guess we just fire some dumb editor, and that is supposed to keep the dumb black folks happy. Well this dumb black man aint happy.

[kemetorigin]

These are cases of poor word choice and shock editorialism...What incenses me is how people and particularly Al Sharpton, gets in an uproar about things that are not particularly harmful to blacks or anyone else. My husband has listened to his show and says that he attempts to address many real and palpable issues. Nonethless, my contention with him is that he renders those efforts futile because he grandstands on non-issues whenever he sees the opportunity as any opportunist would. Be true to thyself.