Los Angeles Times Apologizes for Racist Headline From 1981 and Pledges to Break From Its History 'Deeply Rooted in White Supremacy'
By Emma Colton
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/author/emma-colton
The Los Angeles Times issued an apology for its past racism, focusing on a headline published by the paper in 1981.
“Marauders From Inner City Prey on L.A.’s Suburbs,” was a headline on a story published on July 12, 1981, about a crime surge in South Los Angeles that spread to wealthier parts of the city. The headline was used as an introduction to an apology for past racism, with the paper’s editorial board pledging to increase minority representation in journalism and "do better."
“On behalf of this institution, we apologize for The Times’ history of racism. We owe it to our readers to do better, and we vow to do so. A region as diverse and complex and fascinating as Southern California deserves a newspaper that reflects its communities. Today, 38% of the journalists on our staff are people of color. We know that is not nearly good enough, in a county that is 48% Latino and in a state where Latinos are the largest ethnic group. We know that this acknowledgment must be accompanied by a real commitment to change, a humility of spirit and an openness of mind and heart,” the op-ed stated.
The editorial board went into great detail of the newspaper’s leadership history, stretching back to the 1800s, and how it will work to repair its previous “failures” and be more inclusive.
“For at least its first 80 years, the Los Angeles Times was an institution deeply rooted in white supremacy and committed to promoting the interests of the city’s industrialists and landowners,” the op-ed stated, adding that one of its leaders more than 100 years ago, Harrison Gray Otis, “embodied this aggressive, conservative ideology.”
“An organization should not be defined by its failures, but it must acknowledge them if it is to hope for a better future,” the board wrote, recounting troubles that minorities have faced in the newsroom across the decades.
“The Times will redouble and refocus its efforts to become an inclusive and inspiring voice of California — a sentinel that employs investigative and accountability reporting to help protect our fragile democracy and chronicles the stories of the Golden State, including stories that historically were neglected by the mainstream press," the op-ed continued. "Being careful stewards of this new company, privately owned but operated for the benefit of the public, is our first obligation. But that stewardship will also require bold and decisive change. If we are to survive as a business, it will be by tapping into a digital, multicultural, multigenerational audience in a way The Times has never fully done.”
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/los-angeles-times-apologizes-for-racist-headline-from-1981-and-pledges-to-break-from-its-history-deeply-rooted-in-white-supremacy