New York Times international editor Michael Slackman has offered an apology for a controversial job advert for an Africa correspondent.
Slackman on Twitter apologized and confessed taking a short cut by approving the text of a job description from 18 months ago.
He said New York Times was “committed to covering Africa, not as if it were some stereotype, but because it matters.”
In the said job ad, the New York Times said it was looking for African journalists willing to report from “the deserts of Sudan and the pirate seas of the Horn of Africa, down through the forests of Congo and the shores of Tanzania”.
The advert became an object of criticism and mockery on social media.
The @nytimes’ job ad for Nairobi bureau chief says a lot about the kinds of stories they want from Eastern Africa… pic.twitter.com/esEeOMI18l
— Ken Opalo (@kopalo) July 3, 2019
The ad became a source of viral videos trying to depict the requirements stated in it.
Stereotype of Africa?
Some considered the content as a pure stereotype of Africa and its people.
Dear @nytimes
We made this for you
Love,
LAM#bureauchiefniwewe pic.twitter.com/K3sddoAtZU— The LAM Sisterhood (@sisterhood_lam) July 4, 2019
But Slackman said that is not the case and accepted all the criticisms directed at his company.
But I plead guilty to taking a short cut: Rather than write a new job description, a posting from about 18 months went out. I gave it a cursory look, and approved it. Mea Culpa.
— Michael Slackman (@meslackman) July 7, 2019
Slackman went ahead to ask journalists still interested in the job to apply and write about how they would approach the job.
He even offered that they make a video of it if they can.
One last request: If you are a journalist, and you are interested in covering Africa for @nytimes, please send me a note on how you would approach the job. If you want to make a video, that’s cool, too.
— Michael Slackman (@meslackman) July 7, 2019
Reactions to apology
Many Africans have been reacting to the apology from the New York Times editor.
18 months ago is not ancient history. This advert was as dodgy then as it is now.
— Nanjala Nyabola (@Nanjala1) July 8, 2019
How is this an apology?
— AgroBioDiverse (@AgroBioDiverse) July 8, 2019
A “cursory look” at just the first sentence of that job posting would give a thoughtful person pause.
But you admit you did not bother to craft a job posting for a position you wanted to fill with the “best”, so this tells us a lot.
— Kuukuwa Manful (@Kuukuwa_) July 8, 2019
Surely it reads like it was written 118 years ago….sigh ??♀️
— Kenya Daily Notion (@NotionDaily) July 8, 2019
Even 18 months ago, the content was still racist and stereotypical. Glad I didn’t encounter it
— Sonyo? (@MulliKasiva) July 8, 2019
Source: Africafeeds.com
