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Golfweek replaces editor over noose
yahoo ^ | 18 January 2008 | DOUG FERGUSON

Posted on 01/18/2008 11:15:00 AM PST by stainlessbanner

Golfweek magazine replaced the editor responsible for illustrating the current cover with a noose and apologized Friday for its depiction of a Golf Channel anchor's use of "lynch" in a comment about Tiger Woods.

"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.

A copy of the Jan. 19 cover was removed from the magazine's Web site Friday morning.

Kelly Tilghman, in her second year as anchor of PGA Tour coverage on Golf Channel, was suspended for two weeks because of comments she made during the second round of the 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 said, laughing.

Seanor said in an interview Thursday night that he took responsibility for the cover, which showed a noose against a purple sky and the title, "Caught in a Noose." The subtitle said, "Tilghman slips up, and Golf Channel can't wriggle free."

The magazine devoted four pages of news and commentary on the topic, including a column on the back page supporting Tilghman and asking that the controversy be kept in context.

In an editorial, the magazine explained why it felt the Tilghman story deserved so much attention. It was accompanied by a cartoon that showed the Rev. Al Sharpton, who demanded Tilghman be fired, holding a noose and offering it to a pair of Golf Channel employees staring in a hole of thin ice, presumably where Tilghman had sunk.

Reaction to the noose drew a harsh rebuke from PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem.

"Clearly, what Kelly said was inappropriate and unfortunate, and she obviously regrets her choice of words," Finchem said in a statement. "But we consider Golfweek's imagery of a swinging noose on its cover to be outrageous and irresponsible. It smacks of tabloid journalism. It was a naked attempt to inflame and keep alive an incident that was heading to an appropriate conclusion."

The tour issued a statement Friday that said Finchem's comments were "not a call to action, but rather a response to an inquiry and an expression of the tour's dissatisfaction with Golfweek's choice of a cover image."

The tour said Golfweek's decision on its editorial leadership was an internal matter.

CBSSports.com reported Thursday that Jack Peter, chief operating officer of the World Golf Hall of Fame, said that tour officials had told the magazine it might withdraw $50,000 in advertisements for the World Golf Village.

"Jack was not speaking on behalf of the PGA Tour," spokesman Ty Votaw said Friday. "I can categorically tell you the PGA Tour has not threatened any advertising pull."

It was not clear if Seanor had been fired.

Babineau, 45, has been with Golfweek for nine years, including roles as editor, deputy editor and senior writer.

"We know we have a job ahead of us to re-earn the trust and confidence of many loyal readers," Babineau said. "Our staff is very passionate about the game. Our wish is that one regretful error does not erase more than 30 years of service we've dedicated to this industry."


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 1984; fired; golf; golfweek; noose; pc; race; tigerwoods; tilghman
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To: AU72
The company said Dave Seanor, the vice president and editor of Golfweek, has been replaced immediately

What, no mulligan?

21 posted on 01/18/2008 12:56:09 PM PST by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: battlegearboat
White people are so crazy!

That's why they love golf so much.

It gives them a chanced to dress like pimps.

Yep. That comment'll probably get removed with a wrist slap.

22 posted on 01/18/2008 1:12:48 PM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (Bureaucracy is a parasite that preys on Free Thought and suffocates Free Spirit.)
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To: stainlessbanner

With people like this in charge, Western Civ is doomed.


23 posted on 01/19/2008 2:44:46 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (I resolve to remember to write "08" on my checks.)
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To: stainlessbanner
This is idiocy and someone suggested a tiny step towards mind control.

Another thread mentioned the absurdity of the reaction to a noose and that anything can be defined as offensive such as Wal Mart and Macy's Red Star.

The noose was in existence long before blacks arrived in the New World. I recall a Western novel with a noose on the cover and not a single black person or racial comment in the book.

24 posted on 01/19/2008 6:23:02 AM PST by Jane Austen
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To: Williams

I agree.


25 posted on 01/19/2008 9:04:26 AM PST by Jane Austen
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To: Jane Austen

Oh to the contrary, in Atlantic City there is an upscale bar/restaurant called Red Square with a huge statue of Lenin outside and the interior themed after Soviet Russia with hammers and sickles, etc. No one takes offense to a restaurant themed after mass murdering dictators.


26 posted on 01/19/2008 9:32:44 AM PST by Williams
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To: stainlessbanner

I’m glad the editor was fired. There was no reason to continue the phony outrage over what Tiger himself said was a non-incident.


27 posted on 01/19/2008 9:34:14 AM PST by montag813
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To: montag813

Your take on this is the correct one...and one of the few correct “takes” in this thread.

Dave Seanor was NOT fired because he was some Conservative, who was fired being racially insensitive. The fact is that this guy is a HUGE Liberal and extremely hung up on diversity.

He was fired because the Golf industry had put this alleged controversy behind it as soon as Tiger Woods made his intelligent comments that he had no problem with what Kelly Tilghman said on Golf Channel about the “lynching.”

This Seanor guy was angry that Woods dismissed the issue and he was trying to re-ignite the “debate” with his provocative magazine cover. Seanor and some of his writers have been making politically correct comments for years in Golfweek. Always talking about diversity and race and blah, blah, blah.

This Left Wing scumbag Seanor got exactly what he deserved, even if it was for the wrong reason.


28 posted on 01/19/2008 11:28:22 AM PST by MarkDel
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To: MarkDel
Your take on this is the correct one...and one of the few correct “takes” in this thread.

I'm glad we agree. People really need to think these things through, rather than go with their initial reactions. thanks for the info on this scumbag. I am glad to see him gone.

29 posted on 01/19/2008 4:45:31 PM PST by montag813
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