An Inexcusable Mistake

"Chink In the Armor" - ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports, released this story headline late Friday night following the Hornets win over the Knicks. Some shrugged it off, many were angered and most found it hard to believe that the use of a such a loaded word was used on a prominent sports site. ESPN quickly released a formal apology and the fired ESPN editor explains that he was not attempting to make a joke. Lin decided it is better to let go of the issue than to make a big deal about it. In fact, on March 28, Lin met with the fired ESPN headline writer for lunch to discuss the incident, their accomplishments, and their faith in God.

However, the Asian American Journalists Association fired back in response to the headline:

AAJA to ESPN: Saying 'Chink in the Armor' Is Inexcusable

Dear ESPN:

New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin had a bad night Friday. Regrettably, so did ESPN. Using “a chink in the armor” to describe Lin’s poor performance was inexcusable.

We at the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) find it hard to fathom how such an offensive headline appeared on your publishing platforms. The phrase was even spoken on-air.

We are glad ESPN has recognized its mistake, and we appreciate the quick apology for the transgression.
 Many people, not just in Asian American communities, are shocked that a news company with a long tradition of excellence would use a racial epithet. It's particularly galling because of the weeks of discussion about Lin, his heritage and even the wave of outright racism surrounding his stardom.

We are particularly concerned that an organization as large as yours did not have the proper checks in place to prevent the mistake. It is hard to fathom how editors on so many of your platforms failed to uphold your normally high standards.

Of course, it disappoints us to see one of our most valued and committed partners in diversity stumble. As you well know, this incident does not live up to the Leadership in Diversity Award that AAJA bestowed on ESPN in 2010. But we trust that you will transform this incident into a teachable moment.

We understand and appreciate that the offensive headline has been removed. But that's not enough. We would like to understand how it happened and what actions are being taken by ESPN to make sure such missteps do not recur. Your internal review could be instructive for others in our industry who want to improve the systems they have – or need to put in place – to ensure that fairness, accuracy and good taste are reflected in the news coverage of our communities.

As always, AAJA stands with you in our shared mission of diversity in America’s newsrooms, and we welcome an opportunity to discuss how we can help you and your employees treat our communities with the fairness and respect they deserve.

Sincerely,
Doris Truong, AAJA National President
Bobby Caina Calvan and Jam Sardar, AAJA MediaWatch Co-Chairs

- Rayna Linowes