Toronto Star public editor: Star overdid ‘Somali’ references

[Safferz]

Star overdid ‘Somali’ references in first report of drug dealers peddling Rob Ford crack video

 

Members of Toronto’s Somali community were understandably distressed by the many mentions of “Somali” drug dealers in the Star’s first report of Rob Ford crack video allegations.

 

 

By: Kathy English Public Editor, Published on Fri May 24 2013

 

 

As a member of a Toronto District School Board task force aimed at curbing the dropout rate for Somali students, Abdi Aidid well understands the sting of negative perceptions and the role the media can play in creating those perceptions.

 

Aidid, 21, who begins studies at Yale University law school this fall, aims to make a difference in his community. Last week he sent a thoughtful email to the Star to express his concerns about our explosive May 17 Page 1 story about a cellphone video that appears to show Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine that is being shopped around Toronto “by a group of Somali men involved in the drug trade.”

 

Aidid and numerous others in his community were distressed greatly by the many references to “Somali” drug dealers in the Star’s first report of the Ford crack video. They believe reporting that fact contributes to negative stereotypes and “criminalizes” the entire community.

 

“At every stop, they point out that the individuals involved are Somali. ‘Somali’ appears 11 times in the article, exactly as many times as the word ‘crack,’ ” Aidid said. “I am deeply hurt by this.

 

“Is it so salient a fact that it warrants mention as often as the drug in question?”

 

That is a fair question. While there was no intent to hurt the Somali community overall, the Star’s journalists do understand the concerns that have been raised by the community this week. Certainly, further explanation from the Star is called for.

 

As I told Aidid in a subsequent telephone call, three points are important: 1) The newsroom believes (and I agree) the fact that the men described themselves as part of the Somali community is relevant to the responsible reporting of this story; 2) the reporters and editors involved acknowledge the Star included too many references to that fact in its initial report written on deadline; and 3) most critical, in subsequent stories and columns, the Star rightly pulled back significantly from reporting the drug dealers’ background.

 

Let’s look first at why the Star considers the Somali references fair to report here, in line with its “fair play” policy that “No reference, direct or indirect, should be made to a person’s colour, race, country of origin, disability, sex, sexual orientation or religion unless it is pertinent to the story.”

 

The requirements of responsible journalism call for reporting as fully as possible on the sources. Given that these men are unidentified sources making serious allegations and peddling strong visual evidence of Ford apparently smoking crack, it was important that the Star give readers as much information as it can at this point about who these people are and what their motivation might be.

 

A story with such far-reaching implications about the city’s mayor demands providing the facts that show readers that the Star has done its due diligence. As the story states, reporters Kevin Donovan and Robyn Doolittle had several meetings with these anonymous sources who frequently referred to themselves as Somalis. One of the men described himself repeatedly as an organizer in the Somali community. In discussions about making the video public, the men expressed fears about deportation.

 

These are the facts. But I think in its zeal to make clear to readers that the story has been reported responsibly and give you as much information as possible, the Star went overboard with the many “Somali” references in its first story.

 

I understand why Aidid and others in the Somali community were upset by that. As Aidid pointed out to me after I explained to him why the Star reported the details the drug dealers told reporters, there is journalistic responsibility on one hand and social responsibility on the other.

 

“It is important that the Star not fall into the trap of criminalizing any certain community,” he told me. “Yes, we struggle as a community, but our lives are made harder by this sort of callousness and insensitivity.”

 

We all agree greater sensitivity was called for. While the newsroom stands by its judgment of the relevance of the “Somali”references, numerous reports this week have made little mention of the sources’ background. That first troubling story, which was written in great haste on deadline, was revised shortly after publication with half of the “Somali” references edited out.

 

“We realize the first version of the story used ‘Somali’ too heavily,” Managing Editor Jane Davenport told me.

 

“We understand why the community is upset and we apologize.”

 

 

 

 

Read here.

[Cambuulo iyo bun]

Well done Abdi!!

[Haatu]

Ms Safferz Aidid, say kudos to your bro

[Safferz]

A response to the editor's column from Rima Berns McGown:

 

 

Email to Kathy English, Public Editor of the Toronto Star, about her rationale for the Star’s use of “Somali” in its story about Ford and the crack video

 

Dear Ms. English,

 

Please understand that it is not just the Somali community that is upset by your reporters’ story on the Ford video, and that the issue goes far beyond the number of times the descriptor “Somali” is used.

 

In brief, the real issue is that there is no context around their use of it. The reporters claim that given the paucity of details, it was important to provide as many as possible. The problem, again, is that without context, the one they did provide gives a very problematic impression: By “Somali”, did the men mean that they are Somali citizens with PR or shaky immigration status? Or did they mean that they are Canadian citizens, born in Canada or here since they were preschoolers? Or have they been in Canada since they were toddlers but without Canadian citizenship? These differences matter — and all of those people could be called “Somali” and be equally afraid of deportation, whether or not they are right to be fearful.

 

It is important that your reporters bear in mind, every single solitary time they write a story about this community, that the barriers its members face are largely barriers that the wider Canadian society has created and that the media, including your paper, play a large part in nurturing:

http://www.irpp.org/pubs/IRPPstudy/IRPP_Study_no38.pdf

 

Every time your paper writes another story that blurs context, or perpetuates stigmatizing stereotypes (gangster, drug dealer, terrorist), you exacerbate the problem, and it’s ridiculous, because there are more Abdi Aidids (i.e., successful, caring young people) in the community than there are drug dealers or crackheads, but one wouldn’t know that from reading the Toronto Star — and if you asked most Canadians about the Somali community, what do you think they would say? That is a stereotype that you and other media outlets have created and for which you have to take responsibility.

 

Context is everything, and it’s not only the Somali community that is noticing.

 

I would be happy to discuss this further. Your paper’s reporting needs to get better.

 

Best wishes,

 

Rima Berns-McGown, PhD

Adjunct Professor

Department of Historical Studies

University of Toronto

Research Director, Imported Conflict Study

The Mosaic Institute

President

Couchiching Institute on Public Affairs

[Chimera]

Their justifying it, then apologize in the same article? Strange logic.

 

Young Abdi did what the likes of K'naan or Yasmin Warsame should have done, useless Canadians.

[Safferz]

Chimera;954597 wrote:

Their justifying it, then apologize in the same article? Strange logic.

They missed the point of the critique, it's not about the frequency of their use of Somali, it's about the context and relevance of its very mention. Glad to see people are already following up and holding the Toronto Star to an even higher standard.

 

And thanks Haatu, will send my baby brother your regards

[Wadani]

Im more upset now after reading this bullshit from the Star than I was before. If I wasn't already thoroughly disillusioned with the myth of multiculturalism, integration and tolerance I would be mind boggled by this piece. Racist original article, followed by an ironically racist apology, from a racist newspaper. Disgusting.

 

Hats off to Abdi Aidid and Professor Rima.

[Chimera]

The paper's website is cluttered as hell, I can't even locate the article from the front page. An apology hidden between a million stories, damn.

[Safferz]

Wadani;954618 wrote:

Im more upset now after reading this bullshit from the Star than I was before. If I wasn't already thoroughly disillusioned with the myth of multiculturalism, integration and tolerance I would be mind boggled by this piece. Racist original article, followed by an ironically racist apology, from a racist newspaper. Disgusting.

I need to get writing.

[Wadani]

Safferz;954621 wrote:

I need to get writing.

Please do. Teach them what the Aidid siblings r made of. And Chimera makes a good point, where r the prominent Somali Canadians? I can't believe K'naan hasn't spoken out. If he doesn't play his part in this I'll lose respect for the fella.

[ElPunto]

Seriously guys. I think you're being way too harsh. They explained why there was a need for the use of the word Somali in the original article. They could do better with understanding the context that the word should be used in. But they recognized their mistake. In all my years on this site - I can't ever recall a newspaper in any other country hearing out and then apologizing for harm done to the Somali community through unfair reporting. Well done Canada.

 

Well done Mr. Aidid - the Somali community in TO should be trumpeting his accomplishment and motivation - and showing youngsters the positive MALE role models in our community.

[Daqane]

They were somalis and selling drugs, use your passports to move around laakin beenta isga yareeya, yall somali especially in such situations.

 

Reminds me of france in the 80's when ever yannick noah won a tournament in tennis it would be "the frenchman noah has won the paris open" when he lost " the camerounian yannick noah comes up short"... I realise that some of you guys are really deeply offended, but I laugh.

[Juxa]

Well done to Abdi. Best of luck at law school

[Aaliyyah]

ElPunto;954757 wrote:

Seriously guys. I think you're being way too harsh. They explained why there was a need for the use of the word Somali in the original article. They could do better with understanding the context that the word should be used in. But they recognized their mistake. In all my years on this site - I can't ever recall a newspaper in any other country hearing out and then apologizing for harm done to the Somali community through unfair reporting. Well done Canada.

 

Well done Mr. Aidid - the Somali community in TO should be trumpeting his accomplishment and motivation - and showing youngsters the positive

MALE

role models in our community.

+1. Well done to Aidid. All the best as well in his studies.

[Somalia]

I don't think Aidid was being too harsh.

 

Best of luck to him.