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Free Speech Crackdown? Philly Mayor Calls for ‘Chilling’ Gov’t Probe of Magazine Over Race Relations Article

Mar. 18, 2013 10:15pm

Philadelphia Magazine is under fire, as the Philadelphia Human Relations Commission has been called upon to investigate the publication. The outlet’s offense? Publishing a story about Caucasians’ views on race relations. The article entitled, “Being White in Philly,” quickly caught the ire of Mayor Michael Nutter, who called it “disgusting” and “uninformed” (among other choice words).

In the article, writer Bob Huber interviewed anonymous white residents and asked them how they feel about race relations in Philadelphia. They shared their candid answers — responses that apparently angered Nutter and led the mayor to implore the commission to reprimand the outlet, reports Fox News’ Todd Starnes.

“This month Philadelphia Magazine has sunk to a new low even for a publication that has long pretended that its suburban readers were the only citizens civically engaged and socially active in the Philadelphia area,” Nutter wrote in a letter to the Philadelphia Human Relations Commission.

Mayor Michael Nutter Wants Philadelphia Magazine Investigated Over Race Article

Mayor Michael Nutter delivers his budget address in a meeting room at City Hall, Thursday, March 14, 2013, in Philadelphia. Deafening protests have forced Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter to abandon his traditional budget address in mid-speech in city council chambers. Credit: AP

Here’s a sampling of some one of the stories that was included in the controversial article:

Take a young woman I’ll call Susan, whom I met recently. She lost her BlackBerry in a biology lab at Villanova and Facebooked all the class members she could find, “wondering if you happened to pick it up or know who did.” No one had it. There was one black student in the class, whom I’ll call Carol, who responded: “Why would I just happen to pick up a BlackBerry and if this is a personal message I’m offended!”

Susan assured her that she had Facebooked the whole class. Carol wrote: “Next time be careful what type of messages you send around and what you say in them.”

After that, when their paths crossed at school, Carol would avoid eye contact with Susan, wordless. What did I do? Susan wondered. The only explanation she could think of was Vanilla-nova—the old joke about the school’s distinct lack of color, its perceived lack of welcome to African-Americans. Susan started making an effort to say hello when she saw Carol, and eventually they acted as if nothing had happened. The BlackBerry incident—it probably goes without saying—was never discussed.

Of course, not all of the quotes included were as benign. Some were more controversial, something the magazine admits. However, they were simply reflective of conversations and interviews that unfolded — not of the magazine’s views as a whole, staffers argue. Still, the mayor isn’t happy.

As Philly.com reports, “Nutter asked the commission to conduct an inquiry into racial issues and attitudes in the city, and to decide whether the magazine and the writer should be rebuked.”

And the commission agreed with the mayor’s assessment, with Rue Landau, the organization’s executive director, decrying racial insensitivity and “perpetuation of harmful stereotypes” that were allegedly present in the article. The commission has agreed to explore racial issues in the city as a result of the clash, with Landau promising to “take up the mayor’s charge.”

In an interview with Starnes, Philadelphia Magazine editor Tom McGrath spoke out against Nutter’s reaction, claiming that it was over-the-top and that the politician was misunderstanding and mischaracterizing what the media outlet was trying to accomplish through the article. He also expressed concerns that the government was planning to investigate a private publication.

Mayor Michael Nutter Wants Philadelphia Magazine Investigated Over Race Article

Mayor Michael Nutter attempts to delivers his budget address to city council at City Hall, Thursday, March 14, 2013, in Philadelphia. Deafening protests have forced Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter to abandon his traditional budget address in mid-speech. Credit: AP

“I find it chilling that he now wants to use the government to censor a news outlet,” McGrath told Starnes. “As a journalist — as someone who thinks free speech is really important — I find that really, really troubling.”

Rather than backing away, the editor is defending Huber and doubling down on the story. While he admits it caused a firestorm, he said that race is known for stirring emotions when it is explored in media.

“The point of the story was to get a conversation going about race,” McGrath said. “Certainly there are some ugly quotes in the story but those quotes in no way reflect the intentions of the author or the magazine.”

McGrath noted that some white people don’t feel comfortable talking about race. They feel, as he said, that their views aren’t welcome.

The article, at the least, was less-than-welcome in Nutter’s eyes, as he’s hoping the commission will explore whether the magazine’s essay was similar to yelling “fire!” in a crowded movie theater — an offene that isn’t covered by the First Amendment.

Huber, too, dismissed the mayor as taking the article the wrong way. In an e-mail exchange with Philly.com, the writer described his views on the matter.

“The goal of my piece is to point out problems in race relations in Philadelphia, and to push for a better dialogue. So I think the mayor is right on point in asking for an inquiry into the state of race relations in Philadelphia,” he wrote. “The mayor, like anyone, has a right to his reaction to the article. But I think his characterization of the article’s thesis and tone and so forth is off the mark to the point of absurdity.”

Others found a middle ground in their views on the article. Philly.com’s Will Bunch didn’t like the original article, but he found Nutter’s actions unpalatable as well. Here are the three reasons he highlighted against the mayor’s four-page response letter:

1) The Philly Mag cover was a desperate and pathetic plea for attention by a print magazine that is losing advertisers and readers hand over fist. Their only goal was to get reactions exactly like this. So why, Mayor Nutter, did you reward their bad behavior by giving the editors what they wanted — showering them with attention, just when it seemed like the uproar might die down?

2) I realize this is a grey area, but like a lot of folks, I get very, very uncomfortable when a powerful public official — like the mayor of America’s 5th-largest city — asks a government commission to investigate or rebuke a piece of journalism, even, or maybe especially, a bad one. The First Amendment is a right for anyone to publish their opinion, as long as it’s not libelous, no matter how wrong-headed and awful either the general public or elected officials deem it to be. Even though surely nothing more will come from Nutter’s request than another “discussion,” such a letter still comes off as chilling to the right of a free press.

3) Here’s what’s most troublesome. The weird timing of the letter — released just one day after Mayor Nutter was booed off the podium of his annual budget address by the city’s frustrated without-a-contract union workers – looks like the work of a man desperate to change the conversation. This is Nutter’s greatest skill, after all. How many times has he called some bad guy a name like “a-hole,” making that the headline and not the city’s intractable murder rate? Isn’t this just a different riff on the same tactic?

Read Starnes’ full report to learn more about the controversial story.

(H/T: Fox News’ Todd Starnes)

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Comments (118)

1 2 3 4
  • Dutchie812
    Posted on March 19, 2013 at 12:09am

    Mayor Nutter (accent on the NUT) should grow a thicker hide. If this was reversed with black on white it probably would get a prize. So sick and tired of crybabies!!! Grow up!

    Report this comment

    Dutchie812  
    • shorelineliz
      Posted on March 19, 2013 at 12:35am

      I will NEVER eat Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies Ever AGain! I mean EVEr!. Well. Maybe next week. When I cool. Down. Ain’t going to let no Nut job Nutter keep me from my favorite Nutter Butter Peanut Butter cookies. What an A$$wipe

      Report this comment

      shorelineliz  
    • desertspeaks
      Posted on March 19, 2013 at 1:36pm

      the way nutjob is going on about it, you’d think the writer was advocating hanging people from tree’s and burning crosses.. after reading the article, nutjob OBVIOUSLY did NOT read the article, I find it asinine that nutjob is even making this an issue.
      the race card is getting ooooold, and I’m sick and tired of it! the boy who cried wolf got eaten by the wolf because he relentlessly cried wolf when a wolf was no where to be seen.
      Well I for one am now of the opinion, to where the wolf needs to eat the boy already!!

      Report this comment

      desertspeaks  
    • yougottabekidding
      Posted on March 19, 2013 at 3:18pm

      Another dem that wants to have free speech as long as it is his point of view.
      It’s amazing how many dems what your free speech curtailed!

      Report this comment

      yougottabekidding  
    • vonstro
      Posted on March 19, 2013 at 3:51pm

      Dittos Dutchie… There seem to be a lot of people in the black community who would rather be treated as victims then just plain ordinary people. They think they have a right to show ‘attitude’ when in truth they have no more right then you or I. These people live sad and lonely lives… and it’s just what they’ve earned!

      Report this comment

      vonstro  
  • AZ Walt
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 11:58pm

    Nutter and his commission cannot do a Damned thing to this paper. If I had any say I’d start the front page of the next issue of this paper with a picture of the “finger” with a caption saying “Nutter et al, go F off”. “The US Constitution’s First Ammendment trumps every one Hell bent on supressing free and open speech!” Deal with it Nutter, Bloomburg, et al.

    As far as the “Human Rights Commission”, what can they do? They have NO authroty to do anything!

    Report this comment

    AZ Walt  
  • media-bias-steals-elections
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 11:52pm

    Why does the press not ask the public basic questions about rules regarding “lobbying” and free speech? You don’t see the connection between the North East being solid blue states, and lobbying laws? Yet the press was very effective by concentrating millions of reports on a daily basis to mock the Bush family?

    Do you call that lobbying? Is CNN really considered being a lobbyist, is MSNBC really a lobbyist organization and GE owes NY State billions of dollars in back fines? Or like concealed carry laws, these laws on the books that are not US Constitutional due to the ratification of the bill of rights, only on the books because people can not afford the legal fees to move those arguments through the court, which in effect denies them due process?

    Mayor Bloomberg is worried about Big Gulps, and tobacco products in view of minors? Maybe we should make minors just wear blind folds, they can’t handle the truth of society, they can’t handle the truth that people can walk around and smoke a cigar? This is what happens when people just bury their heads in the sand?

    Report this comment

    media-bias-steals-elections  
  • GoodStuff
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 11:36pm

    Sadly, a majority of blacks see racism around every corner.

    Report this comment

    GoodStuff  
    • Uhmerican
      Posted on March 20, 2013 at 11:07am

      They “think” they see racism around every corner because, whether anyone wants to hear it or not, a good majority of black are racists themselves. And its worse now than before Obama got into office…he, his staff, and the lap dog media have screamed racism from day one. If you disagree with Obama, you’re a racist. Trayvon Martin’s death….race related. On and on. I’m sick of it.

      Report this comment

      Uhmerican  
  • pissantno.10
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 11:31pm

    well i know lot of people that are tired of being draged in to this race bull stuff they are americans, they are military, most are just hard working people. it is sad that fine people are being lumped in with trash

    Report this comment

    pissantno.10  
    • shorelineliz
      Posted on March 19, 2013 at 1:28am

      Perhaps they could “talk” to their fellow Black “brethren” and tell them to give it a dam rest? The last Black dude who came into my store came in drunk. Sob story. And the Black dude before that. And the one before that cried “racism” as he was unable to get money out of the ATM and lost his GOLD SUV and the next time he came in with NO FAMILY he was driving a crappy truck and had on a painters uniform? So, while I work at a minimum wage job and DON”T COMPLAIN and SAVE MY MONEY and drive a USED CAR he goes broke on stuff he can’t afford and yells RACISM in my store? I don’t think so.

      Report this comment

      shorelineliz  
  • ivan90
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 11:20pm

    I read the whole article and Nutter’s reaction totally proves the point of the article. You can’t bring up race in any of these urban centers destroyed by liberals or you are labeled. I would ask the mayor what “exactly” was wrong in the article. Is it that people spoke the truth as they see it, not the garbage fed to everyone by the left?

    Report this comment

    ivan90  
    • RIDEMODELS
      Posted on March 18, 2013 at 11:37pm

      This magazine is probably much like The Blaze or FOX, they just showed both sides and now Dimocrats do what Dimocrats do and try to take rights away……..this is a Freedom under the Constitution and its a travesty that this is happening in Philadelphia…..

      Its really sad that this mayor and Obama are trying to take away the Bill of Rights more and more, day by day.

      Report this comment

      RIDEMODELS  
    • angelcat
      Posted on March 18, 2013 at 11:47pm

      I read it too, and I agree with you. The writer pointed out racism of whites and blacks and reaching out by both groups. It wasn’t hateful and did NOT perpetuate stereotypes.

      Report this comment

      angelcat  
    • Melika
      Posted on March 19, 2013 at 6:00am

      You guys don’t understand, this is Philly. There’s “Philly.com” – the voice of the “people” and then there is “Philadelphia Magazine” – the voice of all the people who used to be able to live in the city limits. The only thing this article gets wrong is that white people are racists just because they are white. White people in Philly regularly get a beat-down in that dump; at some point, they start dishing out what they’ve gotten all their lives. Race relations in Philly, since Mayor Goode, has been just like the national race relations since Obama – “we got our guy in – you crackers are all going down.”

      Good luck with all that understanding & kindness from drunks whose closest experience of “African-American” culture has been the “Cosby Show” and their one, good “black friend”. We do have to thank the Baby Boomers for all these policies implemented in the 50′s and 60′s. Thanks for destroying us from within.

      Report this comment

      Melika  
  • DZ-015
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 11:19pm

    To paraphrase Spiro Agnew: He’s just a nattering nutter nabob of negativism.

    Report this comment

    DZ-015  
  • The_Fifth_Column
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 11:15pm

    Naaaaa, they won’t go after the First Amendment too! Will they you old sixth grade witch.

    Report this comment

    The_Fifth_Column  
    • RIDEMODELS
      Posted on March 18, 2013 at 11:39pm

      Once the Dimocrats destroy the Bill of Rights…….nothing will stand in their way.

      The Ghetto always votes Dimocrat……..

      Report this comment

      RIDEMODELS  
  • Comrade_Bob
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 11:08pm

    It is interesting to observe the behavior of blacks. When blacks enslave / rape / kill / genocide other blacks, as they routinely do, this behavior is accepted. However, if a white so much as questions the Nobel Lie of Human Biodiversity Denialism, blacks become violent.

    Report this comment

    Comrade_Bob  
  • mrmikejohnson
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 11:05pm

    Are there any parts of the Constituion that liberals don’t want to eliminate?

    Report this comment

    mrmikejohnson  
  • Rayblue
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:52pm

    I didn’t think they could possibly get uglier than the rat faced, gourd skulled, proboscis lipped spider skunk that obama is foisting like frosting on our poison portion of the percentage pie.
    But I was wrong.
    The mayor takes the cake.

    Report this comment

    Rayblue  
  • sckimbershot
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:51pm

    where was this ******* when the black panthers were screwing with the voters–oh–no story there, move along, move along.

    FU

    Report this comment

    sckimbershot  
  • armyofnibiru
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:43pm

    Add your comments

    Report this comment

    armyofnibiru  
  • high school drop out
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:43pm

    Guys like Nutter are getting on my last nerve!.. It appears that we “white “people cant even have an opposing point of view anymore without some race baiting hypocrite trying to bring all heaven and earth down on us! I guess it fits right in with the “Victim” mentality..You know, “OH poor me ..Whitey is being mean to us again”…A few years ago When I lived in Fla 90% on my close friends were black and we got along just fine!.. I doubt that would be true today..Just my opinion but I think electing Obama has really screwed race relations all to hell !!!.. Thanks barry you power mad piece of race baiting crap !

    Report this comment

    high school drop out  
    • The_Almighty_Creestof
      Posted on March 18, 2013 at 11:00pm

      But…isn’t he the same guy who went before a church and made a long speech that pretty much told the black youth of the city to “quit acting like ni&&a’s…to pull their pants up an buy a belt…to quit looking & acting like thugs so they can get a job”?

      Report this comment

      The_Almighty_Creestof  
    • shorelineliz
      Posted on March 19, 2013 at 12:34am

      Yup. you said it all.

      Report this comment

      shorelineliz  
  • JustJP
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:39pm

    Black “victims”, Obama’s world.

    Report this comment

    JustJP  
  • shorelineliz
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:39pm

    Nutter? the Mayors name is Nutter? That’s funny!

    Report this comment

    shorelineliz  
  • The_Almighty_Creestof
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:39pm

    The story about Susan is why I really do not have any black friends and have no real desire to. You could invite them over for dinner and start discussing politics and make a remark about how you think the lack of fathers in the black household seems to directly contribute to the black gangs in the area and the crime that comes from it…all while 6 black gangbangers are blaring their rap music across the street and harassing anyone coming up or down the street…and you’d get called a racist by your dinner guests…or told all about how white oppression is what is causing it. If they hold their tongue, you can at least be assured they will not consider pal’ing around with you ever again.

    They may know there is a problem…but they won’t admit to it or talk about it honestly…and they certainly won’t tolerate a non-black having an opinion on it.

    Report this comment

    The_Almighty_Creestof  
    • shorelineliz
      Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:45pm

      I have been in so many conversations like this, with Blacks, and white Liberals, I won’t EVER engage in any conversations like this again. This BullSh$T is so embedded as TRUTH in these two groups it is like a brick wall. They are convinced they are the ultimate victims, take NO responsibility for their failed lives, blame everyone and whine and cry. Can’t take it anymore. OH, and they drink. Up all my liquor. Try to borrow money. And are constantly broke from boozing. And drugs. And their failed lives. And oh. yeah. It’s pathetic.

      Report this comment

      shorelineliz  
    • Jake Dog2
      Posted on March 18, 2013 at 11:15pm

      II have very close “black” friends. They are not offended by political discussion. They are in some cases more conservative than I or my wife are and we are quite conservative They once live the NY black seen and know what is wrong in that community that the so called “black leaders “ are not addressing .So there are blacks out there the do not follow the LIB. agenda. Don’t put blacks all in the same box.

      Report this comment

      Jake Dog2  
    • The_Almighty_Creestof
      Posted on March 18, 2013 at 11:26pm

      @ Jake Dog2

      “Don’t put blacks all in the same box.”

      I don’t…but the vast majority seem to hop in it all by themselves. Frankly, it just isn’t worth the time or the hassle to wade through the sea of “pity partiers” to find a reasonable person.

      Report this comment

      The_Almighty_Creestof  
  • Kiba
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:37pm

    This chump even looks like a big cry baby. Typical whimpering liberal race player.

    Report this comment

    Kiba  
  • aproudinfidel
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:34pm

    Astounding that the black mayor of this cesspool of a city has the unmitigated gall to vent his racism because he doesn’t like the way white citizens feel in the city he governs. I am pretty sure that, were the roles reversed, he would be piping a different tune. Just goes to illustrate that it is perfectly fine to be a racist, as long as you are a black racist.

    Report this comment

    aproudinfidel  
  • Kiba
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:33pm

    Oh wonderfull, now white folk need permission to give our opinion on things? What this pig is whining about it the reason ppl feel the way they do. Face it folks African americans can call white folk anything they want to and even threaten us outside of polling places with clubs and that’s just fine but let one of us give an opinion and wer’e just racist trash. Welcome to the new Obama/Holder world.

    Report this comment

    Kiba  
    • shorelineliz
      Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:42pm

      he is gonna “rebuke” the magazine? the “commission” has agreed to take up the “mayor’s charge?”

      Sounds like a bunch of PHilly thugs to me. Gangstas.

      Report this comment

      shorelineliz  
  • ChiefGeorge
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:30pm

    Well if your going to explore race issues, then everyone must be included! Starting directly off by saying Being White in Philly, might as well follow that up with Being Black in Philly. But I got a sense that if they did that, then it would simply be another story about a perceived slight against someone being Black. Lets talk honest about black fathers not taking responsibility for their children….their communities. Lets talk honestly about Black on White crime and White on Black crime if there is any to talk about. Lets talk about the prisons filled to the top with black criminals far exceeding the percaptita. Lets stack up the balance sheets and see what and where the problems are. We must first start be taking some responsibility and stop blaming everyone for our problems of our own making. Lets start there.

    Report this comment

    ChiefGeorge  
  • welovetheUSA
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:25pm

    He cannot do it……….period. Cause it is free speach and the fellow who wrote the letters is a very, very nice person. Race relations can actually improve whith this kind of investigations and talking with both sides…..Mayor Mayor go away..come back when you have passed 101 laws.

    Report this comment

    welovetheUSA  
  • Whatmeworry-never
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:25pm

    Smash the 1st Amendment since throwing the 2nd under the bus has been popular lately. maybe depriving the 1st will wake up the idiot propaganda media to see reality. Without the second all the rest of the 9 Amendments of the Bill of Rights will vanish as we cannot defend them unarmed.

    Report this comment

    Whatmeworry-never  
    • WarMunger_Al
      Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:30pm

      Obama signed away the 1st amendment already, making it a federal crime to protest anywhere the secret service happens to be working. Both the 4th and 5th amendment have been routinely obliterated since 9/11, with worse infringements coming out daily. Apparently Americans don’t know the line has been crossed for a while, an the liberty tree has died from starvation.

      Report this comment

      WarMunger_Al  
    • LBRTYorDTH
      Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:33pm

      The 1st Amendment was shredded when the Obamanation administration demanded Catholics pay for abortions, sterilization, and contraception.

      Report this comment

      LBRTYorDTH  
  • TORCH9
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:25pm

    And then when I saw he was a ‘Nigerian”, it was, “oh, of course. They’re the biggest Racist”.

    Report this comment

    TORCH9  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:21pm

    One more fine example of government intimidation and pressure by coercion.

    Report this comment

    Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • quiltgal
      Posted on March 19, 2013 at 8:10am

      Yes, Nutter’s imitating Obama–intimidation, thuggery, abuse of power.

      Report this comment

      quiltgal  
    • Xyskalla
      Posted on March 19, 2013 at 1:16pm

      Nutter said, “This month Philadelphia Magazine has sunk to a new low even for a publication that has long pretended that its suburban readers were the only citizens civically engaged and socially active in the Philadelphia area.” That’s debatable, but even if it’s true, that is their right to do so. And now Nutter wants to give them even more unpleasant things to write about by trying to censor the media? You don’t prevent the viper from biting by picking it up by the tail, you don’t scare a bear away by poking it with a stick, and you don’t silence the media by attacking it on its home turf, the freedom of speech.

      Report this comment

      Xyskalla  
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