Here’s the Deal With Reporting Guidelines on Jeremy Lin From the Asian American Journalists Association
- Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:05pm by
Mike Opelka
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The Jeremy Lin saga continues.
On Thursday, the Asian American Journalists Association posted something on their website that has confused many professionals in the media. It gave guidelines for journalists on how to cover Asians in the news, like New York Knicks star Jeremy Lin, and how to avoid pitfalls dealing with his race, like ESPN’s recent headline use of the phrase “chink in the armor.” As you read them, you might think this is a joke, but it’s not. And that’s why we contacted the AAJA and talked with them. It was an interesting conversation.
But more on that conversation later. First, let’s review the terms and topics considered to be “Danger Zones” by the AAJA when reporting on Mr. Lin or any other Asian sports figure.
By the way, the online posting was advertised with a tweet to all journalists:
But since the guidelines have driven so much traffic to the AAJA’s website, its servers have crashed. Several attempts to access their web pages have resulted in this message appearing on my screen:
Fortunately, we captured the pages before the rules disappeared.
From the AAJA post:
DANGER ZONES
“CHINK”: Pejorative; do not use in a context involving an Asian person on someone who is Asian American. Extreme care is needed if using the well-trod phrase “chink in the armor”; be mindful that the context does not involve Asia, Asians or Asian Americans. (The appearance of this phrase with regard to Lin led AAJA MediaWatch to issue a statement to ESPN, which subsequently disciplined its employees.)
So the AAJA has deemed that “chink in the armor” is legitimate when used in any application that does not include Asia, Asians or Asian Americans? That seems to be confusing. And it should also be clarified that ESPN “disciplined” one employee and terminated another. The badly timed use of the term “chink in the armor” cost a man his job.
The rules continue:
DRIVING: This is part of the sport of basketball, but resist the temptation to refer to an “Asian who knows how to drive.”
As might be expected, comics are having a field day with this. Friday morning on SiriusXM satellite radio, Australian comedian Jim Jeffries wondered why a film called “White Men Can’t Jump” is okay, but any reference connecting Asians to bad driving is an offensive stereotype that must be avoided.
Here’s another:
EYE SHAPE: This is irrelevant. Do not make such references if discussing Lin’s vision.
I have to completely agree with this one:
FOOD: Is there a compelling reason to draw a connection between Lin and fortune cookies, takeout boxes or similar imagery? In the majority of news coverage, the answer will be no.
The deeper we get into the list of hot zones when reporting on Lin or any Asian athlete is now bordering on hog-tying the writers and reporters. And it is about to get worse. Read on:
MARTIAL ARTS: You’re writing about a basketball player. Don’t conflate his skills with judo, karate, tae kwon do, etc. Do not refer to Lin as “Grasshopper” or similar names associated with martial-arts stereotypes.
“ME LOVE YOU LIN TIME”: Avoid. This is a lazy pun on the athlete’s name and alludes to the broken English of a Hollywood caricature from the 1980s.
“YELLOW MAMBA”: This nickname that some have used for Lin plays off the “Black Mamba” nickname used by NBA star Kobe Bryant. It should be avoided. Asian immigrants in the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries were subjected to discriminatory treatment resulting from a fear of a “Yellow Peril” that was touted in the media, which led to legislation such as the Chinese Exclusion Act.
Like me, you might have been a little perplexed by the guidelines. So I reached out to the media watch group at AAJA and had an enlightening conversation with one of their co-chairs, Jam Sardar.
Sardar addressed my concerns and also was very clear on the topic of the termination of the ESPN headline writer, Anthony Federico. According to Sardar, “AAJA never asked for anyone to be fired.” Mr. Sardar was also reminded that AAJA has not asked ESPN to reconsider its firing of Mr. Federico.
The letter sent from AAJA to ESPN opened like this:
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 and 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.
Note, the apology was appreciated, but not accepted.
After reading the rules and speaking with Jam Sardar, I asked what the AAJA’s stance is on people like television personality and comedian Suzanne Whang? Who is Whang? She is the media personality who hosts HGTV’s highly-rated “House Hunters.”
Suzanne Whang refers to herself as "Little. Yellow. Different. Better."
Look at the top graphic on her website. Ms. Whang has refers to herself as “Little. Yellow. Different. Better.”
You may not recall it, but “Little. Yellow. Different. Better” is an homage to an ad campaign for the pain killer Nuprin.
This is a Nuprin commercial from 1987:
Does the AAJA have a problem with Suzanne Whang’s website? Mr. Sardar was not aware of Ms. Whang and therefore had no knowledge of her website. He did stress that his organization was primarily focused on journalists and journalism. Therefore, this situation was really not his concern. He did say that quoting Suzanne’s depiction of herself was acceptable, but had we chosen to categorize her in that same manner, we would have crossed the line.
I asked if that might be considered a double standard along the lines of black people who think using the n-word is okay for black people and not for whites or others. Sardar reminded me that he was a media watcher for journalism and not entertainment. Again, he stated that it would be appropriate to quote Suzanne Whang’s description of herself, but should I be using the same terms to describe her, I would be considered in violation of their guidelines.
Interesting, indeed.
Author’s note — Full disclosure: I worked with Ms. Whang during my tenure at Fox TV. She is a brilliant, relentless woman with a wicked sense of humor and is also a fearless defender of her Asian heritage. Whang once delayed an entire production crew to try and convince the owners of a Florida restaurant named “Chinee-Takee-Outee” that the name of their establishment was racist.
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Comments (70)
thetreyman
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 10:23pmdrumstick and your brain stops tickin’
Report Post »Watchin’ X-Files with no lights on
COFemale
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 9:42pmSome people just need to grow a spine. As my mom said to me. You can call me anything, just don’t call me late for dinner.
Report Post »nzkiwi
Posted on February 26, 2012 at 3:40amMy wife is chinese.
Her opinion of the asian journalist association thing was expressed with one word:
“Idiots.”
Report Post »USAF2003
Posted on February 26, 2012 at 7:31amAAJA, you seem to “slant” in one direction for whites and “slant” in another for “yellow” ppl. Wat up wit dat?
Report Post »poorrichard09
Posted on February 26, 2012 at 8:14amThey forgot the word slant, as in “so what’s your slant (opinion/insight) on the game Bob?” D’oh!
Report Post »grannyrecipe
Posted on February 26, 2012 at 8:58amAnnouncer:
“Here we go folks, 3 seconds left on the clock as Masters approaches the top of the key with the ball.
Report Post »Wait a minute folks, there he goes again, Lin snatches the ball from Masters hand exposing a ***** in Masters armor and is driving erratically down the court, stops short of the key, and shoots. It’s a three pointer folks! That’s the end of the game folks. Lin has railroaded the Barons once again! I have to squint to even see what’s just happened here! Wanton disregard for ball handling by Masters! Lin’s chop sticks it to them again and gives the Barons a second take out in the last month in the last seconds of the game. Boy! the laundry list of accomplishes by Lin lately has given the Barons’ a season that can only be described as sweet and sour!
Rayblue
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 8:57pmI want new guidelines when ya’ll address me.
Report Post »(1) When replying, don’t tell me to go away.
(2) When telling me to go away, don’t scream at the top of your lungs. It‘s been proven that I can’t hear you.
(3) When screaming at the top of your lungs, don’t type nonsensical words like the rose ellenish “genocididal”.
copatriots
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 9:19pmI’m offended by the use of BLUE in your screen name. I am good with spelling but often make unintended grammatical errors. GO AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!! Did I just break all of your rules? hehehe
Good point and post!
Report Post »disenlightened
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 9:28pmI read the article, and now I‘m dying for an egg roll and can’t pronounce my L’s.
Report Post »auntmoxie.com
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 8:48pmWe have truly lost all capacity for reasonable, rational, intelligent dialogue and critical thinking. I give us 20 years ’til we’re all walking around with tape on our mouths, lest we offend some fool.
Report Post »mickd
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 8:45pmMore PC BS? Asians are usually above this garbage! Usually blacks, muslims, and gays are the only ones making fools of theirselves demanding special treatment, Oh Well.
Report Post »mccracken
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 9:17pmFrom Time magazine during Lin’s college days:
Some people still can’t look past his ethnicity. Everywhere he plays, Lin is the target of cruel taunts. “It’s everything you can imagine,” he says. “Racial slurs, racial jokes, all having to do with being Asian.” Even at the Ivy League gyms? “I’ve heard it at most of the Ivies if not all of them,” he says. Lin is reluctant to mention the specific nature of such insults, but according to Harvard teammate Oliver McNally, another Ivy League player called him a C word that rhymes with ink during a game last season. On Dec. 23, during Harvard’s 86-70 loss to Georgetown in Washington, McNally says, one spectator yelled “Sweet-and-sour pork!” from the stands.
Report Post »eramthgin
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 8:39pmSome people just can’t let go of racism. They just have to be offended.
My rule…..no one can make you feel bad about yourself except for yourself.
Report Post »Santorum_is_a_douchebag
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 8:32pmWho cares
13th Generation American
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 8:13pmOr in other words, don’t say anything Archie Bunker or your average Blaze reader would say and you should be fine.
Report Post »thetreyman
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 10:45pmyou mean like, you are a little creep that makes out with your mother. come to think of it everyone else does too.
Report Post »LANE131
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 8:09pmHey, i already have the best guide line in the would, the US constitution, that and the bible.
Report Post »LANE131
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 9:52pmopps i meant world, sorry
Report Post »Unc68
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 8:06pmHahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Report Post »wyshoe
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 7:51pmThis is very interesting there is a Basket Ball Film call Kung Fu Dunk So i guess it is ok if your making a movie and selling to Americans so just saying the movie name i am in violation call the social justice free speech cops. here is the link to the movie below to prove i am not making things up
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0848538/
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 7:39pmThe commentators should just go silent when he touches the ball to stay out of trouble. If he scores, just say two points for the knickerbockers…oh wait…is a knickerbocker a racist word too?
Hope no one drops silverware while he is playing. They might throw them in jail for the sound it makes.
Report Post »thetreyman
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 10:30pmyes, i believe they used to be called the New York Separate but Equals owned by Mr. Whitey McSlaveholder.
Report Post »jungle J
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 7:35pmat least no one called him a ****.
Report Post »jhaydeng
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 7:48pmI’m sorry for offending so many people in my life! Please take this moment to kiss my lower extremity connected to my hip adjacent to my L1 and L2 vertabrae!
Report Post »bikerr
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 7:23pm@-I wonder how long it will be that the states with Indian names will be told to by the PC liberals to change them ?. North Dakota for example…….. Crap.
Report Post »randy
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 9:21pmYeah I‘m sure the East Dakotans and the West Dakotans are a little upset they don’t have a state named after them….. From this day forward, let’s all refer to California as West Dakota and New York as East Dakota.
Report Post »TheBurningTruth
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 7:04pmAhhh, back to the “I can call myself a bleep, but you can’t” mantra. All the “you can’t judge me, but I can judge you” garbage from the Progressive Liberal minds.
It’s called controlling the dialog so the Progressives get their propaganda out while blocking others. Did you know that while there are white-on-black, white-on-hispanic, white-on-asian hate crimes, that there are NO hispanic-on-white hate crimes? Those are redefined as “white-on-white”. In other words, hispanics can ONLY be victims. And while there are technically black-on-white hate crimes, they‘re virtually NEVER charged which means they effectively don’t exist.
The Chinese USED to be honest hardworking people that “turned the other cheek” and pretty much ignored this garbage while focusing on improving themselves. Now they’ve learned to “play the victim” as well. Being the victim grants one special advantages. The blacks and hispanics have known this for decades, and now the Chinese are learning it. If only whites could get victim-hood status, then we’d all be equal again!
Report Post »TheObamanation
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 7:00pmFamily guy has way more offensive stuff than that … watch “ Tiegs for two ” about washie washie … the chinese laundry owner …
Report Post »thetreyman
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 10:33pmum, they are liberals so they can say whatever they want. i thought everyone knew that.
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:41pmLet the light shine on people’s hearts.
Report Post »godhatesacoward
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:38pmHeard Joe Pags and Jason ranting about this today! Funny stuff! “Me love you Lin time!” Awesome!
Report Post »rsanchez1
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:38pmWell, now I have material to tell jokes to my Asian friends.
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:37pmWouldn‘t the Nation and world just be so much better if people would just do what’s in their heart?
Report Post »TheBurningTruth
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:55pmPretty stupid comment here. There are a lot of hearts out there with hate and violence in them. There are serial killers and psychopaths that see nothing wrong with killing others for a few bucks. We even have a president that sees nothing wrong in stealing wealth from those that earned it just to give it others that never bothered to learn how to read or count change.
You might have a pure heart and do the “right thing” but there are plenty of others out there that would use that as an excuse to do anything.
Report Post »BRONZESTAR
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 7:29pm@ TheBurntToast
“Pretty stupid comment here” Me thinks not
The darkness is great in this ones heart (the burning truth) esp. from you first post. Hate and darkness is what I see.
Report Post »patspeak
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:37pmWhat has happened to what and how the Declaration of Independence and The United States Constitution was formed? Those brave Patriots warned us long ago about this newly formed Republic….it is written for all to see. Open your eyes and study history. All nit-whit liberal troils need not apply for history course. You have been expelled and dismissed from class! You hate America you losers, and always will. Go home all you OWS crowd to your loser parents and thank them for your stupidity. The Blaze comment posters like a trace of intelligence.
Report Post »Wat Tyler
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:30pmI like the way these Orwellian PC groups try to dictate Newspeak to us.
What I really find amazing is how the servers have crashed from all the liberal sheeple dying to be indoctrinated into some new group think.
Pardon me while I puke.
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:23pmHow about they just don’t do any reporting on him at all?
Report Post »CatB
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:38pmThat’s what I would do .. say nothing and they can’t take “offense” right .. btw .. has Lin said anything about how RIDICULOUS this was? .. it is a very old saying and has nothing to do with race .. it was about a mark in you armor (a FLAW) .. geez people get over yourselves!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:23pmI judge a person upon… their Chacter, History, and Point of View…
Report Post »marthasusan40
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:17pmWake up America, we have arrived and have truly lost Freedom of Speech.
Report Post »oldguy49
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 6:23pmyep and in california you get fined $1000 for throwing a football or frisbe on the beach….now they want to outlaw smoking outdoors..including private property………….do not come to my home and tell me to put it out without a lot of body armour
Report Post »kentuckypatriot
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 7:23pmI was thinking the same thing. I thought we had freedom of speech. Guess not! I wonder if anyone asked this Lin guy what he thought of all this PC crap, and what NOT to say when writing about him. Dang, they act like he’s protected territory.
Report Post »randy
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 9:25pmAnd if they do come and try to tell you what to do, I hope and pray for their sake, they don’t have a “***** IN THEIR ARMOR” LOL
Report Post »randy
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 9:29pmOooooops my bad. I guess you can’t use the word Chlnk anymore since they edited my post with ******’s
Report Post »