When a Media Giant Rejects Racism in the Public Sphere

abc-gold-logo” by David Guo licensed under CC BY 2.0

Source: New York Times

Earlier this week, to the shock of many, ABC ended the Roseanne show after Ms. Barr made racist comments on Twitter regarding former presidential senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, comparing her to an ape. Ms. Jarrett is a black woman who was born in Iran.

Contrary to the way such slander, racism and xenophobia has been ignored or overlooked in the past by media giants, ABC made the quick decision only hours after her tweets to end the Roseanne show.

The decision came as a shock to many after considering that ABC makes millions because of the show’s reboot. However, ABC is also receiving much deserved praise for taking racism seriously, and not standing by her comments.

When a large network like ABC decides to put money aside and place compassion and fairness at the forefront of such a major decision, it is truly setting higher standards for everyone in the entertainment and media industry. However some still believe that the media giant is only reacting in its own best interest, taking actions “a bit too late” after rebooting her show in the first place with the knowledge that Roseanne has made such comments in the past.

Read Full Story: New York Times

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