MEMPHIS, Tenn. — There is so much that is disturbing about a clearly offensive ad attacking Muslims that ran in a Nashville newspaper over the weekend, I hardly know where to start.
Without question, people in the advertising department at the Tennessean dropped the ball – allowing a defamatory ad to appear in the Sunday print edition. The ad features images of President Trump and Pope Francis in front of burning U.S. flags. It asserts some sort of religious prophecy predicting a nuclear attack on Nashville by Islam. The ad was purchased by an Arkansas-based group calling itself Future for America.
Monday, the Tennessean announced that an advertising manager has been fired. And the newspaper’s parent company, Gannett, is refunding the $14,000 that Future for America paid for the ad. Gannett is also donating another $14,000 to Nashville-based American Muslim Advisory Council – and is giving the council $50,000 in advertising credit. That’s all good.
But let’s not gloss over the fact that this incident speaks to larger issues of systemic bigotry. And probably a lack of diversity. The newspaper pointed out that the ad department is an independent operation with no interaction with journalists. But that does not excuse the lack of oversight on content – whether it’s news or advertising.
We’re seeing far too much hatred and bigotry in society. It is the media’s job to help eliminate hate. Not add to it. And that’s my point of view.