The conservative realm of the Twitterverse recently experienced a collective meltdown after The New York Times announced it hired Sarah Jeong to be its new lead technology writer and member of the editorial board. A human resource move for the newspaper wouldn’t draw so much controversy if it weren’t for a little tidbit of information pertaining to Jeong: She has a long history of racism.
Dating back to 2014, Jeong tweeted “how much joy I get out of being cruel to old white men,” white people are “only fit to live underground like groveling goblins,” and “dumba—f---ing white people marking up the Internet with their opinions like dogs pissing on fire hydrants.” This was only the tip of the iceberg, as her Twitter feed drowns in anti-white racism.
Because the backlash was so fierce, the newspaper was forced to issue a statement defending the personnel move, explaining that it only hired Jeong for her “exceptional work she has done covering the internet and technology.”
“Her journalism and the fact that she is a young Asian woman have made her a subject of frequent online harassment. For a period of time she responded to that harassment by imitating the rhetoric of her harassers. She sees now that this approach only served to feed the vitriol that we too often see on social media. She regrets it, and The Times does not condone it.
We had candid conversations with Sarah as part of our thorough vetting process, which included a review of her social media history. She understands that this type of rhetoric is not acceptable at The Times and we are confident that she will be an important voice for the editorial board moving forward.”
Jeong also responded to the criticism, pointing out that she has been the victim of online hate because she is a “woman of color on the internet.”
“I engaged in what I thought of at the time of counter-trolling. While it was intended as satire, I deeply regret that I mimicked the language of my harassers. These comments were not aimed at a general audience, because general audiences do not engage in harassment campaigns. I can understand how hurtful these posts are out of context, and would not do it again.”
Sarah Jeong
Wait a minute…
Satire? But the left said that all satire must be labeled as such, otherwise it is blatant dishonesty and spreads false information. Seriously, this is how the left lamented on a recent satirical piece by CRTV host Allie Beth Stuckey “interviewing” rising Democratic star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Why Shouldn’t the Newspaper Hire a Racist?
There are now calls that the company should terminate Jeong for her past remarks. This is a foolish demand on the part of the right, even if the newspaper participates in a good old-fashioned game of double standards.
The newspaper has a track record of publishing a diverse panoply of racist pieces. So, why should conservatives be shocked and appalled that The New York Times has hired a racist?
You would only need to swap “white” with “black” and there would be global upheaval.
And its audience seems to love it, hence its digital subscriptions are on the rise.
Here are just some of the headlines, tweets, and excerpts that The Times has run over the years:
"New Hampshire is 94% white. It is now trying to figure out how to change that."
Greg Howard writes: "In seven years of living and walking here, I’ve found that most people walk courteously — but that white women, at least when I’m in their path, do not."
"Trump Voters Driven by Fear of Losing Status, Not Economic Anxiety."
For years, Jeong posted vile, racist comments about white people – she then turns around and blames white people for her own racism. But the newspaper has mirrored that behavior. Everything from denigrating the character of President Donald Trump’s supporters to demeaning someone based on the color of their skin, the newspaper’s business model has engaged in racist rhetoric, and the hiring of Jeong only further supports that business move.
Jeong should fit right in with its bigoted corporate culture.
Do you think The New York Times should fire Sarah Jeong? Let us know in the comments section!
