Subscribe to my Feed
« Was AIG’s Board of Directors asleep at the switch? | Home | Kudos to Dove for its Campaign for Real Beauty »
Why did it take Fox News so long to apologize to Canada?
By Lauren | March 24, 2009
There have been so many public apologies lately, you’d think that folks who work in the news media would have the basics down by now. That’s why it’s both surprising and disheartening that Fox News dragged its feet for days before finally apologizing to Canadians for a string of offensive comments made by a late-night talk show panel. A segment that aired last week on “Red Eye with Greg Gutfield” featured a stream of bad jokes suggesting that Canadian soldiers were weak or effeminate; one panelist even revealed that he’d had no idea that the Canadian military has been bravely fighting alongside our troops in Afghanistan since 2001.
The jokes were sophomorically nasty and the timing couldn’t have been worse. 116 Canadian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan so far, and four were brought home for a repatriation ceremony just last Friday. So, why did it take Fox News until today to apologize, and then only after receiving a demand for an apology from the Canadian government? Bad form, to say the least.
There are lots of wonderful targets for humor of every variety, but fallen soldiers aren’t among them. America is very fortunate to have such a loyal and kindly neighbor to the north, and Canadian troops deserve every bit as much respect as their American counterparts. If Fox personnel even glanced at the Internet (where Canadian outrage has been building to the boiling point) the “Red Eye” panelists had to know days ago that they’d stepped in it. By waiting this long to apologize Fox looks grudging at best, snide at worst. Come on, folks - surely you can do better.
Topics: Apologies, Business Ethics, ethics |