From Celeste Bott, State News Editor-in-Chief:
On behalf of the State News staff - and on personal level as well - I would like to sincerely apologize for this careless error. This mistake completely overshadowed a spectacular performance and caused students on this campus to feel hurt and misrepresented, which is the last thing we would ever want to do. I also want to thank everyone who spoke out about the photo on social media and visited our newsroom yesterday afternoon for holding us accountable. I hope that dialogue continues.
From Erin Hampton, State News photo editor:
"As the photo editor of The State News, I apologize for overlooking such a distasteful photo and allowing it to be published in yesterday's paper. I did not notice the hand gesture in the celebration photo during my editing process and should have been more careful to analyze the photo in its entirety. The photo's publishing was a mistake and I didn't mean to cause Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., any harm. As a black woman and a journalist, I understand how crucial it is to be mindful of how black men are portrayed in the media. A photo like the ones we have published today is a better representation. In the future, I will be much more careful in my editing. Thank you."
Support student media!
Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
Discussion
Share and discuss “An apology to our readers: Omega Psi Phi photo should never have been published” on social media.
