In recent weeks, several stories have riled readers who have accused The Star of perpetrating negative stereotypes.
Toronto’s Alan Fletcher called upset at an editorial about Premier Mike Harris that used the word welching, referring to withholding money.
“It is a derogatory term and a slur against Welsh people, and should not be used in The Star,” Fletcher said.
Though it can be found in some dictionaries, the term originated as a negative stereotype directed at Welsh people and should be avoided.
Reader Linda Townson was irked by a comment in a Starweek magazine piece that called Princess Diana’s good teeth “remarkable . . . considering she was British.”
“I’d like to know where (the writer) gets her information from. It’s very stereotypical,” Townson said.
She fired off an e-mail saying the remarks struck her as “ignorant, insulting and totally spurious.”
Though the column was written with wit and was intended as satire, this generic jab at the British did go a bit too far. The Star certainly avoids stereotypes against other groups and the British deserve the same treatment.
Several people wrote and called to complain about the term “militant” when used in a recent column to describe a group of local Muslims.
Although the substance of the column – about a debate over including the Holocaust in the school curriculum – is completely appropriate, I have some problems with the use of the adjective “militant.” The group of 100 or so protesting Muslim parents who showed up at the recent school board meeting were no different than any other group of outspoken, angry parents. Militant usually connotes “radically political.” A different description would have been better.
Another call came from a reader of Indo-Caribbean origin who is a regular participant in the annual Caribana festival.
He complained The Star’s coverage of the festival does not always reflect the diverse nature of the Caribbean. He pointed out that there are many Indian, Chinese, Asian and white Caribbeans who participate in the festival. He said The Star coverage portrayed it as a largely African festival.
Coverage leading up to this weekend’s celebration has reflected some festival organizers’ reaction to controversial remarks made by Mayor Mel Lastman about Africans. But in general, The Star has always portrayed the full diversity of the festival. A recent opinion piece clearly described the festivals as a “fusion of . . . Trinidad French-Creole Mardi Gras and Afro-Creole elements.”
Mississauga’s Darryl Philip wrote his concerns about a July 28 story about “Black on Black” crime.
“As a black Canadian, born and raised in Canada, it really upsets me the way the media continue to show such bias and racism. Never . . . have I ever seen a single headline or subtitle about “white on white” crime. Using a race label to report violent crime is unfair if you are not going to do it for all groups.”
The Star’s policy is not to link race and crime unless it is pertinent to the story. Editors in this case decided recent shootings merited further analysis.
City editor Jonathan Ferguson took issue with some elements of the piece, mainly the headline.
“I think Mr. Philip is justified in his concerns. The headline was ill-conceived and I regret that we used it.”
This spate of complaints from readers of many backgrounds highlights the need for more caution. Though the paper is committed to sensitive and fair coverage, there is still room for improvement.
