Dear Reader:
This piece is likely to cause discussion and maybe controversy. I certainly hope so.
There has been nothing of note about it in the in the press except to report its occurrence.
Wendy Mesley was (still is, I hope, but we’re not sure) a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reporter and news host. Has been for many years on radio and TV.
She is excellent.
The CBC recently investigated Wendy Mesley’s allegedly “racist” comment in a production meeting.
Time passed with no details. Just vague maunderings.
Finally, this:
“…an internal investigation found she used “offensive language on two separate occasions during editorial meetings,” both the host and CBC confirmed.
Reprimanded, she was forced to apologize.
Background:
In 1968, a Quebec author, Pierre Vallieres wrote a book.
Nègres blancs d’Amérique, translated into English as White Niggers of America. The book compared the historical situation of French-Canadians to that of African-Americans at the height of the latter’s civil rights struggles, where Vallières argued the parallels between the two peoples as an exploited lower class.” (Wikipedia)
Apparently, in a production meeting, she said the book’s title aloud or she used the word aloud.
More recently she used the word again in a production meeting asking whether the use of the word should be discussed as worthy of a story related to the murder of George Floyd.
Should the program do a story on the” N” word usage, she offered, saying THE word again.
Someone in the meeting accused her of racism by saying it.
She did nothing of the sort.
Mesley’s point was whether the use of the “N” word in this (or any instance) should be discussed or not.
Of course, it should, but you can’t discuss a thing without naming it.
She could have used the initial “N” you might suggest.
But THAT story would have no substance because almost everyone takes evasive action and uses the initial in order NOT to discuss the real word.
I sent a short version of this to prominent daily newspapers.
Not a peep.
She was called on it by a production assistant who was in the meeting in question.
That is wrongheaded.
There is enough real racism without characterizing a discussion ON racism as an act of OF racism.
Especially in a news and public affairs context when the intent was clearly to call attention to an issue.
Mesley was just doing her job.
This wrongly taints her reputation.
Re-education is required, but not by Mesley.
The production assistant, on the other hand, requires some journalistic education.
So does the CBC.
The PA and the CBC should apologize to Mesley.
Mesley might want to consider suing.
