By Jamaal Ryan
The mainstream news outlets have been obsessed with – soon to
be former Clippers owner – Donald Sterling who was tape recorded making
racially charged remarks regarding his girlfriend associating with Blacks
publically on Instagram. After the NBA commissioner Adam Silver brought down
swift punishment on Sterling, banned from life from all Clippers events and
fined 2.5 million, Turtle Rock’s community manager Josh Olin Tweeted this: “Here's an unpopular opinion: Donald
Sterling has the right as an American to be an old bigot in the security of his
own home. He's a victim.” To get a sense of where he’s coming from, here’s
the full recording with text of the recorded conversation between Sterling and
his girlfriend:
I’m not going to
get into the debate of the scandal in and of itself since it truly is a divisive
topic, but yet again, this is another example of poor PR awareness by a member
of the industry. From Phil Fish to Adam Orth, public figures in the industry –
or at least members of public entities in the industry – must be aware and pick
their words wisely on the internet. In an attempt to clear up collateral
damage, Olin stated this:
“Anyone who follows me knows my tweets
were not in support of Sterling's actions. Rather, they were promoting three
core tenets I believe in: 1) The harm sensational media presents to society. 2)
The importance and sanctity of your privacy within your own home. And 3) The
right to be whatever you want to be as an American, as long as it isn't hurting
anyone else. That last point not to be confused with condoning Sterling's
actions, which I don't.”
Sorry Olin, but
this comes with the territory. In an industry whose fan base is so well in
tuned with the internet and social media, none can afford to express statements
without careful consideration of public perception.
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