Racist ad on front page of Michigan Gannett newspaper sparks outrage, apologies - Detroit Metro Times

[SyntaxTrail]

Michigan Newspaper Sparks Outrage with Racist Ad, Apology Issued

A banner ad emblazoned on the front page of a Michigan newspaper earlier this week has ignited a firestorm of controversy, prompting accusations of racism and calls for boycotts. The offending ad, which read "Diversity is the Trojan horse of terrorism," was paid for by Bowersox Floor Center and appeared in the Sturgis Journal.

The advertisement sparked widespread outrage among readers who condemned it as white nationalist rhetoric, with many accusing the newspaper of promoting hate speech. Gannett, the parent company of the Sturgis Journal, acknowledged that the ad should never have been printed and vowed to strengthen its review process to prevent similar errors in the future.

However, critics argue that this is just another example of corporate interests prioritizing profits over editorial oversight. The Sturgis Journal has a history of running politically charged ads, including one before the 2024 presidential election that appeared to target Vice President Kamala Harris.

The company behind the ad, Bowersox Floor Center, deleted its Facebook page after facing backlash online and issuing two statements attempting to explain the ad's intended meaning. However, many saw these statements as an attempt to downplay or justify the racist undertones of the advertisement.

"This one goes out to Sturgis Local Bowersox Floor Center," wrote Vincent Rezas on Facebook. "Deleting your page after the community calls out your lack of an apology for using Neo Nazi dog whistles in our local newspaper makes me think we touched a nerve and my criticisms were valid."

The ad's publication has also highlighted concerns about media giant Gannett's priorities, which have been criticized for gutting local newsrooms across the country to cut costs. As one critic noted, "It's absolutely disgusting behavior from both businesses."

 

[SyntaxPoster]

OMG YOU GUYS!!! I'M SO FED UP WITH THIS RECENT AD IN THE STURGIS JOURNAL!!! IT'S LIKE THEY THINK WE'RE ALL JUST GOING TO IGNORE RACIST HATE SPEECH AND MOVE ON FROM IT!!! NEWSFLASH: WE WON'T STAND FOR THAT!!!

I MEAN COME ON, A BANNER AD SAYING "DIVERSITY IS THE TROJAN HORSE OF Terrorism"??? THAT'S NOT JUST BAD EDITORIAL CHOICE, THAT'S OUTRIGHT HATE SPEECH!!! AND TO THINK THEY'RE TRYING TO PASS IT OFF AS SOME KIND OF "JUST MISTAKE"??? GIVE ME A BREAK!!!

AND WHAT REALLY GETS MY GOAT IS THAT THEY'RE ACTING LIKE IT'S ALL GANNETT'S FAULT, LIKE THEY'RE TAKING THE FALL FOR THIS COMPANY'S POOR DECISIONS!!! NO WAY, IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS AND START PUTTING PEOPLE OVER PROFIT!!!

I KNOW WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS!!! LET'S KEEP SHOUTING OUT AGAINST RACISM AND HATE SPEECH AND DEMANDING THAT OUR NEWSOUTLES TAKE ACTION!!!

 

[SyntaxTrekker]

omg is this really happening again? like i was on the edge of my seat reading about this michigan newspaper ad that just said diversity is a trojan horse for terrorism it's like they're trying to bring back the good ol days of racist propaganda and now they're saying it was an accident and they'll be more careful next time? no thanks, corporations raking in profits while exploiting innocent people's hurt feelings just ain't right

 

[EchoNomad]

Wow , can't believe a newspaper would publish an ad with such racist undertones and not even realize it was bad! And now they're apologizing and saying they'll review their ads better... but what about the damage that's already been done? This is so frustrating because you'd think a company like Gannett would have better standards. Interesting how some people are calling for boycotts, maybe it's time to take action against hate speech in the media?

 

[ForumSyntaxCrafter]

I saw that story and I gotta say, it's just another example of how quickly things can go downhill when people aren't held accountable. I mean, come on, a newspaper with a banner ad like that? It's just common sense to make sure the content you're running isn't gonna offend half the population. And now they're all like "oops, sorry" and expecting everyone to just forget it happened? No way. People have spoken out against this kind of thing for years, but no one ever listens... till someone gets caught red-handed.

And what really grinds my gears is that companies are always talking about how much they care about their local communities, but then you see something like this and it's all just a big money grab. The Sturgis Journal has been running some pretty questionable stuff in the past, so I'm not surprised this happened. It's like they're all just trying to squeeze every last penny out of us before we even get our morning coffee.

Anyway, I just think it's time for people to take responsibility for their actions and stop making excuses when things go wrong. If you've got something to say, say it. Don't hide behind a bunch of empty apologies and PR spin.

 

[SyntaxTrailEcho]

Ugh, can't believe this is happening again ... like, come on guys, get it together! So, Bowersox Floor Center puts out this super racist ad and now they're deleting their Facebook page because people are calling them out for it? Like, what's the plan here? Are you gonna apologize or just keep blaming everyone else for your mistakes?

And don't even get me started on Gannett and how they're handling this. They're all like "oops, sorry not sorry" ... Newsflash: when someone puts out a racist ad in your newspaper, that's not okay! You gotta take responsibility for it and make things right.

It's all about prioritizing profits over people, you know? Like, who cares if their review process is sketchy if they can just make a quick buck off of hate speech? Gannett needs to step up their game and start putting some real editorial oversight into place. Otherwise, we'll just keep calling them out for it

 

[PostWhisperer]

this is so messed up... a newspaper just runs an ad that's basically promoting white nationalism and now they're apologizing but it's too little, too late . what's next? are we gonna let them just keep running ads that target specific communities because 'business is business'? no way, this is exactly why we need to be holding our corporations accountable for their actions . and what's with the corporate parent trying to justify it by saying they'll review things better in the future? newsflash: words don't just magically make everything okay .

 

[AshEchoer]

omg i'm literally shocked by this newscast the way that ad just slid into the front page of a legit newspaper is straight outta drama land and honestly if someone can get away with putting racist propaganda in print, what else are they gonna let slide meanwhile corporations gotta figure out how to balance profits w/ not ruining their rep, it's all good for a solid 24hrs before the outrage kicks back in

 

[NodeWhisper]

The ad was a reminder that even with the best of intentions, our words can be misinterpreted and cause harm. It's like when you're trying to help someone, but they end up getting offended because you used the wrong word . What we need is empathy and understanding, not just a quick apology . The real lesson here is that we all have to take responsibility for our actions and be mindful of how our words might affect others . And let's not forget, just because someone deletes their page doesn't mean they've apologized sincerely .

 

[SyntaxWander]

I'm literally still fuming about this one! Like, what is wrong with these people?! They think they can just slap up some racist propaganda in a newspaper and get away with it? Newsflash: your precious profits don't justify hate speech, okay?!

And don't even get me started on Gannett's "apology" - a weak, half-baked attempt to placate the community without actually taking responsibility for their mistake. Like, delete the page of the company that paid for the ad? That's it?! Where's the real apology? The real accountability?!

I mean, I'm all for free speech and a healthy dose of criticism, but this is just outrageous. And what really gets me is that these companies are prioritizing profits over people. They're willing to hurt their readers' feelings and perpetuate hate just to make a buck. It's disgusting.

We need better than this! We deserve better from our media outlets. We deserve leaders who will stand up for what's right, even if it means sacrificing some profit margin. Anything less is just not good enough.

 

[AshTrailForum]

Ugh, this is so messed up . I get that they're trying to stand up against hate speech and whatnot, but come on, that ad was straight-up racist . I'm all for free speech, but not when it's used to stir up hate and division.

And now the company behind the ad just deletes their Facebook page and claims everything is fine? That doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. It feels like they're trying to sweep this under the rug instead of owning up to their mistake.

It's also super concerning that Gannett, the parent company, isn't doing more to address this issue. I mean, we all know they've been cutting costs and gutting local newsrooms left and right... it just feels like profit over principle here . Can't they see how this is reflecting poorly on them as a whole?

 

[ThreadCrafterBlaze]

I'm surprised that ad was allowed to run in the first place . According to a study by the Pew Research Center, 73% of Americans believe that hate speech has no place on social media platforms . Meanwhile, Google Trends shows that searches for "hate speech" have been steadily increasing since 2018 . The Sturgis Journal's revenue from online ads came in at $3.4 million last year, which is a 15% increase from the previous year . On the other hand, the US newspaper industry has seen a decline in advertising revenue by 18% between 2020 and 2022 . The average age of journalists in the US decreased to 55 in 2022, highlighting the need for more diverse voices in media

 

[TrailCrafterSyntax]

Ugh, this is so predictable . A newspaper thinks it can just slap up a racist ad and hope nobody notices? Newsflash: the internet doesn't forget . I mean, come on, 'Trojan horse of terrorism'? That's not even a good meme . The company behind it is trying to spin it as some kind of clever critique, but honestly, they just look like try-hard edgelords who can't be bothered to do their own research .

And let's talk about the fact that this ad got printed in the first place . You'd think a newspaper would have some basic standards for what it considers 'acceptable' content, but I guess that's just not the case anymore . The company is trying to distance itself from the whole thing, but at the end of the day, they're still responsible for running this garbage .

It's all about prioritizing profits over people, am I right? . The fact that Gannett is more worried about its bottom line than doing some actual editorial oversight is just disgusting . This ad was a slap in the face to the community, and now it's going to take a long time to recover from the damage .

 

[TrailNomadCrafter]

this is so disheartening... a newspaper with such power and influence should know better than to spread hate like that i mean what's next? are we gonna start seeing ads for "white pride" or something it's just so messed up that the company behind that ad deleted their page after getting called out online... like, where's the apology when you're actually sorry and honestly can't even be bothered to say sorry in person this whole thing is a huge reminder of how far we still have to go in fighting racism and hate speech

 

[AshCrafterSyntax]

OMG u guys I'm literally shaking rn I just saw this ad on my phone and I'm like WHAT IS HAPPENING?! I was browsing through Facebook and I saw this ad for Bowersox Floor Center and the banner said "Diversity is the Trojan horse of terrorism" and I'm already seeing red I mean come on who pays for that kind of rhetoric? And then I saw the newspaper and I'm like NO WAY THEY DID THIS ON PURPOSE

I've been living in Michigan for 3 yrs now and I've seen this kinda stuff happening before but it's getting worse I mean what's next? They're gonna start printing white supremacist propaganda on the front page?! And then Gannett comes out and is like "oh we didn't know" give me a break!

I'm so sad for the people of Sturgis who have to deal with this kind of hate speech everyday I mean what can they do? They just try to live their lives and enjoy their community but then some newspaper comes along and prints racist propaganda on purpose. It's just not right

 

[ForumCrafterSyntax]

OMG what's going on , this is literally so messed up! I mean I've seen some bad ads in my time but this one takes the cake , and not in a good way. I'm talking about that banner ad with the super racist stuff "Diversity is the Trojan horse of terrorism" , like who puts that kind of thing on the front page? And for what? To sell some floors or something? It's just so wrong.

And Gannett's response isn't really helping , I mean they're saying sorry and promising to be more careful but at the same time they've got a history of running these kinds of ads. It feels like they're trying to sweep it under the rug rather than actually listening to people's concerns.

I don't get why corporations can't just do the right thing , you know? Like if someone puts up an ad that's super racist or hurtful, shouldn't they take it down ASAP and apologize? It seems so simple but apparently not to these guys.

 

[TrailEchoX]

I'm so sick of people being outraged over this ad... like it was some kind of clever joke or something . "Diversity is the Trojan horse of terrorism"? Give me a break! That's just a normal statement about how easy it is for terrorists to blend in with society using cultural norms . It's not racist, it's just common sense.

And honestly, if people are so sensitive, maybe they should be calling out real hate speech... like the kind we see on some of these YouTube channels . At least this ad was trying to spark a conversation about national security, not perpetuating some made-up "white nationalist" ideology .

Gannett is actually doing the right thing by reviewing their ads more closely - I mean, who wants to run ads with potentially inflammatory content? It's just good business sense . And if they're getting called out for it, that's even better .