UPDATE, August 18, 2014: The Times changed the headline on its digital site.
We have been saying this year that the lack of diverse editors at The New York Times is really showing and becoming more and more common. While the country’s “paper of record” has some solid Latin@ reporters on staff, when it comes to actual editors who are responsible for final copy and final headlines, the Times continues to fail.
Maybe after today’s Twitter headline debacle, the Times might wake up. Here is what happened. Earlier today, the Times’ Twitter page tweeted out the following headline and story:
Latinos Move Up, From Picking Crops to Running the Farm http://t.co/OZnIBKVNEE
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 17, 2014
As you might imagine:
“@nytimes: Latinos Move Up, From Picking Crops to Running the Farm http://t.co/DeGMhNDlvF” is this really a head line?
— Kimberly Archie (@kimberlyarchie) August 17, 2014
@nytimes this is kind of racist
— Eddie Ptiček (@EddzPticek) August 17, 2014
@EddzPticek @nytimes lol who thought of that headline
— Kyle (@HailToTheReds) August 17, 2014
@nytimes because we ALL start picking crops right? SMH. Another racist headline to add to the collection.
— Luciana V. (@lucianavee) August 17, 2014
@nytimes we are flatterred??? Uh, I think. Idiot
— Jesse Castaneda, Jr. (@castanedabail) August 17, 2014
And if this was in a paper I assigned #Phrasing “@nytimes: Latinos Move Up, From Picking Crops to Running the Farm http://t.co/OqJ0cn2dQx”
— Jonathan Wharton (@PreppyProf) August 17, 2014
This headline ain't it. RT @nytimes: Latinos Move Up, From Picking Crops to Running the Farm http://t.co/8I23F5WNmA
— Michael Arceneaux (@youngsinick) August 17, 2014
@nytimes what a shitty headline!
— Lexi Martinez (@lexiilove) August 17, 2014
@latinorebels @nytimes @Sulliview @julito77 Oh, NYT that is really awful.
— Lisa Bonchek Adams (@AdamsLisa) August 17, 2014
@latinorebels @nytimes @Sulliview oh wow.. disgusting.
— EastAfrica'sVO (@BloOmBabyXo) August 17, 2014
what the actual fuck RT @latinorebels The New York Times can suck it. Today's headline. http://t.co/kNUYX6Ncr5
— maria sherman (@mariasherm) August 17, 2014
Seriously wtf RT @latinorebels: The New York Times can suck it. Today's headline. http://t.co/jRFinXG74T
— Bee (@Beelightfull) August 17, 2014
And so on and so on.
The problem is that the headline has now become the story, instead of (wait for it) the actual story. The actual story, as you might imagine, is not so simplistic. That’s the problem with the headline. It missed the central point of the story. For example, the story included a video called “From Field to Front Office.” That would have been an improvement. Or what about “Latino-Owned US Farms Increase 21% in Past Five Years?”
Proving once again that even though you have strong stories, a headline goes a long way—especially in the digital news space. Editors matter just as much as reporters. Whoever came up with that headline did a disservice to the published story.
There were so many other ways to phrase that headline. Too bad the Times’ editors failed on this one. Again.
By the way, one profile raised some good points about the actual story as well:
Hispanic prosperity has advanced beyond agriculture. Stop perpetuating the"crop-picking" stereotype #nytimes http://t.co/lyVpYZhYvo
— Ana Rosa Quintana (@Ana_R_Quintana) August 17, 2014
@latinorebels especially when construction and manufacturing compromise the majority of Hispanic owned businesses. Agriculture? About 1%
— Ana Rosa Quintana (@Ana_R_Quintana) August 17, 2014
[…] about Latino issues and in liberal publications. Some of them coming up with points that have been proven to be completely wrong and by Latinos themselves. Thanks to social media and a few Latinos that have started their own independent platforms without […]