Golfweek editor Dave Seanor was fired yesterday for deciding to use a cover featuring a noose in its report of the Kelly Tilghman(picture below) controversy.Tilghman who is a Golf Channel anchor, was given a two-week suspension for saying young golf players should:
“lynch him (Tiger Woods) in a back alley” .
Seanor’s cover graphic image sparked a heated debate where the PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem deplored it as:
“outrageous and irresponsible.”
After dvertisers threatened to pull their ads from the 160,000-circulation golf weekly the magazine issued an apology and fired Seanor with Jeff Babineau.William P. Kupper Jr., president of Turnstyle Publishing Co said:
“We apologize for creating this graphic cover that received extreme negative reaction from consumers, subscribers and advertisers across the country,” “We were trying to convey the controversial issues with a strong and provocative graphic image. It is now obvious that the overall reaction to our cover deeply offended many people. For that, we are deeply apologetic.””Our wish is that one regretful error does not erase more than 30 years of service we’ve dedicated to this industry.”
Woods has been criticized for not realizing how inflammatory Tilghman’s use of the word “lynch” is to African-Americans.
Tilghman will return to the anchor chair on Thursday.
