
Dec 8, 2023
Deadspin removed “Black face” from the headline as part of an overhaul of a story that led to outrage and accusations the outlet was unfairly targeting a young Kansas City Chiefs fan.
The photo that showed only half of the 9-year-old fan’s face from a Chiefs road game in Las Vegas was replaced with a photo of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The editors also added an extended editor’s note to the top of the story.
“The story’s intended focus was the NFL and its failure to extend those rules to the entire league,” the note stated. “We regret any suggestion that we were attacking the fan. To that end, our story was updated on Dec. 7 to remove any photos, tweets, links, or otherwise identifying information about the fan. We have also revised the headline to better reflect the substance of the story.”
The change, first reported by Outkick, comes after a firm representing the parents of the young fan (Shannon and Bubba Armenta) demanded a retraction under threat of legal action, according to NewsNation.
Source: Front Office Sports