The Guardian‘s editor Katharine Viner and its head of national news Archie Bland were warned in advance that late academic Jason Arday was endangered by its planned attack on him, according to a newly-released email. They published anyway.
The pair were also warned that the Guardian’s “unfounded” attacks on Arday were at least potentially motivated by a personal grudge and that running the story would breach the paper’s own editorial code:
Racist scandal fomented by the Guardian
Arday died on 14 August, reportedly by suicide, after a campaign of attacks launched by racial supremacist Nathan Cofnas, an Israel supporter who claims that Black people are inherently less intelligent that whites. Cofnas has since claimed to be the victim of a ‘hate’ campaign.
Viner did not reply to the email, which was sent by Lester, a friend of Arday. Instead, the Guardian’s Bland responded on her behalf – dismissing the concerns raised:
Author Kelechi Okafor has called for the Guardian pair’s rapid resignation:
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Two career heads are far from all that must roll in this racist and ableist scandal. But it’s a start.
Featured image via the Canary
By Skwawkbox
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