Wednesday, May 28, 2003

I would like to thank you for the article on "Diversity and the [New York] Times: Black, white and red-faced." It was a very amusing, although confusing, piece.

Please explain what was the point of including this in your Wednesday issue of May 21. I understand Mr. Leo was indicating that there was no qualified black reporter in the United States for newspapers to hire. This he says is the justification of the fraudulent article written by Jayson Blair and personal integrity had nothing to do with it. However, what I didn't quite understand was why he failed to mention that there are also a large number of unqualified white reporters in newsroom across America, also.

I have worked briefly in newsrooms where we have students and seasoned reporters (both white and black) who were not adequately prepared ( more white than black) and didn't know the meaning of reporting. This did not stop us from helping them become good reporters.

We must remember the Creator did not arrange for us to come to earth as a certain profession. Instead, we are acceded the wonderful opportunity as human beings to grow and learn. Well, except for John Leo. He has probably never gotten a story back from an editor with major corrections ever in his life.

I ask you not to allow half true or untrue biased articles in your paper based on personal prejudices to inflame. Try to keep your paper as unbiased as possible. After all, isn't that the premise of good reporting, presenting an unbiased account of the news?

Barnetta Sanford

sanford.barnetta@fcboe.org