Outrage Erupts Over Racist Ad in Michigan Newspaper
A banner ad reading "Diversity is the Trojan horse of terrorism" sparked widespread outrage and condemnation after appearing on the front page of the Sturgis Journal, a newspaper owned by media giant Gannett. The ad, paid for by Bowersox Floor Center, was widely criticized as promoting white nationalist rhetoric.
Gannett acknowledged that the ad should never have been printed, stating in a statement that "our approval policies were not followed" and promising to strengthen its review process to prevent similar errors in the future. However, the company's apology came too late for many readers, who felt that Gannett had failed to take adequate action to address the harm caused by the ad.
Bowersox Floor Center, the company behind the ad, has a history of running politically charged ads in local newspapers, including one before the 2024 presidential election that appeared to target Vice President Kamala Harris. The company's latest ad sparked widespread backlash on social media, with many calling for boycotts and criticizing the business for its perceived racism.
"I find the ad abhorrent and think it's clear what the company intended to express when they paid to place it in Tuesday's edition of the Sturgis Journal," said Alex Haak-Frost. "I also question why the Journal would publish such an ad in the first place."
The ad's message, which was intended to promote a pro-white narrative, has been widely condemned as racist and divisive. Critics argue that the ad perpetuates harmful stereotypes about people of color and reinforces white nationalist ideology.
"This one goes out to Sturgis Local Bowersox Floor Center," wrote Vincent Rezas on Facebook. "Deleting your page after the community calls out your lack of an apology for using Neo Nazi dog whistles in our local newspaper makes me think we touched a nerve and my criticisms were valid."
Gannett's failure to adequately address the harm caused by the ad has raised concerns about the company's commitment to editorial oversight and its prioritization of shareholder profits over community values. As the media landscape continues to evolve, it is essential that companies prioritize responsible journalism and take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The Sturgis Journal did not respond to requests for comment, but Gannett has acknowledged its role in publishing the ad and taken steps to strengthen its review process. However, the damage has already been done, and many readers will continue to question the company's commitment to responsible journalism.
A banner ad reading "Diversity is the Trojan horse of terrorism" sparked widespread outrage and condemnation after appearing on the front page of the Sturgis Journal, a newspaper owned by media giant Gannett. The ad, paid for by Bowersox Floor Center, was widely criticized as promoting white nationalist rhetoric.
Gannett acknowledged that the ad should never have been printed, stating in a statement that "our approval policies were not followed" and promising to strengthen its review process to prevent similar errors in the future. However, the company's apology came too late for many readers, who felt that Gannett had failed to take adequate action to address the harm caused by the ad.
Bowersox Floor Center, the company behind the ad, has a history of running politically charged ads in local newspapers, including one before the 2024 presidential election that appeared to target Vice President Kamala Harris. The company's latest ad sparked widespread backlash on social media, with many calling for boycotts and criticizing the business for its perceived racism.
"I find the ad abhorrent and think it's clear what the company intended to express when they paid to place it in Tuesday's edition of the Sturgis Journal," said Alex Haak-Frost. "I also question why the Journal would publish such an ad in the first place."
The ad's message, which was intended to promote a pro-white narrative, has been widely condemned as racist and divisive. Critics argue that the ad perpetuates harmful stereotypes about people of color and reinforces white nationalist ideology.
"This one goes out to Sturgis Local Bowersox Floor Center," wrote Vincent Rezas on Facebook. "Deleting your page after the community calls out your lack of an apology for using Neo Nazi dog whistles in our local newspaper makes me think we touched a nerve and my criticisms were valid."
Gannett's failure to adequately address the harm caused by the ad has raised concerns about the company's commitment to editorial oversight and its prioritization of shareholder profits over community values. As the media landscape continues to evolve, it is essential that companies prioritize responsible journalism and take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The Sturgis Journal did not respond to requests for comment, but Gannett has acknowledged its role in publishing the ad and taken steps to strengthen its review process. However, the damage has already been done, and many readers will continue to question the company's commitment to responsible journalism.
I'm not buying it... like, at all. Gannett says they're sorry, but that apology comes across as pretty insincere. How could you just let a racist ad slide on your front page? That's like putting up a "Lost" poster with a sketch of the perpetrator... not exactly reassuring.
It's not like they're just going to magically become more responsible now.
, this is just so messed up! A newspaper that's supposed to be a trusted source of info should never carry ads with racist messages like that. I mean, what even is diversity being called the "Trojan horse of terrorism"?! That's not a nuanced discussion, it's just plain hate speech 
. And the fact that Gannett didn't catch this on their approval process makes them look super lax and unresponsive to criticism.
. If you're going to run ads that promote white nationalist ideology, you need to take responsibility for those messages and apologize sincerely. Anything less is just whitewashing your wrongdoing.
! I mean, come on Gannett, you gotta do better than that! They're all about the cash grab and no care factor 
.
. It's just sad that Gannett didn't step in sooner and called them out on their nonsense 
. Now the damage is done and people are really upset about it 
.
.
this is so messed up 
a newspaper promoting white nationalist rhetoric like that is just disgusting 
i mean what's next? publishing anti-vaxxer propaganda or fake news about people of color? 
they're basically saying "oh, we made a mistake, but let's just move on" when the community deserves better 
and it's not like they didn't see the backlash coming, they just didn't care enough to stop it from happening 
it's like, can't we just have a respectful conversation without resortin to hate speech? and btw what even is "the Trojan horse of terrorism"? that phrase sounds straight outta white nationalist propaganda 
gotta stand with the ppl callin out Bowersox Floor Center & Gannett 4 their wrongdoings 
I'm soooo sad to see this happen! 
They should be ashamed of themselves for not taking stronger action ASAP 
. And what's with the ad being on the front page? 
The fact that people are already questioning Gannett's commitment to responsible journalism is a major red flag 
. This kind of thing needs to be stopped, like, now! 
it's like, come on who pays for that kinda thing? 
. Gannett needs to get its act together and make sure this kinda thing doesn't happen again 
. The damage is done, though - this ad has left a stain on the Sturgis Journal and I don't think it can be easily erased 
.
the thing is though, how can you really "strengthen" your review process when you're already making mistakes like this? seems like they need to take a hard look at their whole editorial strategy and prioritize community values over profits.
how can a newspaper just run with something like this?!?! 
[
I don't think it's fair to tar Gannett with a single brushstroke just 'cause they messed up once. They're trying to adapt to the changing media landscape and keep up with all the online hate groups spreading their propaganda. The Sturgis Journal should've had some kind of fact-checking process in place before running that ad, but I guess they didn't think it'd cause such a ruckus. 