Yes its 2013,The 21st Century and we are all getting into this "Digital age Business".
Its amazing how we have all embraced Social media from Facebook,Twitter,Blogs and all that shenanigans.
Twitter has however proven and is still showing off as the most powerful social media tool ever!
A single tweet can travel across thousands within seconds,celebrities take their battles to twitter,make engagement announcements on twitter,announce new jobs and even new babies on twitter.
The "Go and die" widow would continue to thank social media which made the inhuman treatment meted out to her go viral and as such changing her situation for the better.
And you would have thought as a PR professional a certain Justine Sacco just about to board a flight to south Africa would know better than to tweet something like the statement below..
Its completely absurd,and shows the level of ignorance there is out there about issues relating to Africa and the black population at large.
It is disheartening that such racist issues could have been joked about by a person who thinks she cannot get aids because she is white or that she is going to get aids because she is going to Africa.
It is more appalling that it came from a PR professional who should have known better. But In this case Justine Sacco had probably lost her Job and the whole world already knew even before she did because she was on a 12 hour flight.
Turns out the Joke was on Justine afterall!
She was on a flight shut out off the internet and word had gotten to her bosses about her horrible,horrible tweet
Her Company InterActive Corp (IAC) responsible for platforms like Vimeo,Ask.com,Mindspark,About.com,Match.com amongst others had moved fast to put out a statement disassociating themselves from her tweet
“This is an outrageous, offensive comment that does not reflect the views and values of IAC. Unfortunately, the employee in question is unreachable on an international flight, but this is a very serious matter and we are taking appropriate action.”
While all this was going on and Justine blissfully resting her head on the flight oblivious of the "megastar" she had become #Hasjustinelandedyet was trending with loads of funny images and tweets
— j.k. rollin' (@jazzmen_k) December 21, 2013
Justine eventually got fired and her information was immediately taken down from IAC's web page.
She reportedly issued a statement apologizing-
“Words cannot express how sorry I am, and how necessary it is for me to apologize to the people of South Africa, who I have offended due to a needless and careless tweet. There is an AIDS crisis taking place in this country, that we read about in America, but do not live with or face on a continuous basis. Unfortunately, it is terribly easy to be cavalier about an epidemic that one has never witnessed firsthand.
"For being insensitive to this crisis — which does not discriminate by race, gender or sexual orientation, but which terrifies us all uniformly — and to the millions of people living with the virus, I am ashamed.
"This is my father’s country, and I was born here. I cherish my ties to South Africa and my frequent visits, but I am in anguish knowing that my remarks have caused pain to so many people here; my family, friends and fellow South Africans. I am very sorry for the pain I caused.”
But that may be a bit late. A single tweet lost Justine her job,reputation and probably a career. I would begin to think Justine would look back 5 years from now and that single act of hers may still be tops on actions she regrets ever taking.
We cannot begin to emphasize the power of social media, for individuals,businesses and the world at Large.
Just before you post those photos on Facebook,Just before you publish that blog post,just before you pin that on Pinterest,just before those images get on Instagram thread with caution and do a double take just before you send that tweet!
“Its completely absurd,and shows the level of Ignorance there is out there about issues relating to Africa and the black population at large.
ReplyDelete“It is disheartening that such racist issues could have been joked about by a person who thinks she cannot get aids because she is white or that she is going to get aids because she is going to Africa.”
Do you know what the odds are of a woman getting infected with HIV by sleeping with a black South African? Who’s the ignorant racist here? And why can’t people joke about it? Do you slam blacks for joking about whites? Of course, not! Please post a list of topics that whites are permitted to joke about.
And now the poor fool is making public statements full of just the sort of ignorance and lies that ideologues like you approve of: “Unfortunately, it is terribly easy to be cavalier about an epidemic that one has never witnessed firsthand…. this crisis — which does not discriminate by race, gender or sexual orientation, but which terrifies us all uniformly”
Of course, she has witnessed the epidemic firsthand—in America! And of course, it does discriminate by race and sexuality. It’s a gay disease that afflicts blacks at many times the rate it affects whites, because the rate of bisexuality among black men is many times the white rate, a smaller proportion of blacks use condoms, and South Africa is the world’s rape capital, with black men having such charming beliefs as that raping a baby will cure them of AIDS.
Well I am no expert @Hiv Aids issues but no Human should tweet what Justine tweeted whether you are black white pink yellow
Deletewhatever!
If Justine thought to sugar coat her apology that wouldnt be my problem to worry about
There is no way a joke about Aids would be acceptable NO! Aids affects everyone irrespective of religion,race,Gender or what have you just like every disease can affect anyone!
Am I saying we do not have thoughts that seem absurd sometimes? NO but we dont all go on twitter and think thats the best way to use up some 140 words.
To put to you my friend your ignorant homophobic words thinking aids is a "Gay disease just shows the level of your knowledge of the HIV/Aids Epidemic.
The Last time I checked Ian Watkins who just got 35 years for trying to rape an 11 month old baby and even wanting to make one of his to be able to rape is white and definitely not from South Africa so you see my friend Crime or diseases are often times not about gender.race,or colour of your skin bearing in mind that South Africa also has a white community or do they all have Aids now??
So for you to write a piece on your blog calling me a black Racist blogger is so so so so so Racist and I am disgusted that you think black people do not also know how to use twitter and be cautious as I wrote in this piece but you know what my friend that just also shows your level of Intelligence.
Merry Christmas!