Sir Kazuo Ishiguro warns of young authors self-censoring out of 'fear'

Re:Sir Kazuo Ishiguro warns of young authors self-censoring ... by 3np on Monday March 01, 2021 @06:57PM (#26310192)

I guess you’re talking about the IAC PR director publishing the following:

  Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white!

if you’re directing PR for internet companies and post something like this from a public profile associated with your workplace - yeah, I wouldn’t call them an “unwitting victim”, and I think they would have lost that job if they made the same joke on a talk show in the 90s.

That being said, I find it crazy how easily people get fired with no recourse in general in the USA. Seems like even personal dislike from management is legal grounds for termination?

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Re:Sir Kazuo Ishiguro warns of young authors self-censoring ... by mc32 on Monday March 01, 2021 @07:18PM (#26310345)

It’s in poor taste. Should not have been tweeted. It was an anti-racist commentary, but you know the mob, throw them some fresh meat.

In firing her the company is complicit in casting her as racist when her sarcasm was pointed at low brow racism. But that escaped the shamers and cancellors. They were too busy frothing at the mouth.

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Re:Sir Kazuo Ishiguro warns of young authors self-censoring ... by dragonwriter on Monday March 01, 2021 @07:38PM (#26310483)

> In firing her the company is complicit in casting her as racist

No, in firing her the company is complicit in furthering the idea that the duty of a PR representative to their employer is to have and exercise good judgement when it regards public relations for the firm.

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Re:Sir Kazuo Ishiguro warns of young authors self-censoring ... by mc32 on Monday March 01, 2021 @07:46PM (#26310534)

That’s an ex-post excuse. They got blowback from her attempt at exposing people’s preconceptions. They didn’t like it. They caved in to the mob. PR isn’t perfect. They make mistakes judging public reaction to comms for their clients. Unless it’s super bad, they don’t lose their jobs in public. There was no opportunity fir her to explain her side. Nope. Hot potato.

Companies burry all kinds of misdeeds for their staff. So it’s not at all congruent.

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Re:Sir Kazuo Ishiguro warns of young authors self-censoring ... by dragonwriter on Monday March 01, 2021 @07:52PM (#26310577)

> They got blowback from her attempt at exposing people’s preconceptions. They didn’t like it.

Yes, “actions that produced blowback that the company doesn't like” are the definition of a PR failure. When PR is your whole job, that's a big deal.

> Companies burry all kinds of misdeeds for their staff

You can't bury it when it is public and tied to both the employee and the company from the outset.

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