The LA Times, a reputable news outlet, has issued a public apology following its controversial article about the LSU women’s basketball program.
“It has taken me two days to write this apology because I wanted to be as thoughtful as possible in my response to the situation I have created. These are words I have not been asked to write by anyone at my paper, but they need to be expressed so that I can own up to my mistake. Words matter. As a journalist, no one should know this more than me. Yet I have failed miserably in my choice of words. In my column previewing the LSU-UCLA women’s basketball game, I tried to be clever in my phrasing about on team’s attitude, using alliteration while not understanding the deeply offensive connotation or associations. I also used metaphors that were not appropriate. Our society has had to deal with so many layers of misogyny, racism and negativity that I can now see why the words I used were wrong. It was not my intent to be hurtful, but now I understand that I terribly missed the mark. I sincerely apologize to the LSU and UCLA basketball teams and to our readers. UCLA, a school I have covered for nearly a decade, champions diversity and is known as a leader in inclusivity. However, I have not upheld that standard in what I wrote and I will do much better. I am deeply sorry,” Bolch wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
A LONG OVERDUE APOLOGY: pic.twitter.com/lgZkCt21Ft
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) April 1, 2024
The original version, which received intense backlash for its wordings that were considered offensive by many, has since been edited to meet the Times’ editorial standards.
“The original version of this commentary did not meet Times editorial standards. It has been edited to remove language that was inappropriate and offensive. We apologize to the LSU basketball program and to our readers.”
In the original column, the LSU women’s basketball players were referred to as “villains” and “dirty debutantes,” painting the Sweet 16 game against UCLA as a clash of good versus evil.
The article did not sit well with many, leading to a volley of criticism. LSU coach Kim Mulkey led the criticism, lambasting the article as sexist and hurtful.
In defending her team, she refused to let the derogatory terms used to describe her players to go unchallenged. Such defense led to actions being taken by the LA Times.
“How dare people attack kids like that?” she said Saturday. “You don’t have to like the way we play. You don’t have to like the way we trash talk. You don’t have to like any of that. We’re good with that. But I can’t sit up here as a mother and a grandmother and a leader of young people and allow somebody to say that.”
Following the backlash, the derogatory terms used in the article were excised, and the piece was republished with a note saying it had been updated to reflect the editorial standards of The Los Angeles Times.
This was seen as an attempt to rectify the damage, although it was a step that was taken after the dispute had already ignited.
In the wake of the controversy, UCLA coach Cori Close, who retweeted the original column, issued an apology on her social media platforms.
She stated that she did not intend to promote anything that would demean a group of people in the sporting field.
“I would never want to promote anything that tears down a group of people in our great game.”
In response to the LA Times’ apology, Mulkey stated she was only vaguely aware of the response to her comments a day earlier.
“I had someone say the LA Times updated, rewrote, did something, and they did it at 10:20 last night or 10 something, and I said, OK,” she said. “That was the extent of it.”
