Trump's racist 'sh*thole' comment: Who censored and who didn't?
Trump's racist comment about "shithole" countries shocked with its crudity, leaving the press figuring out how to deal with the word.
The U.S. president used the word to refer to Haiti, El Salvador and other African countries. Trump questioned why its people were were coming to America, and asked lawmakers why the U.S. didn't accept more people from Norway, a majority Nordic (white) country.
SEE ALSO: CNN's Don Lemon and Anderson Cooper don't mince words: Trump's comments were 'racist'
In the original Washington Post report, "shithole" appears in all its unsightliness throughout the article and in its headline.
Exclusive: Trump attacks protections for immigrants from "shithole" countries in Oval Office meeting https://t.co/R1aOB8EAGB
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 11, 2018
CNN's White House correspondent Jim Acosta was more hesitant, preferring to use "S-hole" but ultimately used the word as quoted. Wolf Blitzer opted for "bleephole."
Regardless, the word appeared uncensored as superimposed text on screen.
Remarkable worlds from CNN's Jim Acosta. Not surprising. But these are not ways reporters talk on network or cable network TV. Watch this! pic.twitter.com/2gUqdlREOd
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) January 11, 2018
On MSNBC, Joy Ann Reid didn't hold back from using the word, while talking about where her parents migrated from.
.@JoyAnnReid: My parents were immigrants from what Trump calls "shithole" countries #inners pic.twitter.com/QYCZwEdKVM
— All In w/Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) January 12, 2018
Rachel Maddow only used the word once to convey the story, but faced some criticism for not using the word as it is.
@maddow Please!! Please!! Do not bleep the word SHITHOLE. Say it loud and clear! Americans need to hear the words @realDonaldTrump speaks. This is not normal. #ShitholeNations #TrumpTreason #racism
— Mark Pinter (@markiepinter) January 12, 2018
Jesus Christ @maddow . SAY THE WORD. Stop smoothing it over. He said it. SAY IT. SHITHOLE
— Inga Spoke (@MsIngaSpoke) January 12, 2018
Rachel Maddow says Bleephole instead of Shithole. Are you on the Disney channel Rachel ? Just say what he said, don't sugarcoat it.
— Miley (@TheMileyStormer) January 12, 2018
The New York Times opted for "disparaging words" in its headline on the matter, leaving the word uncensored throughout its article.
CBS News opted for "sh*thole" online, and "blank" in its TV story. ABC News and FOX News wrote "s—-hole," censoring the word with "expletive" and "blankhole" respectively during broadcast.
The Los Angeles Times went with "shithole," as did Reuters and the Associated Press.
"It would be futile to mask the word when the language itself, in reference to Haiti and African countries, was so extraordinary," Associated Press vice president for standards, John Daniszewski, told the New York Times.
BREAKING: AP sources: Trump, in immigration meeting, asks lawmakers why US should allow people to come from `shithole countries'
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 11, 2018
Internationally, the BBC called it a "foul-mouthed outburst" in its headline. ABC News of Australia, a country apparently not so fussed about the c-word, went with "s***hole."
Oh, and if you're wondering what "shithole" is in Norwegian, it's been written as "drittland" in the country's newspapers, or literally "shit country." You learn something everyday.
In case anyone was wondering how to say "shithole" in Norwegian, these are the headlines in Norway's main newspapers pic.twitter.com/Pa7QcINgtL
— Vera Bergengruen (@VeraMBergen) January 12, 2018
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