NPR And FastCompany
A year ago, Lynne Johnson of Fast Company had the following to say about the TechNigga videos:
“I continue to follow this “opera” because I have followed you, even at times when I felt you were just ranting. So it’s all a joke — these closed cliques of a-listers and invite only networks — and if that’s not social media, then what is? … I’m not hating where you’re going here, I’m just not all there with you yet. I still feel something dangerous about it all. It’s all very close to the edge.” By Lynne d Johnson on Aug 7, 2007
Nearly a year later, after I’ve been making fun of two people who make horrible videos for Fast Company, Lynne talks to NPR and changes her tune. In the piece the reporter implies that I’m on drugs and Lynne misrepresents the content of the video and declares that I’m a racist.
NPR ran a horrible one-sided piece, using a single biased source, who is now fully discredited by her own words. After it ran, NPR called and offered to give me five minutes to “clear the air.” That’s an interesting strategy to fill airtime. I’m not interested in playing that game.
Needless to say it’s been an interesting week in the media. Jesse Jackson apparently used a “racial slur” that not even Fox News would air, Bernie Mac did jokes at an Obama fund raiser talking about “hoes”, and none other than The New Yorker is forced to defend a satire that some say might be too complex for “average folks” to understand. Those who didn’t understand where I was going with TechNigga the first time might want to give it another view.
Miss Johnson held a conference at this years SXSW conference titled “Where are all the black tech bloggers” Since the title of the conference was the same as my work I chose to attend the conference out of respect for her and black bloggers.
Here is the raw unedited footage of Miss Johnson and her panel having a conversation with me. The video comes in as the panelists compares me to a DJ who made remarks about competitors children.
I’ll again apologize to those new viewers who were hotlinked here under false pretenses. I’d also like to apologize to Miss Johnson for things I said in anger after seeing her misrepresentations to NPR.
I would invite NPR, Lynne Johnson and FastCompany to review their actions and make whatever corrective actions they feel are appropriate.
For a final word on the controversy, I’ll defer to this excellent piece by Tyme White.
Posted in 1938 Media, Ed Sussman, FastComapany, Lynne D. Johnson, Mansueto Digital, NPR
