The ESPN Ombudsman (Poynter) Has Chimed in on L'Affaire Lin

"The Poynter Review Project sees one as a lapse in judgment by an editor working without a net and the other two as terribly timed slips of the tongue. One of the punishments imposed strikes us as too severe. And we note that the phrase that got ESPN in so much trouble is awfully shopworn and lazy. Whether they can be misinterpreted or not, clichés are signs of a writer or speaker on cruise control – which increases the chance of a crash."

Nothing new yet, 95% of the country agrees with Poynter so far …

"Earlier in the week, racial sensitivity regarding the Lin storyline was a topic in the company’s monthly editorial board meeting, and ESPN issued a memo to all its content groups urging staffers to be cognizant of how Lin was discussed — a directive that was revisited in a Friday staff meeting."

Oh. So ESPN was trying to prevent a screw up … and yet a glaring mistake (the headline) still slipped through the cracks.

Previously: ESPN Took a Harsh Stand With the Max Bretos One Month Suspension
Previously: Yes, an ESPN TV Anchor Used “Chink in His Armor” When Talking About Jeremy Lin Earlier This Week [UPDATE: Max Bretos Suspended]