No Good Noose

The golf world is currently in an uproar (for how much golf people can be in an uproar) about some very touchy race issues. Kelly Tilghman, a correspondent for the Golf Channel, was suspended recently for a comment she made about lynching in reference to golf superstar, Tiger Woods. In response to the situation, Golfweek Magazine ran a cover of a noose with the tag line, "Caught in a Noose: Tilghman slips up, and Golf Channel can't wriggle free."

While Tilghman's comment was in poor taste, the public showed decidedly more opposition to the Golfweek cover. Many claimed that the issue would have blown over had the specialty magazine not used such an offensive picture. Even PGA Tour commissioner, Tim Finchem, saw the cover as a poor journalistic choice, calling it, "outrageous and irresponsible" and claiming that the picture choice made the magazine look more like a gossip magazine rather than a serious golf journal.

Dave Seanor, the vice president and editor of Golfweek who has been fired over the controversy, was surprised by the public's reaction to the cover. He has openly claimed responsibility for the choice, but has taken it as a learning experience in gauging the public. In any case, the ethics of the issue have not escaped Mr. Seanor. His reaction and attitude seem to reflect the dilemma that many journalists will experience.

"We're a weekly news magazine. The big story of the previous week was Kelly Tilghman, and that's what we chose," Seanor said. "How to illustrate that? It was tough. Do you put Kelly Tilghman out there? But was it so much about her or the uproar?"

One of the major issues facing Golfweek is defending their motivation: are they merely seeking to sell more magazines, or are they truly interested in bringing up a topic that has so long been avoided in the golf world? Should something as sensitive as race be splashed in such an upfront way on the cover of a magazine, or does the issue need to addressed less directly? These are the questions that journalists, as well as the golf community, will need to answer very soon.