ASBURY PARK – The executive editor of the Asbury Park Press apologized for an offensive photo caption that wound up on the paper’s webpage, explained how it happened and why it shouldn’t happen again.
A photo caption was posted along with a photo of a nurse giving a vaccination. The “f word” was used in the caption as an adjective describing the nurse’s appearance. Another slur was used. It won’t be repeated in this article, but it was of a religious nature.
The photo accompanied others with a story by Gustavo Martinez Contreras about a vaccination clinic in Lakewood. Typically, the captions are edited before being uploaded or published.
The photo caption was up for 14 hours on a Sunday before being changed and then the photo was eventually removed altogether, reported NJ Spotlight.
Executive editor Paul D’Ambrosio said he received a call Sunday night about the photo.
“I thought someone had hacked our content management system. In reality, it was a reporter who admitted that he did a ‘stupid, stupid thing,’” D’Ambrosio said.
“This was an inexcusable act. The objectification of women and religious insults are intentional actions,” he said. “The reporter in question is no longer with the company.”
The Apology
The reporter wrote an apology that reads, in part: “I’ve prided myself as a man who has been an advocate and supporter of women’s rights and cultural sensitivity, but this caption shows that I have plenty of work to do to address my own issues to make sure that my words and actions always treat others with respect.”
This statement was posted anonymously, as Gannett, the parent company of the paper, did not identify the reporter.
Soon after the issue was discovered, D’Ambrosio issued a statement: “Late on March 20, a photo ran on APP.com with an unapproved and offensive caption. The photo was removed March 21 as soon as it was brought to our attention. As executive editor of the Asbury Park Press, I apologize deeply to women, the Lakewood Jewish community (where the photo was taken), all members of the Jewish faith, the Asian American community and all our readers.
“The words in the caption were totally unacceptable and in no way reflect the principles and practices of the staff of the Press and Gannett. The Press and Gannett have a long history of fighting for inclusiveness, diversity and women’s rights. We took immediate and significant action once we became aware of the issue, and we changed our online procedures to ensure such an event never happens again,” he said.
The statement was edited to extend the apology to all members of the Jewish community and not just Lakewood.
The photo caption upset readers who questioned how it got published, but more importantly, why it was written in the first place.
“The Asbury Park Press released a short-sighted apology that does not even begin to describe how something of this low caliber can be written and published for the public to see. The public needs to know why this language was written in the first place, and how the paper’s system allowed for it to be published,” Senator Vin Gopal said.
“When incidents of this magnitude occur to other organizations, The Asbury Park Press calls for further explanation, and the statement the paper released today is hypocritical to what they ask of others in the same or similar situations. The media needs to be held to the same standard for addressing mistakes, and it must provide information as to how it will prevent future mishandlings from happening,” he said.
Gov. Phil Murphy was asked about the incident during a coronavirus press conference. He answered “It’s unfathomable that someone could have written that, even privately, never mind that it was published.”
How It Happened
With the apology published, many people still criticized why the caption was written and how it got to the public in the first place.
To answer this, D’Ambrosio issued another statement, describing how reporters manage stories and photos that wind up in print and online. In this case, the reporter covered the clinic on February 25, and wrote the story on Saturday, March 20.
He uploaded 22 pictures into the site. Reporters can upload directly to the web in order to get breaking news to readers as quickly as possible. Normally, a digital producer or editor reads the story and captions before publication, even online publication.
“We trust the professionalism of our employees and know speed can be important when covering breaking news,” he said. “This system has been in use for nearly a decade, and across our suite of 250-plus publications, we have not had a similar incident to this one.
“Unfortunately, the offensive caption was live from Saturday night until it was discovered later Sunday. It was on the last of 22 photos, and no second set of eyes had reviewed the images. The late hour and the self-publication led the story to blend in with the dozens of other stories on the site without the proper safety checks,” he said.
“As the executive editor, I take full responsibility. It is my job to ensure that the Press serves the public every day and that our content is fair and accurate. Each staffer goes through mandatory diversity and sensitivity training. Last year, I established a diversity, equality and inclusiveness group to reinforce our commitment to all communities of color and gender at the Jersey Shore,” he said.
“The last five of our nine most recent hires have been diverse candidates. In a survey of all Gannett newsrooms, the Press had one of the most diverse news staffs in the company, reflecting the diverse nature of the Jersey Shore.
“The error of one staffer is not reflective of our newsroom. Our reporters, photographers, producers, editors and support staff are dedicated, hard-working professionals who take pride in serving you each day.
“On Monday, I instructed our staff to always put two sets of eyes on each piece of content, including stories and photos. No photo and caption will be published without another staffer looking it over, regardless of the time of day.
“I know the Press failed you this weekend. But please understand how seriously we take our responsibility to this community, now and in the days and years to come,” he said.
It was not immediately released that Contreras was the one who was fired for this. He is still listed on APP.com’s site as a reporter. Other news sources have said this was verified.
Contreras has 16 years in journalism. This is not the first time he’s made national headlines. He had been arrested during a Black Lives Matter protest in Asbury Park last year. The state dropped charges against him. Bodycam footage showed him saying he was a reporter to police, but the police said they did not hear it over the din of the chaos. The footage showed that his press pass was obscured. Gannett had been pursuing a lawsuit against the police.
