CNN calls Roger Ebert ugly for disability

In a story entitled Ebert closes TED conference with emotional talk – and a laugh, CNN secretly calls the moment at the TED conference “ugly.”
 

Thanks CNN for perpetuating the discrimination against people with disabilities as “ugly” when they look different.

How do I know? Check out the original title for the story which is found in the permalink – roger-ebert-closes-ted-conference-on-ugly-note

That’s what Richard Galant, the writer who set the story up in WordPress, called his draft. Then he published the story with that ugly title.

We’ve made some progress in not calling people with learning disabilities “retarded”. We don’t call those with mobility impairments “cripples.” Where does CNN get the gall to call Roger Ebert ugly?

The title was changed after the story was published when a reader complained. ” I really wish CNN would be more responsible with their choice of headlines…. you cannot use the phrase “ended on an ugly note” when you are actually talking about a joke that happened to contain the word “ugly.” That COMPLETELY misrepresents the story. Anyone who sees the headline but does not click on it, will be under the impression Roger Ebert did something unpleasant or misguided at the TED conference. And the quotes around ugly don’t make it any less ridiculous. You cannot post such nonsensical headlines and call it news.”

Only then did the story change to “Ebert closes TED conference with emotional talk – and a laugh”.

The CNN writer and his editor should learn that the Internet is unforgiving. It unmasks phonies and charlatans in seconds.

Unless you’re careful to change the permalink, the first title for any story remains embedded in the story itself and in the html link.

CNN left “ugly” as a descriptor for Ebert in both the permalink (or internet address) more than 25 times throughout the story in source code. (emphasis added).

Those permalink, meta code, Twitter, Facebook, and other references stay out on the internet forever.

The only way to fix this is to a. apologize b. pull the story and delete all links on the social media sites and c. rewrite the story without discriminatory language.

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network