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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsGoing to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white!
Barry Diller's IAC has issued a statement saying that it is "taking appropriate action" after a comment posted on the Twitter account of its corporate communications officer incited ridicule on social media.
On Friday, the account of IAC's Justine Sacco sent the following tweet.
Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white!
Justine Sacco (@JustineSacco) December 20, 2013
The tweet was deleted shortly before 7 a.m. Cape Town time (roughly the time her flight from London was scheduled to land), and her entire account was deleted shortly after. Sacco has also been removed from IAC's contacts page, where it formerly listed her as the contact for reporter inquiries.
Her tweet was subsequently picked up on Valleywag and widely circulated on Twitter. The IAC communications office issued a response, noting that Sacco was currently on a flight.
"This is an outrageous, offensive comment that does not reflect the views and values of IAC," a statement to THR read. "Unfortunately, the employee in question is unreachable on an international flight, but this is a very serious matter, and we are taking appropriate action."
IAC, a media company, houses digital brands that include The Daily Beast, About.com, Match.com and Ask.com. It also owns BlackPeopleMeet.com, a dating website catering to African Americans.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2527330/Blonde-female-PR-executive-tweets-Going-Africa-Hope-I-dont-AIDS-Just-kidding-Im-white-causes-international-outrage-likely-fired.html
Sheldon Cooper
(3,724 posts)How does a thought like that even enter your head?
CJCRANE
(18,184 posts)bigoted and scientifically illiterate.
However, it's sad that she's ruined her career and her family's reputation. I hope she gets some help to see her through this difficult time and that the people in S Africa forgive her.
Kahuna
(27,311 posts)because she's just not good at it. Oy!
HipChick
(25,485 posts)against racism..He is worth 1.4B..she won't be hurting anytime soon
http://www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome_mjx.shtml
PowerToThePeople
(9,610 posts)I do not like to jump to conclusions. People have had accounts broken into. Best to wait till she can respond to the accusation before passing judgment.
That said, the statement is sick.
HipChick
(25,485 posts)I hate people using this excuse of accounts been broken..not in this case..she's been posting this stuff for over a year
but this time, Twitterville picked it up and retweeted before her plane landed..
PowerToThePeople
(9,610 posts)I did not read the posting history either. With information moving so fast these days, often times people are found guilty in the court of public opinion before the facts are even out.
politichew
(230 posts)It serves up justice a whole lot more quickly and efficiently than other so-called courts.