Aaron Calvin Speaks

[cyclonewino]

Do you get the hypocrosy that Calvin exudes at all? He used 2 tweets from 8 years ago as a compass on Carson and totally ignored more recent posts that supports ending racism. Granted, it was the editors call to include them, but I suspect he was fully in the conversation.

All the while, Calvin's own twitter feed was littered with racist, anti-cop, hate the USA tweets. How is it possibly ok for Calvin to tweet was he tweets, but use Carson's own tweets against him???

You assume the editors were fully informed, I suspect they were not and that is a significant reason for the dismissal. The editors still do not deserve a pass as this was a "feel good" story a fluff piece that did not need this information.

The political arguments are weird. Aaron Calvin racist, homophobic tweets are not liberal, his response to being fired he now knows how minorities feel, is the very old "white males are treated unfairly too" conservative bs (yes sometimes white males are treated unfairly just less likely). Calvin is deliberately stirring up partisan crap, don't fall for it, far too many in the media already have.

 

[agcy68]

Here with a quick PSA on Doxing. It isn't just calling a person out for questionable conduct or even digging up objectionable social media posts.

Doxing is a specific tactic that involves making personally identifiable information like a person's email accounts, phone numbers, and home / work address readily available to provoke intimidation and harassment of the target. It is employed by crazy people of all persuasions.

On an editorial note... if you are concerned about cancel culture you should be on the side of Mr. Calvin.

Yes, his tweets are objectionable but they have also only been presented out of context and he was given no chance to explain or apologize for his actions before being summarily fired. (Also can we just say that retweeting Kanye lyrics is problematic but not problematic ... altho i would like an explanation for the "marry a horse" bit)

To contrast, Mr. King got to hold a press conference apologizing for his actions and effectively diffused his past mistakes and eventually raised even more money for his cause due to the controversy.

So if you are keeping score. One guy lost his job without severance despite gross negligence from his direct superiors, and another guy raised millions for a charity but didn't get his face on a beer can and won't get free beer for life.

I don't think that Calvin needed to lose his job or be threatened for doing his job. Distasteful, but not fire worthy.

However, I think that Calvin's article did shine the lite on him which led to people finding his twitter posts. I do believe that his twitter past was a firable offense. IE, if Carson' was 'bad' enough for AB to disassociate from him, then Calvin's were 'bad' enough for the DMR to do the same.

Further, he has offered no apology for what he tweeted only that it didn't meet the DMR standards. Carson same out and said his 16 year old self was an idiot and has later tweets to prove it. Calvin has doubled down that he wanted to rescind his apology of not meeting the DMR standards.

 

[andybernard]

Did DMR cite a reason for firing Calvin? Was it for writing the article (including the tweets)? Or for his own offensive tweets?

I feel like, had Calvin not written this story, and some random person dug up his many offensive tweets, he would have been fired anyway. I can't see anyone wanting to read information from someone with his...interesting worldviews.

 

[weR138]

They're getting death threats and hiring extra security for their offices. This is Iowa. This isn't what we are. Or at least, it didn't used to be.

I have to admit...I'm getting a little tired of hearing about how it's someone job to expose tweets from a minor. That's no ones job. That's beneath me and every adult person on this site who has an actual job.

EDIT: To be clear, I blame the DMR. When I was a minor the DMR wouldn't allow this. Now they obviouly think they need it. It's sad, really...but the DMR is lost now. It's just another pathetic former journalistic endeavour crippled by a need for clicks. The DMR is just an old useless junkie I quit giving change to, so they could buy dope, years ago.

 

[Cydkar]

Yes. Absolutely right wing if you followed any of the outrage that developed on this. A lot of people who were angry about past incidents when adults got called out for their own racist or otherwise ****** behavior suddenly decided to take up this as their cause when the real problem with this one was that it got into things that he posted as a minor.

This guy followed the process he was supposed to from his employer, and got thrown under the bus.

Are you being sarcastic?

 

[Cydkar]

I have to admit...I'm getting a little tired of hearing about how it's someone job to expose tweets from a minor. That's no ones job. That's beneath me and every adult person on this site who has an actual job.

So...20% of this site?

 

[Cycsk]

I have to admit...I'm getting a little tired of hearing about how it's someone job to expose tweets from a minor. That's no ones job. That's beneath me and every adult person on this site who has an actual job.

Welcome to 2019! Standard practice for journalism includes serious scrutiny of social media, regardless of someone's age. We may not like it, but that is the way it is.

 

[cytech]

Calvin could learn a thing or 2 from King in how to handle yourself during controversy. King did the absolute best thing in reaction, and has been a true role model for others.

Calvin is just trying to lay blame at the feet of others and not taking responsibility for his actions. He is just playing the woe is me attitude hoping other people will feel bad for him.

 

[SoapyCy]

Slightly disagree. The research is important. The 'choice' of the integration not so good. They could have even included it, but framed it in a manner beneficial to everyone. For example ... "

agree!!... and (blowback not being nearly as bad) if it wasn't the 'policy' of the Register to do a background check OR if the Register had 'framed' the content in an ethical manner. Makes one wonder if they're, retroactively, now performing 'background' checks on everyone they employ. If we don't hear of more firings, I suppose that isn't the case. Seems hypocritical if not.

Two things- I garuantee everyone 40 and under at the DMR went though all their tweets that night.

Why do people use their real name to post that stuff?

 

[SoapyCy]

Welcome to 2019! Standard practice for journalism includes serious scrutiny of social media, regardless of someone's age. We may not like it, but that is the way it is.

If past tweets uncovered joking about ripping people off, or stealing money, they would be relevant regardless of age when posted. If they are unrelated to the issue at hand, were made as a minor, and the person has changed they are not relevant to the story.

There is a reason most juvenile arrests are sealed and names not released; we understand the story is most likely not worth the future problems it may cause. There is a reason you can expunge arrests.

 

[NoCreativity]

This thing needs to go away, Im sick of hearing about it. The fact is The Register made a huge PR blunder and took necessary actions, time to move on.

Everyone outside of Iowa either doesnt care about this story or they are laughing at us. I read his entire interview, the kid seems like a typical entitled millennial. He got what he deserved, that being said, death threats?? Sounds pretty typical of the "Iowa Nice" bs I always hear about.

 

[weR138]

Welcome to 2019! Standard practice for journalism includes serious scrutiny of social media, regardless of someone's age. We may not like it, but that is the way it is.

I'd like to take your word for it but I don't know if you went to J school or are professor yourself? The notion that this is journalism is alarming.

 

[Cloneon]

Two things- I garuantee everyone 40 and under at the DMR went though all their tweets that night.

Why do people use their real name to post that stuff?

That's funny considering this possible scenario:
DR: "We will begin doing background checks in two days on everyone in the company"
Employees: "Oh crap, better get deleting them so there won't be any bad ones"
DR: "Well we've done a background check on everyone and we couldn't find anything so you can all keep your jobs"

 

[isufbcurt]

I really don't have a problem with Aaron Calvin, I have a problem with his editor and boses. He did the research he was supposed to, but the editor and bosses are the ones who have final say in what it printed.

I look at it from my past experiences. When I was a Auditor my job was to dig into everything and compile it. It was the firm's Manager/Partner's decision what would make the public Audit Report.

 

[CyCloned]

Facts are facts.

The reporter found some offensive tweets by the subject of an article and reported it. That's what journalists do. They shouldn't decide what to report according to its impact on the subject (exceptions for minors, victims of sexual abuse, and families of victims who haven't been notified).

.

Reporters do this all the time. The problem I have is that there was no reason to be looking that far into Carson's past, and while he was on his way to 8 years ago he had to have read though 1000s of social media posts by Carson that were not offensive, and probably quite a few that called out for an end to racism. Taken the whole body of Carson's social media activity the two re-tweets that he had when he was 16 seem uncharacteristic.

 

[clonedude]

I put all the blame on the Register in this.

Calvin did his job, and presented his findings to the editor I assume? The Register should have said.... "it's not important what King tweeted back when he was an ignorant teenager, so we are not going to mention any of that.".

Had the Register done that, none of this would have happened.... King would be fine, and Calvin never loses his job. But the Register just had to screw everything up like usual.

 

[Urbandale2013]

I think people are missing the point for why Calvin needed fired. It wasn’t because of his tweets. Like Carson the tweets aren’t that big of a deal. The reason that Calvin needed to be fired is because he just doesn’t get it and lost the trust of his readers. The same is true for the editor and the Des Moines Register. They fired Calvin for his tweets when that wasn’t what people were mad about. They also don’t think they did anything wrong.

Sadly I don’t think the lessons were learned here and it will be repeated again.

 

[isufbcurt]

I think people are missing the point for why Calvin needed fired. It wasn’t because of his tweets. Like Carson the tweets aren’t that big of a deal. The reason that Calvin needed to be fired is because he just doesn’t get it and lost the trust of his readers. The same is true for the editor and the Des Moines Register. They fired Calvin for his tweets when that wasn’t what people were mad about. They also don’t think they did anything wrong.

Sadly I don’t think the lessons were learned here and it will be repeated again.

reporters write hundreds of stories that never get published, this is all on the editor for deciding to print this.

 

[LincolnWay187]

Is this guy going to research the social media for peoples 50th wedding anniversary announcement orgarage sale postings next?

That is the wtf scenario here. This is simply a hit piece by someone trying to get clicks and notoriety on the back of someone who did something meaningful.

Its about the opposite of what it means to be an Iowan.. friendly, helping our neighbors...

 

[Urbandale2013]

reporters write hundreds of stories that never get published, this is all on the editor for deciding to print this.

Mostly on the editor and she should absolutely be fired but I think he should be too because he doesn’t get it either. He’s the scapegoat but he isn’t the victim. The fact he thinks he is the victim is why he needed to be fired too. Just because an editor doesn’t let him publish his crappy story doesn’t mean he thinks the crappy story wasn’t good.