National Geographic acknowledges past racist coverage

The cover of the April 2018 issue of National Geographic magazine, a single topic issue on the subject of race. | Photo courtesy of National Geographic via Associated Press, St. George News

WASHINGTON (AP) — National Geographic acknowledged on Monday that it covered the world through a racist lens for generations, with its magazine portrayals of bare-breasted women and naive brown-skinned tribesmen as savage, unsophisticated and unintelligent.

“We had to own our story to move beyond it,” editor-in-chief Susan Goldberg told The Associated Press in an interview about the yellow-bordered magazine’s April issue, which is devoted to race.

The cover of the April 2018 issue of National Geographic magazine, a single topic issue on the subject of race. | Photo courtesy of National Geographic via Associated Press, St. George News

National Geographic first published its magazine in 1888. An investigation conducted last fall by University of Virginia photography historian John Edwin Mason showed that until the 1970s, it virtually ignored people of color in the United States who were not domestics or laborers, and it reinforced repeatedly the idea that people of color from foreign lands were “exotics, famously and frequently unclothed, happy hunters, noble savages_every type of cliché.”

For example, in a 1916 article about Australia, the caption on a photo of two Aboriginal people read: “South Australian Blackfellows: These savages rank lowest in intelligence of all human beings.”

In addition, National Geographic perpetuated the cliche of native people fascinated by technology and overloaded the magazine with pictures of beautiful Pacific island women.

This examination comes as other media organizations are also casting a critical eye on their past. The New York Times recently admitted that most of its obituaries chronicled the lives of white men, and began publishing obituaries of famous women in its “Overlooked” section.

In National Geographic’s April issue, Goldberg, who identified herself as National Geographic’s first woman and first Jewish editor, wrote a letter titled “For Decades, Our Coverage Was Racist. To Rise Above Our Past, We Must Acknowledge It.”

“I knew when we looked back there would be some storytelling that we obviously would never do today, that we don’t do and we’re not proud of,” she told AP. “But it seemed to me if we want to credibly talk about race, we better look and see how we talked about race.”
Mason said he found an intentional pattern in his review.

“People of color were often scantily clothed, people of color were usually not seen in cities, people of color were not often surrounded by technologies of automobiles, airplanes or trains or factories,” he said. “People of color were often pictured as living as if their ancestors might have lived several hundreds of years ago and that’s in contrast to westerners who are always fully clothed and often carrying technology.”

White teenage boys “could count on every issue or two of National Geographic having some brown skin bare breasts for them to look at, and I think editors at National Geographic knew that was one of the appeals of their magazine, because women, especially Asian women from the pacific islands, were photographed in ways that were almost glamour shots.”

National Geographic, which now reaches 30 million people around the world, was the way that many Americans first learned about the rest of the world, said professor Samir Husni, who heads the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi’s journalism school.

Making sure that kind of coverage never happens again should be paramount, Husni said. “Trying to integrate the magazine media with more hiring of diverse writers and minorities in the magazine field is how we apologize for the past,” Husni said.

Goldberg said she is doing just that, adding that in the past, the magazine has done a better job at gender diversity than racial and ethnic diversity.

“The coverage wasn’t right before because it was told from an elite, white American point of view, and I think it speaks to exactly why we needed a diversity of storytellers,” Goldberg said. “So we need photographers who are African-American and Native American because they are going to capture a different truth and maybe a more accurate story.”

National Geographic was one of the first advocates of using color photography in its pages, and is well known for its coverage of history, science, environmentalism and the far corners of the world. It currently can be found in 172 countries and in 43 languages every month.

Written by JESSE J. HOLLAND, Associated Press

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

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29 Comments

  • comments March 13, 2018 at 11:49 pm

    NG is dead to me. I’ll never subscribe to it again. A few things led to this

    They do a good story on some kind of animal, but the last few pages would discuss how mankind has basically killed it off either directly or by habitat destruction. This I found very depressing, but isn’t my main issues w/ the magazine, just a side not.

    Murdoch bought up NG recently. Murdoch is a corrupt, wicked POS. This in itself ruins the magazine, because i know what his company will do with it, and with an article like this we’re already seeing it. A jewish woman named goldberg going on and on about the evils of the white male opressor, and how the magazine needs more DIVERSITY DIVERSITY DIVERSITY. NG will now be a full-time cheerleader for the multi-cult. It was actually the cover story about “transgender” children that did it for me– I’ll never subscribe again. NG is dead to me.

    • No Filter March 14, 2018 at 7:57 am

      Why are you so against diversity? If people like you were in charge the state border would have a sign that says Welcome to Utah “whites only”.

      • desertgirl March 14, 2018 at 11:50 am

        ‘Diversity’ as it is used today divides and segregates. It is a term used to attack freedom of speech, thought, and opinion. Being kind to others and helping when you can hasn’t a damn thing to do with diversity. Groups and organizations using ‘diversity’ is a method of teaching intolerance and putting people into groups that wind up hating and often being violent against someone who does 100% agree with said groups and organizations. It’s all about identity politics and promoted by leftist fascist racist bigots.

        • bikeandfish March 14, 2018 at 12:40 pm

          That’s hyperbolic garbage. The division always existed. Talking about it and the way in this country has oppressed and discriminated citizens based on sex, gender, race and ethnicity isn’t inherently about dividing, though that weapon can be wielded. For the first time in centuries this country, and many others, are being forced to reckon with their history of and current use of sexism, racism and homophobia. They all still exist and talking about it is the only way forward.

          I would wager you have never read source material on “identity politics” but instead just regurgitate extreme right wing talking points.

          Sorry, but you don’t get to hijack and weaponize the terms and ideas of diversity and then claim to be a victim of them. I naming that for the hypocritical and absurd strategy it is.

        • bikeandfish March 14, 2018 at 12:43 pm

          PS… your freedom of speech is not infringed by a response highlighting diversity. Freedom of speech isn’t about protecting you from criticism and passionate rebuttal, as many rightfully argue that disagreement is the essence of the freedom.

        • No Filter March 14, 2018 at 1:44 pm

          I feel sorry for you, my guess is you are a middle age or retired overweight white women who’s husband doesn’t pay attention to her and her children if you have any never come around and your only connection to the outside world is the internet and television, which is likely on Fox News most of the day. You get on facebook way to much and now that you have liked so many Trump stories and right wing propaganda post your feed only shows you these stories so you have no idea of what is really going on in the outside world besides what your news feed tells you. Fear of being a minority scares you because of how you have treated minorities all your life and you can’t stand the idea of being looked down upon because you believe you are the master race. America is the melting pot for all people and if you don’t like it, I hear Norway has a rather large number of white people, although I bet they aren’t as racist to others as you and your demographic is to minorities. Your a dying breed so just accept it.

        • PatriotLiberal March 14, 2018 at 4:11 pm

          Desertgirl,

          Here is the text of the first Amendment

          Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances

          Note that it does not say “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech unless whomever is in power at the time disagrees with said speech…

          • Kyle L. March 14, 2018 at 10:05 pm

            What about desertgirl’s free speech?

          • bikeandfish March 15, 2018 at 10:43 am

            Kyle,

            Desertgirl has freely be exercising her speech. But free speech doesn’t protect you from criticism.

        • mctrialsguy March 15, 2018 at 9:04 am

          desertgirl…well said!

    • Striker4 March 15, 2018 at 8:31 am

      Just another hate filled racist bigot pile of trash spewed out by Prophet Bob that’s all he knows and that’s all he is he’s just a hate filled …
      Ed. ellipsis.

    • mctrialsguy March 15, 2018 at 9:11 am

      I just cancelled my NG subscription!

  • comments March 13, 2018 at 11:55 pm

    Good God, look at that cover– a story called “dawn of the white minority”?

    I guess they’ll be blatantly biased or even openly hateful of anyone with an ethnic european background?

    NG and Ms Goldberg can go straight to…..

    and murdoch too, the evil …*

    Ed. ellipsis: …*

    • Striker4 March 15, 2018 at 8:32 am

      ha ha stupid you got edited

  • bikeandfish March 14, 2018 at 12:32 pm

    Wow, comments, that’s some serious vile. I read the Editor’s Letter an nowhere did I see support for your claims. They hired a professor to assess their magazine’s history for their race issue. And his statements were pretty academic, not “evils of the white male opressor.”.

    Per the “dawm of the white minority” article…it appears, from the aforementioned letter, to be a discussion of the stastical fact that we are approaching demographics in the US in which less than 50% of Americans will be white. Thats a fact supported by analysis. The only way that is about being hateful to “ethnic european” is if you cling to an outdated majority image. I mean white Americans will even still be the largest racial demographic.

    Why the outsized response to an magazine about race? Why does an article about the stastical reality of white demographics make you think the magazine is biased and hateful to whites?

  • comments March 14, 2018 at 1:06 pm

    I don’t know why many of these elitists of jewish background have such a deep hatred of anglo-americans or pretty much any ethnic european for that matter. It isn’t all of them ofc, but obviously this new goldberg woman is just full of hatred, and she’s gonna use NG as her new personal platform to spew all kinds of vileness. NG used to be a really good magazine. With this new ownership and editor I bet they start moving away from stories about wildlife altogether. It will likely start to read more like a tabloid full of fluff stories– something like People magazine or similar trash.

    • bikeandfish March 14, 2018 at 6:35 pm

      What is your evidence that Goldberg has hatred for anglos? Is it really just because she has the audacity to talk about race?

      • comments March 14, 2018 at 7:49 pm

        bike, pls tell me ur not this naive

        • bikeandfish March 14, 2018 at 8:48 pm

          So, no evidence?

          • Striker4 March 15, 2018 at 8:34 am

            the Prophet Bob aka comments has no evidence to back up anything he says he’s just a hateful racist bigot

  • Kyle L. March 14, 2018 at 10:20 pm

    Ok, here it goes.
    When will we be having “white history month”?
    When will we be having the million man march?
    When will we have a special college fund for JUST white men?
    When will we have someone in congress working for under educated white men’s equal wages?
    When will we be able to walk into a neighborhood in downtown without being shot?
    When will we have special lawyers that will work only for us no matter what?
    When will we have the news take us at our word whenever we say we were wronged?

    Why is it starting to be a “crime” to be white and a male?
    I am not at all prejudiced, I am just mentioning some of the things that the black community has that I don’t.

    • mctrialsguy March 15, 2018 at 9:11 am

      Do not forget that Blacks make up 13% of the population and now over half of all commercials, in the important position in each. In every movie they have to play the power position role (God, president, leader, boss, etc..). If you want equal, make every TV show, movie and commercials equal by percentages of every race….now that would be equal. They (blacks) do not want equal participation on a level with all others, they want superiority and nothing else. Farrakan recently said in a speech….”All whites are going down”. Why isn’t he being prosecuted? Equal is equal!

      • bikeandfish March 15, 2018 at 11:10 am

        When Farrakhan runs someone over at a peaceful march or just murders someone then he’ll be prosecuted. Until then he has the same right as Richard Spencer, David Duke, Gavin McInnes to free speech.

        I have never personally met a black person who adheres to your gross generalization though there are definitely organizations and public figures that spout such philosophy.

        You seem to have an animosity to people of color.

    • bikeandfish March 15, 2018 at 11:03 am

      Kyle,

      Can you show me were being a white male has been criminalized?

      White people receive between 65-69% of private scholarships and funds in the US. That is larger than their national demographic percentage of 63%.

      White men have started various funds explicitly for white men, like the National Caucasian College Fund.

      I’ve walked through downtown across the country and never been shot. That makes sense because most violent crime Caucasians experience is white on white crime.

      White History month is 11 months out of the year and predominantly celebrated in most texts, museums, etc.

      All variables being equal, under educated white men make higher wages than people of color and women. They get promoted more, hired more, etc.

    • PatriotLiberal March 15, 2018 at 12:35 pm

      When will we be having “white history month”?
      As soon as you successfuly convince either congress or the general public to accept it.

      When will we be having the million man march?
      As soon as you organize it.

      When will we have a special college fund for JUST white men?
      We already do. Quite a few actually. Here’s one

      When will we have someone in congress working for under educated white men’s equal wages?
      We already do. They call themselves ‘Democrats’. Matter of fact, the don’t just limit themselves to “white men” they work for all men and women.

      When will we be able to walk into a neighborhood in downtown without being shot?
      I’ve been here for over a decade and I’ve never been shot at while walking downtown or anywhere else for that matter. I’ve been other places (including some of the worlds biggest cities and worst neighborhoods) too but never been shot at.

      When will we have special lawyers that will work only for us no matter what?
      There are plenty of lawyers who take “pro-bono” cases all the time. Just call a few offices, I’m sure you’ll find someone.

      When will we have the news take us at our word whenever we say we were wronged?
      There are plenty of news organizations who just take people at their words and don’t do any research.. Take the “Journalists” at Fox and Breitbart for example.

      • comments March 15, 2018 at 2:57 pm

        quite a few? the one you linked expired in 2011

        • PatriotLiberal March 15, 2018 at 3:59 pm

          And? The point was to prove that they exist. That took a less then 3 second google search and is about all the time I am willing to donate to researching that.

          • comments March 15, 2018 at 4:22 pm

            PatriotLiberal,

            I don’t know if “credibility” means anything here since we’re not using real identities,

            but yours is running pretty low, if not gone

            just sayin’

        • bikeandfish March 15, 2018 at 4:51 pm

          Comment,

          Did you really just critique PatriotLiberal’s credibility? After you just cut and run whenever we ask for evidence for your claims, like the anti-Semitic one above? Seriously?
          They answered Kyle’s unoriginal and rhetorically lazy question. There have been scholarships for whites. Many don’t last as they either lack of A) demand (see aforementioned ratio of Caucasians receiving scholarships or B) donors concerned about Caucasians being able to receive scholastic funding. I’m guessing its a combination of both given Caucasians haven’t had a history of systemic oppression and discrimination and the relative abundance for under served white demographics, like scholarships for first in family to attend college.

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