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Gannett’s Asbury Park Press, the third-largest daily newspaper in New Jersey, sparked outrage over the weekend when it published a photo caption of “a f–king hot nurse” administering a COVID vaccine.
The offensive caption also called the unidentified nurse “a total JAP” — short for Jewish American Princess, a slur — adding racism to the already profane and misogynistic text.
The photo was credited to Gustavo Martinez Contreras, accompanying a Saturday story under his byline about efforts to bring the vaccine to people of color on the Jersey Shore.
The caption was eventually changed and the photo was taken down entirely in later versions of the story, according to David Wildstein of New Jersey Globe, who first broke the story about the caption.
“This is beyond the pale and disgusting,” tweeted state Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Long Branch) while the photo was still live. “Asbury Park Press needs to provide an explanation and apology ASAP on why and how this was posted.”
In a Monday statement, Asbury Park Press executive editor Paul D’Ambrosio said the caption was fixed on Sunday as soon as editors at the paper learned of the issue.
“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,” D’Ambrosio said. “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,” D’Ambrosio added.
Later Monday, however, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy blasted the caption after learning of it, according to the New Jersey Globe.
“I frankly didn’t believe it,” Murphy said at a press conference on COVID on Monday, the Globe reported. “I then read it with my own eyes and it is unfathomable that someone could have written that, even privately, never mind that it was published.”
Murphy also suggested that someone’s job should be at stake.
“I would think, with all due respect, someone has to pay a price for that. That’s completely, incredibly offensive,” Murphy said. “Even the apology missed the point.”
Martinez Contreras didn’t respond to requests for comment.
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