US media drop 'Dilbert' comic over racist rant

The Washington Post, the USA Today network of hundreds of newspapers, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the San Antonio Express-News and other media said they would stop publishing "Dilbert" after creator Scott Adams' racist rant on YouTube earlier this week.

Asked on Saturday how many newspapers still carried the strip — a workplace satire he created in 1989 — Adams told The Washington Post: "By Monday, around zero."

Dilbert is a long-running comic that pokes fun at office and workplace culture.

What did Adams say?

The backlash began after an episode on Wednesday of the YouTube show, "Real Coffee with Scott Adams." In it, Adams referred to a Rasmussen Reports survey that had asked whether people agreed with the statement, "It's OK to be white."

Most Blacks polled agreed, but Adams noted that 26% of Black respondents disagreed and others weren't sure.

Adams, who is white, referred to people who are Black as members of a "hate group" and said he would no longer "help Black Americans." He also said white people should "get the hell away from Black people."

On his YouTube channel, Adams said his comic was being dropped, adding that he had expected it to happen.

"By Monday, I should be mostly canceled. So most of my income will be gone by next week," he said. "My reputation for the rest of my life is destroyed. You can't come back from this."

What did media dropping 'Dilbert' say?

Several newspapers publicly denounced Adams' comments and said they would no longer offer a platform or pay for his work.

The Plain Dealer in Cleveland and other publications that are part of Advance Local media also announced that they were dropping Dilbert.

"This is a decision based on the principles of this news organization and the community we serve,'' wrote Chris Quinn, editor of The Plain Dealer, who added that it was "not a difficult decision" to drop the comic. "We are not a home for those who espouse racism. We certainly do not want to provide them with financial support."

Christopher Kelly, vice president of content for NJ Advance Media, wrote that the news organization believes in "the free and fair exchange of ideas," but he added that "when those ideas cross into hate speech, a line must be drawn."

sms/msh (AP, Reuters)