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The Viral Redemption of Shirley SherrodJuly 22, 2010 – 1:43 pm |
 Abdul Fattah Ismail |
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For those who follow political news online, this week has been a tornado of epic proportions for digital media. Shirley Sherrod, an official with the United States Department of Agriculture, was ignominiously dropped on Monday from her longstanding post after a controversial video circulated through popular social media channels. A snippet in Sherrod’s speech allegedly had her admitting that race was a factor in a decision to providing services for a white farmer in her native Georgia. Deputy Secretary Sheryl Cook harassed Sherrod, who was on the road, into a resignation over her Blackberry. The NAACP denounced Sherrod and backed the DofAgriculture, but retracted the sentiment after the full context of her speech had been opened to discussion. Sherrod was seeking reconciliation rather than disassociation. 
The report first surfaced on a conservative political website called BigGovernment, then was broadcast on Fox News. Media figures on both sides of the party ledger distilled information, supported with fervent discussion. Online users called for Sherrod to be reinstated by the end of business on Monday. Tuesday, Roger Spooner, the 87-year old farmer from Albany, Georgia, and his wife Eloise, spoke with CNN to heap praise on Sherrod. The Huffington Post chronicled her lengthy contributions to the Civil Rights movement. On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and Tom Vilsack, the Agriculture Head, issued formal letters of apology. Vilsack offered a new position to Sherrod, and at press time today, she remained undecided.
The most striking thing to me about the whole controversy is the immediacy of its timeline. I found a short article touching the front section of today’s Wall Street Journal, and it has a benign tone, which truly belies the power of digital media. Or does it? The fire burned online through various sources, yet was quietly put out by live figures. Honestly, I had never heard of Shirley Sherrod before the controversy surfaced on Monday, and it’s arguable, despite the presence of social media integration, if many more know her name today. Beltway politics continue to remain an insiders’ forum despite the growing accessibility of online media and Obama’s legendary campaign of 2007-8. Race is even more taboo than with prior administrations on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue these days. America’s longstanding wooden dialogue on race continues, with little more engagement to promise education. I guess that even on a viral scale, controversy starts and ends with a click.
