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 Linda Thomas
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Fallout from the McKenna staffer resignation

July 18, 2012 @ 5:39 pm (Updated: 5:48 pm - 7/18/12 )

A staffer for Rob McKenna's campaign for governor has resigned following a controversy about racially insensitive tweets she posted before she joined his election effort. This won't be the last time someone learns a social media lesson the hard way.

A much talked about story The Stranger broke lead to an interesting debate about the subject, with comment threads along these lines:

What someone says on Twitter isn't a big deal. The media is showing its bias by jumping on a non-issue to make the candidate look bad. Conversely, there are those who say the media is protecting McKenna. Others criticized the staffer's apology as missing the point because she focused more on the dangers of tweeting a personal grievance than a realization that her comments were offensive.

Kathlyn Ehl, who started work as a campaign volunteer in April and became a paid policy assistant last month after graduating from the UW, resigned after she had a chance to meet with leaders of the Asian American Coalition.

She deleted the tweets, apologized, deleted her entire Twitter account, apologized again to local Asian Americans, and resigned from the McKenna campaign.

Twitter

On Twitter, people are sarcastically offering to help Ehl find another job. @NarkyMark tweets, "I'm an Asian with an English degree, so hit me up if you'd like help with your resume. Good ruck job-hunting!"

"As the father of two young women, it pains me to accept the resignation of a young woman for a mistake which occurred before she had even begun her career. However, as we have said, and Kathlyn readily acknowledges, her tweets were offensive and insensitive. Kathlyn suggested, and I agreed after consultation with some of our campaign's grassroots leaders, that her ongoing involvement on the campaign would be a constant reminder of her lapse in judgment," says Randy Pepple, McKenna's campaign manager

"Life teaches us difficult lessons, and sometimes at a very young age. My hope is that she will find some benefit from having learned this lesson now, as it will undoubtedly be a long-lasting one," says Pepple.

This is not the first time a young person has discovered their words, posted on a public forum, are judged harshly.

Some of Congressman Rick Larsen's staffer were fired after they tweeted about not liking their boss, and drinking on the job as they created a December to remember last year. Miss Seattle Jean-Sun Hanna Ahn learned comments about annoying people in Seattle don't go over well in Seattle.

Why can't people tweet what they think? Why does everything have to be so sanitized? Can't someone just let their opinions flow on social media? I hear those questions, generally from people who aren't using social media.

You are what you tweet.

You can say something obnoxious, but realize you're putting that out on a public forum and people will assume you're obnoxious. If you can live with that, tweet away. That tweet is forever, so your future employers will think you're a jerk too. Still okay with that?

What you write in 140 characters says as much about you as something you would say in a public space. If you tweet something offensive, you'll be judged the same as if you walked into Starbucks and loudly said the same thing to everyone in the room.

By LINDA THOMAS

Related: Publishing politicians deleted tweets

News Chick podcasts:

140 Seconds on Social Media

When a tweet turns on you

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (24)


  • Add A Comment

  • kata wrote...
    If a tweet falls in the woods...
    July 18, 2012 6:38 pm
    Since I am not tweet savvy can someone explain to me if there are privacy settings? It seems to be the best way to manage work/private life cross-contamination.

    Despite the fact that I post under a pseudonym I still try to talk to people as if I was sitting with them for coffee. But then again if you've sat in a coffee shop packed with college students you'd discover that's just how people this young woman's age talk. They try and out gross and out shock each other. Being offensive is "cool".

    That doesn't transfer well to the business world. She met the hard wall of reality rather abruptly. It's a shame the person who interviewed her hadn't been a bit more meticulous - she could have had a slightly more private life lesson.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    Here is the best privacy setting
    July 18, 2012 10:44 pm
    Keep all of your rants and questionable musings in your head.Don't post stuff while angry or under the influence of alcohol or coffee ...I suspect it was coffee in her case.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • TheNewsChick wrote...
    Twitter privacy settings
    July 19, 2012 1:33 am
    Unlike Facebook where you can direct posts to be seen by your friends only, public, or not at all...with Twitter it's all or nothing. You can lock your account so only people who you allow see your posts, but that isn't done very often. So, as a result almost everything posted on Twitter is public. People who aren't followers on Twitter can see your posts too. No privacy online with Twitter, and it's best to think with all social media that it's public even if you can control privacy settings.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • kata wrote...
    thanks
    July 19, 2012 10:33 am
    I don't participate in either of them. I don't even have a texting plan. It's not that I am a techno dinosaur - I just didn't see the value in it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    McKenna
    July 18, 2012 7:23 pm
    Sure knows how to attract good help. First qualification is to be racist, good republican quality, second qualification is to be homophobic. Don't want them darn queers in my city! Third is a total disregard for for the voters of the State of Washington. He has voted against Obamas health plan, and has cost the State millions of $ to try and repeal a directive that was approved by the Supreme Court. We don't need a republican trying to run this state, it would be a big mistake.
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  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Thanks for proving me right....
    July 18, 2012 7:46 pm
    ...again. D.E.S.P.E.R.A.T.E.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • spuddog wrote...
    So longwayhome...
    July 18, 2012 9:47 pm
    I take it you're a Democrat. From what you've posted I can assume that the first qualification of a good Democrat is painting with a very broad brush. The second is poor capitalization and punctuation skills. And the third to post erroneous information. There now, that was fair, don't you think?
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  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    A. She wan't even employed by McKenna when she wrote them.
    July 18, 2012 7:45 pm
    Just shows you how desperate and scared the left are. They know Inslee is an idiot and will lose. Now they are looking for ANYTHING. Hilarious.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    Just shows you how desperate and scared the left are? . . . .
    July 18, 2012 8:47 pm
    desperation will come in November for all WRNJ. Top of the cow dung is 0-0.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    What a lameass non - story
    July 18, 2012 10:32 pm
    Thanks for NOTHING news chick. Your blatant liberalism shows through again in flying colors....anything to go after the Republican.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • TheNewsChick wrote...
    This I know for certain maplefish
    July 19, 2012 1:30 am
    You don't now anything about my political leaning - left, right or otherwise. And, you're wrong.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Well,
    July 19, 2012 7:47 am
    you went after a low level staffer on the REPUBLICAN side of the Governers race for making a couple of stupid comments, knowing this would shed a bad light on McKenna? Pretty blatant to me. I have NEVER seen a blog by you that wasn't totally left leaning.....I do, however think you do a good job on your fluff stories.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • AKAF wrote...
    Don't blame Newschick...this time
    July 18, 2012 11:23 pm
    Linda is only following the lead of the Seattle news establishment. Forgive her the weak advice to 'beware of what you tweet' because young people have not understood this concept. If anything, blame Linda for taking an easy story and making it easier by not contributing more than the two local scandals.
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  • Cameron wrote...
    Funny how a low level staffer loses her job for tweeting.
    July 19, 2012 5:57 am
    But the Seattle Morning News doesn't have any problem with the King County Executive having an "Afternoon Delight" with a married woman and breaking up over e-mail after using her like a handi-wipe. Will the Stranger be teaming up with the Seattle Morning news to dig into all of Dow's Tweets, E-mails, County Cell texts and calls? It wouldn't be because Dow is a Liberal Democrat...would it? Where is the intellectual curiosity and drive to investigate the Inslee campaign staff?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • TheNewsChick wrote...
    Cameron
    July 19, 2012 6:22 am
    Seattle's Morning News did the story about Dow, and I did have a problem with what he did. That story took quite a turn with other media attacking the Publicola reporter who broke the story, saying it was a "private matter." Hmmm, I didn't agree with that. Interesting point.
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  • mnpat wrote...
    "Funny how a low level staffer loses her job for tweeting."
    July 19, 2012 6:38 am
    Good comment Cameron...........or how a so called TV host can call women the s.l.u.t word or "C" word and become a hero for a certain ideological party. I'm curious as to where media hypocrites draw the line.
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  • DesertRez wrote...
    Is
    July 19, 2012 7:11 am
    Asian a race? Really? That's a new one.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cameron wrote...
    Thanks Linda
    July 19, 2012 7:18 am
    I remember the discussion of Dow's situation. Tell us again how many of your co-workers were of the same mind you were? I seem to recall a defense of Dow being the view of the vast majority. It's a real shame the rationalization of bad behavior has to manifest itself in the newsroom. All we are really looking for is balance, so I will look forward to proactive effort to investigate Jay Inslee's staff and all of their public communications prior to and during their service to his campaign..because it will be an indication the candidate's positions and his character..right?
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