A1 Revisited: At a historic moment, this paper missed the mark

Seattle Times editors

Published March 27, 2022

In February 1942, a few short months after the attack at Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 designating Japanese Americans as “threats” to national security. They were evicted from their homes on the West Coast and sent to incarceration camps.

On March 30, 1942, Bainbridge Island became the first community where the order was fully enforced. The Seattle Times (then known as The Seattle Daily Times) covered the events of that day in 1942 in one story on A1 (the front page) and two brief stories on A2 of our March 30 issue.

Eighty years later, in an effort to take accountability for and learn from the harm caused by our coverage that day, The Times has revisited the stories, photos and headlines that told the story of that historic event.

We formed a team of reporters, editors, designers, news researchers and photo editors, and collaborated with Seattle-based Japanese American history preservation nonprofit Densho, to scrutinize every word, caption, photo and design decision made in telling those stories.

In our examination, we found that our 1942 coverage used racist slurs and stereotypes, inaccurate and offensive language, one-sided sourcing and perspective, and photos and layouts that downplayed the significance of the events of that day. We compiled these observations into notes on the 1942 pages, categorizing and highlighting them.

In an effort to avoid further harm, we chose to remove the racist language from view in this presentation. In the interest of historical accuracy, we offer the option of viewing the original, unaltered pages below.

example of what a redaction of a racial slur looks like

We redacted racist slurs by covering them with a black box (see an example above). You can opt-in to see the original text by clicking on the button below these images.

We regret the enduring legacy of the practices documented in these pages, and we also acknowledge that racism is not a thing of the past. While The Seattle Times aspires to provide accurate, sensitive and inclusive coverage for all of our communities, we have work to do. This project has provided valuable insights that we hope will continue to inform and strengthen our journalism.

— Crystal Paul, project editor

annotated image of the original pages with numbered comments

Racist language

First photo of [slur for Japanese] destruction at Cavite Navy Yard

We would not use the racist slur for Japanese Americans that is in the headline. We would not reduce local news of the U.S. government forcing its own citizens from their homes to a bottom corner of the front page.

...some leaving in tears, some with smiles and others with traditional stoic faces.

We would not use a racist stereotype to describe people.

Design/layout

Archive image of top of Seattle TImes paper

We would not make this photo the lead image of the day. It is not related to the biggest news headline. It was 3 months old at the time of publication and it didn’t need to be on Page One; its accompanying story is far inside the paper. Instead, we would move up the story about Bainbridge Island residents being forced to leave their homes, and use two or three photos from Bainbridge, the ferry and the train as residents were being taken away.

Inaccurate language

Tears, smiles mingle as [slur for Japanese] bid Bainbridge farewell

Today, we would use language and write a headline at the top of the page that makes it clear Japanese American Bainbridge residents were being forced to leave their homes due to a racist federal policy.

...Bainbridge Island Japanese, alien and 'American-born' alike...

The use of the term “Japanese” throughout this story is not accurate and emphasizes “foreignness.” We would also avoid the term “alien,” which is offensive and inaccurate. We would accurately describe them as Japanese Americans and Bainbridge Island residents.

The soldiers courteously escorted the Japanese aboard the ferry

This language misrepresents the reality of the situation. We would accurately represent the soldiers’ role as armed guards there to enact the executive order forcing U.S. residents and citizens from their homes.

Offensive language

Headline: Order 'freezes' aliens on coast

We would not use the term "alien," which is offensive and inaccurate.

A strange collection of materials began gathering in the storehouse

We would not refer to people's personal belongings as "strange," because it marginalizes U.S. residents of Japanese heritage by implying that they and their property do not belong.

Photo selection

Three archive photos, one of a Japanese-american woman loading suitcases, one of soldiers standing in a line, and one of a man talking to his soon to be deported wife

We would not use these photos today because they appear staged and misleading. We emphasize true, documentary moments. When we ask people to pose for portraits, we ensure that the image is clearly a portrait and work with the person on how they are depicted, including whether they want to smile. These images fail to meet those standards. If we would have used a photo of soldiers, we would have reduced the size in order to place more emphasis on the people who are most impacted.

Lack of information/underreporting

He said he has had only a few requests for refunds

Today we would ask the reporter to find data to back this up and examine if there are other potential causes for the lack of shop license refund requests.

A scene reminiscent of a Midwest farm auction was enacted yesterday at the Kitayama Greenhouse and Gardens at Pleasant Beach.

Accounts from those incarcerated indicate that these descriptions of events are inaccurate and fail to mention the large financial losses to those whose belongings were sold at bargain prices, stolen, or destroyed and the fact that Japanese Americans were reclassified as 4C "enemy aliens" and barred from military service. The Seattle Times collaborated with Densho to provide historical context for this annotation.

Inaccuracy/misrepresentation

Thomas' license director, Walter L. Daniels, put it this way:

This quote is hateful and inaccurate, and we would either cut it or follow it immediately with a sentence or two explaining that this person's assessment is incorrect. U.S. citizens are not beholden to the Japanese government, and Japanese American business owners were being "put out of business" because of the executive order. We would also include quotes and perspectives from business owners who were stripped of their livelihoods and being denied refunds on licenses. This article would be expanded to include all of these important aspects.

Sourcing errors

Subhed: Tells of Slabwood Harry. Text: He told about Harry Hiroshita, who was known in the early part of the century as Slabwood Harry.

Today we would seek and focus on quotes from those who were the most impacted — the residents who were being forcibly removed.

Of the three Japanese American residents quoted in this story, all of them (except the little girl who can't bring her kitten) are quoted as being eager to help the war effort by leaving or accepting the situation. We would recognize this today as an unbalanced perspective and one that may be influenced by fear of retaliation or of appearing to be against the U.S. government at a time of high anti-Japanese sentiment. Given this difficulty, we would offer anonymity to those sources, seek out sources with different perspectives and consider ways to protect sources willing to share perspectives that could endanger them. We would also plan follow-up stories that investigated the conditions at the incarceration camps.

Story framing/focus (bias)

The evacuation was a credit the efficiency of the Army, it was a tragedy to the Japanese themselves and it was a said affair for the island residents, most of whom knew the Japanese personally.

"Credit to the efficiency of the army" is commentary from the reporter that may indicate the reporter's bias and/or susceptibility to propaganda. We would cut this line and ask the reporter to show how the day's events transpired by letting the sources speak for themselves and describing their actions.

Only one incident marred an orderly evacuation. One elderly woman was stricken with a heart attach as she awaited the ferry.

Phrases like “marred an orderly evacuation” and “only one incident” incorrectly center orderliness as the important aspect of this anecdote. They also belittle and dehumanize the woman who had a heart attack, and imply that the forced removal was “right.” We would cut these phrases and ask the reporter to find out who the woman was, talk to her family and learn more about her condition and treatment.