New York: Adam Rapoport editor-in-chief of Bon Appétit resigned on Monday over brown face photo that sparked anger and accusations of bias discriminatory culture at the Condé Nast-owned food magazine.
Last week, after Rapoport wrote a post for the Bon Appétit website regarding the protests sparked by George Floyd’s death, the food writer Korsha Wilson took it to Twitter and allegedly accused the company of gaslighting women of colour. On Monday, many more accusations prompted online, sparked in part by a 2013 Instagram photo of Adam Rapoport in brown face as a Halloween costume.
Last month, Bon Appétit won four awards at the American Society of Magazine Editor’s National Magazine awards, including general excellence for service and lifestyle. Beyond magazine print, the brand has grown a successful Youtube channel.
The controversy sheds new lights to the problem of representation in food media. And it will also be a blow up for the magazine and Condé Nast, which had recently counted Bon Appétit as a surprise success story, especially resonating with the younger audiences magazines are desperate for.
Condé Nast Chief communications officer, Joe Libonati, says “As a global media company, Condé Nast is dedicated to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. We have a zero-tolerance policy toward discrimination and harassment in any forms. Consistent with that, we go to great lengths to ensure that employees are paid fairly, in accordance with their roles and experience, across the entire company. We take the well-being of our employees seriously and prioritise a people-first approach to our culture.”
Condé Nast appointed Rapoport editor in chief of Bon Appétit in 2010. He was previously style editor at GQ and had been working at the magazine conglomerate since 2000.
Helene Elliott is the senior reporter for News Raise. She covers Science news. She also has a keen interest in photojournalism. Helene holds a nomination for the prestigious Red Smith Award. She is married to author Dennis D’Agostino, a former publicist with the New York Mets.
