Metro executive apologizes for joke
Disparaging racial remark was 'made unintentionally'
Steve R. Nylund, president of the company that is selling a 49 percent stake of the free newspaper Metro Boston to The New York Times Co., apologized yesterday for making a joke with a racially disparaging reference to African-Americans at a corporate function in Italy in April 2003.
The apology came in response to a story reported yesterday by a New York website, mediachannel.org. Details of the story were confirmed yesterday by Metro International SA, which owns Metro USA Inc. and publishes 42 free newspapers around the world, including Metro Boston.
Metro International said Nylund, Metro USA's president, unwittingly made the joke at the conference when he was asked to translate it into English by a colleague.
''The comment was made unintentionally during my translation," Nylund said in the company's news release. ''Nevertheless, I deeply regret having offended anyone, and I apologize."
Times Co., which owns The Boston Globe, said last week that it agreed to buy a stake in Metro Boston for $16.5 million. The Globe will provide nonexclusive news stories to the Metro, which will maintain its editorial independence. The Globe also will act as sales agent for some Metro ads.
A statement from Times Co. said, ''The New York Times Co. and The Boston Globe have received reports of inappropriate comments on the part of Metro USA and are discussing these allegations with Metro USA's management. The Times Co. is committed to fair treatment of all employees based on respect, accountability, and standards of excellence."
A former Metro Boston editor, John Wilpers, who is now editor at The Journal, a newspaper in suburban Virginia, said he attended the event in Italy and confirmed the account yesterday. Wilpers provided the bulk of the account for the mediachannel.org story, which also quoted anonymous Metro International employees.
''We were all shocked that an executive of an international company would tell a joke like that," Wilpers said in a telephone interview with the Globe.
Metro International also acknowledged a second incident that was reported on mediachannel.org. In that instance, several months later, a company executive, ''awkwardly and inappropriately" used a racial epithet in his remarks before an audience in Stockholm, the company said.
''While these isolated remarks do not in any way reflect the views of the company, Metro nevertheless apologizes for them. Neither incident should be viewed as a commentary on the commitment to diversity and tolerance of Metro International," the company said.
Christopher Rowland can be reached at crowland@globe.com. 