Challenges Faced by Garry Pierre-Pierre and The Haitian Times
Throughout his nearly four-decade-long career in journalism, Garry Pierre-Pierre has encountered numerous challenges, including threats, intimidation, and outright racism from some readers. However, the intensity of hostility has escalated dramatically in recent days as The Haitian Times, a publication he founded, has reported on the unfounded and alarming claims that Haitian residents in Springfield, Ohio, have been engaged in the bizarre act of consuming their neighbors’ pets.
In light of this surge in vitriol, Mr. Pierre-Pierre was compelled to disable the comment section on the publication’s website after a wave of racially charged remarks flooded in. The situation took a disturbing turn when Macollvie Neel, the publication’s special projects editor, was a victim of a “swatting” incident, where police were dispatched to her home under false pretenses, suggesting a violent crime had occurred there. This prank, designed to intimidate, was orchestrated by an anonymous individual who provided her address to authorities. Additionally, a woman interviewed by The Haitian Times faced significant backlash and threats after her quotes were published, prompting her to request the removal of her name from the article.
“I’ve covered a lot of outrageous stories over the years,” Mr. Pierre-Pierre remarked. “But I’ve never encountered anything quite like this.”
The unfounded allegations regarding Haitians in Springfield have spread like wildfire across social media platforms over the past couple of weeks, often accompanied by memes that juxtapose conservative figures with images of cats and dogs. This misinformation gained further traction after former President Donald J. Trump mentioned these falsehoods during a recent presidential debate.
Despite repeated debunking of these claims, they continue to be propagated by various conservative figures, including JD Vance, who is currently aligned with Mr. Trump’s campaign.
The Haitian Times has been actively covering these developments, striving to provide accurate information amidst the chaos. The publication consists of a dedicated team of approximately 20 full- and part-time employees, both in the United States and Haiti, committed to reporting on issues affecting the global Haitian community.
