A television station in Portland, Oregon, found itself in hot water after inadvertently airing a racist image during a program meant to showcase positive stories. KGW-TV issued an apology on Friday for the incident that occurred during “The Good Stuff,” a segment that typically features lighthearted content, including a “Throwback Thursday” segment with viewer-submitted photos.
The controversial image, believed to be from the 1950s, depicted children throwing balls at a sign that prominently displayed a racial slur. This display sparked outrage and disappointment among viewers, with Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler calling on the station to take immediate action and ensure such a mistake never recurs.
“We are appalled by the slide shared by KGW news yesterday evening that displayed an explicitly racist image,” James Posey and Pastor J.W. Matt Hennessee, leaders of the Portland chapter of the NAACP, said in a written statement Friday. “We are looking to KGW leadership to immediately provide clarity on how and why this happened.”
In a statement posted on its website, KGW-TV expressed deep regret for the hurt caused by the image, acknowledging the profound impact it had on both viewers and staff, especially members of the Black community. The station emphasized its commitment to screening all content thoroughly for standards and accuracy before broadcast but admitted to failing in this instance.
Despite the error, KGW stated that internal measures have been implemented to address the situation and prevent similar incidents in the future. The station extended its sincerest apologies to those affected by the offensive image and pledged to learn from this unfortunate incident to uphold its standards of responsible broadcasting.
