Racial slurs used by a news station? Los Angeles news station KTLA issued a public apology on Friday after its official X (formerly Twitter) account posted a single-word tweet containing the N-word. The tweet was published the morning of April 11 and deleted shortly after—but not before screenshots began circulating widely across social media.
Source: FREDERIC J. BROWN
As reported by TheWrap, the station attributed the post to a “technical error” that occurred while updating its list of filtered words on X. The platform allows users to mute specific terms from appearing on their feed, and KTLA claims the word was meant to be added to that list, not tweeted.
KTLA experienced a technical error while adding language filters to our social media accounts, resulting in an offensive word being accidentally shared. We are appalled and apologize that this occurred.
“KTLA experienced a technical error while adding language filters to our social media accounts, resulting in an offensive word being accidentally shared,” the station tweeted. “We are appalled and apologize that this occurred.”
A filter mishap?
Social Media Response: Public Skepticism Mounts
Despite KTLA’s swift deletion of the post and accompanying apology, TheWrap reports that users online expressed immediate doubt and frustration with the explanation. Many question how this kind of the error could occur with the station’s internal checks and balances.
“Aside from this obviously not being true — why would a news outlet need language filters on social media accounts?” one user posted, according to TheWrap.
Another X user dismissed the technical explanation entirely, stating:
“That’s your excuse? Someone typed the word and hit send. That’s not an error.”
One viral response read, “KKKTLA just took their white hood off,” referencing the Ku Klux Klan in protest of the slur’s appearance on a professional news account.
An understandable analogy.
Diversity Demands and Broader Accountability
Viewers are trying to figure out what happened. TheWrap also reports commentary from users pushing KTLA to address the lack of diversity in its social media and leadership teams.
In one example, @hearinladotcom tweeted:
“If KTLA doesn’t have a person of color running its social media, today would be a good day to declare it will hire one ASAP.”
After the horrible incident, KTLA did some more damage control later in the day. TheWrap reports that KTLA released a follow-up statement to clarify and reiterate their position. The station said it was taking steps to investigate the internal breakdown that led to the incident.
“Earlier today, as KTLA was taking steps to strengthen the language filters on its X account (formerly Twitter), a technical issue resulted in an offensive and prohibited word being accidentally published to the account. We immediately deleted the post and replaced it with an explanation and an apology. KTLA is investigating the exact cause of this incident, and we deeply regret what happened. We again apologize to KTLA’s audience and the greater Los Angeles community.”
TheWrap’s coverage did not specify whether disciplinary action has been taken, nor did KTLA identify who was responsible for managing the account at the time.
Figures.
What’s at Stake for Newsrooms?
If there’s a challenge faced by media outlets navigating digital platforms, oversight, training, and cultural competence in content management needs to be a quick resolution.
While mistakes happen, the nature of this error—using a racial slur historically used to dehumanize Black people—raises particularly urgent concerns around newsroom culture and sensitivity. There’s already a disproportionate gap of representation in newsrooms, so this is NOT a good look when it comes to communities building trust in their storytellers sharing real news.
For audiences, especially Black viewers in Los Angeles and beyond, KTLA’s apology may not be enough. The growing demand is not just for a deleted tweet or a PR statement, but for structural change that ensures these types of errors don’t happen again.
Loading ... 