Oregon TV station apologizes after showing racist image during program highlighting good news

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A television station in Portland, Oregon, apologized Friday for inadvertently showing a racist image during a program aimed at highlighting positive stories.

KGW-TV displayed the image Thursday evening during “The Good Stuff,” which includes a “Throwback Thursday” segment sharing “cheesy, silly, or memorable” photos submitted by viewers.

“The image, seemingly from the 1950s, depicted children throwing balls towards a sign prominently displaying (a racial slur),” the station said Friday in a statement posted to its website. “We understand the profound hurt this image inflicted upon our viewers and staff, particularly members of our Black community. To those who were exposed to the image and were hurt by it, we offer our sincerest apologies.”

KGW has a policy of thoroughly screening all content for standards and accuracy before broadcast, but failed to uphold it, the station said. It said it had taken internal steps to address the mistake.

“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.”

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler called on the station to address the issue and make sure it never happens again.