NABJ Calls for Meeting With KTLA After Use of Racist Term on Social Media 

April 12, 2025

Update:

The NABJ Board of Directors has confirmed a scheduled meeting with KTLA leadership on Monday, April 14. NABJ looks forward to discussing this matter in detail.

April 11, 2025

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is investigating today’s KTLA social media post in which the N-word was posted standalone on the station’s account on X. The post was later removed and KTLA claimed in a statement that the slur was published due to a “technical error” involving its language filters. NABJ’s Board of Directors has called for an immediate meeting with station leadership.

Users from across the country quickly raised questions regarding how a “technical” issue—typically confined to backend system settings—could result in such an offensive and egregious term being publicly posted. Like the public, NABJ questions this process and is gravely concerned. Technical issues are not to be brushed off lightly when they result in harm to a community and the audience a platform serves.

In recent years, technical errors have too often been cited as explanations when news outlets are questioned or held accountable for the publication or broadcast of racist language or imagery. NABJ will continue to investigate and is calling on industry leaders to examine their companies’ systems and standards to ensure appropriate safeguards, monitoring and training are in place.

As NABJ celebrates its 50th anniversary later this year, it is disheartening to see that racism—whether accidental or intentional—continues to surface in our industry. We remain committed to holding news organizations accountable and demand that those who engage with NABJ, and those who may not, demonstrate a genuine commitment to journalistic principles. Fairness and accuracy cannot be achieved without respect for diversity, equity and inclusion.