March 7th 2024.
On February 26, during a segment about Black homeowners, KMOV anchor Cory Stark used the word "colored" on air, causing backlash and criticism from groups like the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). The following day, Stark faced the camera and offered a sincere apology for his use of the outdated and offensive term.
"I want to take a moment to address something that happened during last night's broadcast. I used a racial term that should have never left my lips. I want to make it clear that this word does not reflect who I am as a person, nor does it align with the values of First Alert 4, the station I represent," Stark shared. "I understand that my words were unacceptable, and I am committed to doing better. As a team, we are meeting with community members to learn and grow from this mistake."
Despite Stark's apology, the NABJ issued a statement on March 1 expressing their disappointment and concern with the use of the term on a news platform serving a city where 43% of the population is Black.
"It is disheartening to hear such a derogatory term being used on a news broadcast. This word has a long history of being used to degrade and oppress Black people, and it has no place in today's society," the statement read. "We also question the editorial process at KMOV and urge them to invest in diversity training for their employees and actively recruit and retain Black individuals on and off-air."
NABJ President Ken Lemon and Vice-President-Broadcast Walter Smith Randolph emphasized the need for tangible action to be taken following the incident.
"While we appreciate the apologies and the meeting with local leaders, we believe that more needs to be done. KMOV and Gray TV must prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion training for their staff and make a genuine effort to increase representation of Black employees," they stated.
In response to the controversy, the general manager of First Alert 4, JD Sosnoff, released a statement to the St. Louis Dispatch, attributing the use of the term to a production error.
"We apologize for the mistake that occurred during our broadcast. The term 'colored' was mistakenly read on air after it was changed from the original script, which stated 'homeowners of color'," Sosnoff explained. "We take full responsibility for this error and extend our apologies to our viewers."
The term "colored" holds a painful history for Black Americans, evoking memories of segregation and discrimination during the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights movement. As linguist John McWhorter noted in a 2016 op-ed for Slate, the term has been largely replaced by "Black" or "African-American" in modern times.
Despite the controversy, the news station has yet to respond to media requests for comment. However, St. Louis NAACP President John Bowman reassured the public that he has interacted with Stark and has never witnessed any discriminatory behavior from him.
"As someone who has dealt with individuals who have intentionally shown racist behaviors, I can say with confidence that Cory Stark is not one of them," Bowman shared. "I have personally spoken to him and have never had any concerns about his character."
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