Anchor apologizes for post that 'could be viewed as racist'

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Anchor apologizes for post that 'could be viewed as racist'

Updated 6:32 pm, Wednesday, March 23, 2016

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Pittsburgh anchorwoman has apologized for comments she posted on Facebook this week about an ambush shooting that left five people dead, saying her words "could be viewed as racist."

The victims, killed in a poor suburb following a cookout, included a pregnant woman and her unborn child.

"I sincerely apologize for the post about the Wilkinsburg mass shooting," WTAE anchor and reporter Wendy Bell posted Wednesday evening. "I now understand that some of the words I chose were insensitive and could be viewed as racist. I regret offending anyone."

The apology references a lengthy Facebook message Bell — who is white — posted Monday, which read in part: "You needn't be a criminal profiler to draw a mental sketch of the killers who broke so many hearts two weeks ago Wednesday. ... They are young black men, likely teens or in their early 20s. They have multiple siblings from multiple fathers and their mothers work multiple jobs. These boys have been in the system before. They've grown up there. They know the police. They've been arrested."



Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Anchor-regrets-insensitive-post-on-black-7002640.php

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[rusty quoin]

1. Multiple siblings from multiple fathers?

Who draws such a conclusion about something with no facts?

[brush]

5. A racist who doesn't think she is until confronted about her own words.

[rusty quoin]

6. Yeah. How do we get out of this? How do we change this inbred American thought process?

It's beyond me.

[brush]

9. Yes. That's a tough one.

South Africa has a Day of Reconciliation annually that commemorates the actual historic days the country had to deal witn and confront its racist past.

Wonder if something like that, with public mikes, no holds barred and security of course, could work here?

[rusty quoin]

12. My hope is in young people because my generation is already gone.

And by that, at least I mean white like me. I gave up on them with 2008 and the election of Obama. That is when I saw racism expressed in a way that I thought it was no longer existsing.

Boy was I wrong.

[brush]

13. Let's not give up. There are good people in all groups, except maybe the repugs.

A little comic relief there for a serious and consequential topic.

[rusty quoin]

16. Okay..thanks...good to meet you.

[brush]

18. Same here. I'll be looking out for your posts. I post in the AA group a lot too.

[Major Nikon]

14. Maybe she is just padding her resume for Faux News

They will simply claim she is being discriminated against and people are infringing on her constitutional right to be a festering asshole. Bigots and Faux go together like drunk and disorderly.

[Kelvin Mace]

2. Could be viewed as racist?

The only thing that statement could do to be more racist would be to adorn a hood and lynch the letters in the words for being black.

[MrScorpio]

3. Yep, that was definitely racist...

Gee, ya think?

[TeamPooka]

23. yup.

[bravenak]

4. Glad she apologized

[PSPS]

8. "could be viewed as racist. I regret offending anyone." is not an apology.

[Major Nikon]

11. It is an apology. Just a half-fast insincere one.

When you effectively blame people for being offended and are surprised anyone would take your comments exactly as intended, the apology is effectively negated. The only thing she is doing is trying to increase her prospects for her next job because she has already flushed this one right down the shitter.

[bravenak]

15. Better than most try to give

I'm serious. They rarely even try.

[Chakab]

19. The only reason that she "apologized" was to keep her job.

Honestly, I'd prefer nothing to half-assed canned statements.

What she wrote in that post is what she earnestly believes.

I'd rather have these opinions out in the open than behind closed doors and anonymous online comments.

[bravenak]

20. I Know

This is the nation we live in. Lots of folks think like that and woukd not even respind to pressure to save their jobs. They would start a go fund me and a fox news circuit. We will see if she is sorry by her actions. I do not expect her to get it immediately. Not until long time from now.

[Major Nikon]

7. She's gonna understand it a lot better when she is waving bye-bye to her six figure job

I suspect she will be suspended in the next day or two and given her walking papers not long after.

[CreekDog]

10. In other news, water could be viewed as wet

[Quackers]

17. No it can't!😆

Lol

[Joe Bacon]

21. Shocked

More ways than one. I left Pittsburgh in 1982. When I was at Pitt in the 70s, Wilkinsburg was run by Birchers who flaunted their racism. It was lily white. I see that it sure isn't like I remember it.

And what is so sad is that there is a considerable chunk of folks there who would agree with what that news anchor said. And it's so sad...

[awoke_in_2003]

22. "I'm not a racist, but..." nt

[Solly Mack]

24. "could be viewed as racist" is just another way of saying she (still) doesn't find her words racist

but that other people might think so, so here, let me say I'm sorry because my statement was made in the public domain, which is bad for my job.

The only thing she is admitting to, at most, is that her word choice was insensitive, and even then she downplays her being "insensitive" by saying it was merely "some of the words".

This isn't an apology.

[jtuck004]

25. Probably a lot easier to live white, so you can make disparaging remarks about black folks on tv.

Last edited Thu Mar 24, 2016, 09:12 AM - Edit history (1)

Pittsburgh needs to rid itself of this trash.

[left-of-center2012]

26. She's sorry --- 'cause she got caught. n/t

[Odin2005]

27. Classic non-apology apology.

[marble falls]

28. "Could be" taken as racist? This needs a real apology.

[Bluenorthwest]

29. "I'm sorry if you were offended by my (racism, homophobia, antisemitism) and that it was noticed

you have to forget that I am a (racist, homophobe, antisemite) and let me keep infusing your community with hate or you lack grace'.

It's what all busted bigots say.

[RobinA]

30. Dumb Thing To Say

Now, was she wrong on the facts?

[man of few w]

31. COULD???

[Person 2713]

32. These types always say they are sorry if they offended anyone not sorry about what they said

This one will not say that her words were racist, but that someone could view them as such
Not really an apologywhich the article states it is , as much as a defense of what she said imo

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

33. She should join the Psychic Network.

[bigworld]

34. Broken families, terrible role models, a violent mindset, and easy access to guns

ARE the ingredients for incidents like this whether it is in rural West Virginia or urban Pittsburgh. It's not a black thing, not a white thing, not a Latino thing. She needn't bring race into it.