St. Louis news station apologizes after anchor described minority homeowners as ‘colored’ on air

A local St. Louis news station apologized after facing backlash for describing a minority homeowners as “colored” during a broadcast.

On the Feb. 26 evening newscast, a KMOV First Alert 4 anchor referred to minority homeowners as “colored” while teasing a story about Black homeowners and real estate appraisals.

The anchor issued an apology on-air the following day.

“Last night at this time, I read an outdated racial term on-air during a story. The word should have never come out of my mouth, and it does not reflect who I am or what First Alert 4 represents,” anchor Cory Stark said. “It was unacceptable, and we are meeting with community members as we strive to do better every day.”

KMOV did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for comment.

The station promptly received backlash for the incident, including the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).

“It is upsetting that such a slur would make it to air. The term is outdated, offensive and racist,” the association wrote in a statement Friday. “We are concerned that no one in the KMOV newsroom caught this error, and we question KMOV’s editorial process when it comes to cultural awareness.”

“Given that St. Louis’ population is 43% Black, and the city is no stranger to racial strife, we would hope KMOV would be more sensitive in how it covers the Black community,” NABJ added.

The National Association of Black Journalists also suggests KMOV and Grey Television, the company that owns the station, should retrain employees on diversity, equity and inclusion issues.