The Bay Area’s KTVU used a racially insensitive graphic on their Wednesday evening newscast, while recapping the Atlanta Braves playoff loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Following backlash, the California TV News station apologized on Thursday.
After the Braves were eliminated by the Cardinals in the postseason, KTVU displayed a caption that read “Braves Scalped.” Naturally, the insensitive headline spread on social media.
“Wednesday evening, in our 6 p.m. newscast, we had a story about the Atlanta Braves that included a phrase that was racially insensitive toward Native Americans,” KTVU tweeted on Thursday. “It was not our intention to offend anyone, and we want to express our deepest apologies for the use of that phrase.”
The offensive headline was displayed by KTVU after the Atlanta Braves announced their “tomahawk chop” would be less prominent in Game 5. In a tradition that dates back more than two decades, the Braves distributed foam tomahawks to fans during the first two games of the NLDS against St. Louis. Cardinals reliever and member of the Cherokee Nation, Ryan Helsley said after Game 1, he believes the chant is “disrespectful.”
“‘I think it’s a misrepresentation of the Cherokee people or Native Americans in general,” Helsley told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Just depicts them in this kind of caveman-type people way who aren’t intellectual.”
In response, the Braves chose to reduce the chant out of respect for Helsley. The Braves did still play in-stadium music encouraging the chant, but foam tomahawks were not given out before the game.
Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here.
