MSNBC TV Apologizes for 5 De Mayo Joke
Here's perhaps one of the most insulting and offensive segments ever seen on cable news.
No, the segment is not from FOX. It is from MSNBC’s “Way Too Early”. See 2 videos below.
1. Here's what happened!
There were a lot of #CincoDeFallo moments, but this segment (videos below) from MSNBC outdoes them all.
We don’t know what bothers us more: host Thomas Roberts mixing Cinco de Mayo history with jokes about drinking or it is some young (and white) guy in a sombrero goofing off with a tequila bottle and maracas?
How about all of it?
The segment failed. Simple as that. And MSNBC should do the right thing and apologize right now.
Listen, we love a good joke, but that Cinco de Mayo segment was cheap and insulting. It also doesn’t help that MSNBC’s diversity record with Latinos is poor, to say the least. Can anyone name one Latino who is in front of the camera on MSNBC? Anyone? Also, who approved this segment? Who thought that this would be a good idea?
2. See videos:
Do the right thing, MSNBC. And while we’re at it, get some more Latinos on your team so this type of content goes away.
3. The Latino Response!
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists has already weighed in this morning. Here is what NAHJ President Hugo Balta wrote:
"This is simply the worst example I have seen of a discriminatory stereotypical portrayal of any community by any media. The fact that this was done by a news organization is abominable.
This wasn’t a chance occurrence. This was a planned segment where many journalists agreed on the content and execution which concluded on what was seen nationwide.
It feeds to the ignorant misconceptions of a rich and proud people who unfortunately are too often portrayed as caricatures to be scoffed at.
NAHJ denounces the actions taken by MSNBC’s “Way Too Early” team for their capricious actions, lack of judgment, insensitivity and attack at the Mexican community.
NAHJ demands that the employees involved in the planning and production of this segment be disciplined and made to publicly apologize for their actions.
I am reaching out to the MSNBC leadership today".
Hugo Balta
NAHJ President.
4. What's next?
We all know that U.S. newsrooms are not diverse, so does it come as a surprise that we continue to see such ignorance getting produced by professional news organizations? These two Cinco de Mayo fails (#CincoDeFallo for those playing in Spanish) are just the latest examples. And quite frankly, I am getting exhausted from seeing this go on for so many years.
So why do we continue to see instances like the ones on MSNBC and ABC? Because U.S. news organizations lack a critical mass of managers, talent, producers and reporters who would be the first ones to tell their colleagues in a pitch meeting that filming Drinko de Mayo segments might not be the best idea.