Way Too Early host Thomas Roberts made the poor decision yesterday of airing a special Cinco de Mayo segment in which a sombrero-clad producer pretended to get drunk off tequila while shaking a maraca. Hugo Balta, the president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, called it the "the worst example I have seen of discriminatory stereotypical portrayal of any community by any media," prompting an apology from MSNBC.
"It was not our intention to be disrespectful and we sincerely apologize for the ill-advised references," the network said in a statement. The show's producer told Balta that all employees involved in the segment will be disciplined and ensured him that an incident like this will never happen again.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
