MSNBC Apologizes for “Offensive” Tweet, Fires Employee Who Wrote It
Ericka Andersen /
UPDATE: MSNBC President Phil Griffin apologized Thursday for the network’s “outrageous and unacceptable” language toward conservatives. In a statement to the Republican National Committee, Griffin said: “We immediately acknowledged that it was offensive and wrong, apologized, and deleted it. We have dismissed the person responsible for the tweet.”
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An MSNBC tweet this week generated backlash for its assumption that conservatives dislike interracial families. The tweet, which the network since has deleted, was captured in a screen shot:
The ad in question is the second in a series of Cheerios commercials featuring the interracial family as characters.
When conservative commentator and online activist Michelle Malkin saw the MSNBC tweet, she jumped into action by creating the hashtag #MyRightWingBiracialFamily and then sent a tweet with a photo of her own biracial children. Next came a firestorm of response from other biracial, conservative families on Twitter. Here are a few of the tweets that surfaced:
Here’s a pic of #MyRightWingBiracialFamily from last Thanksgiving. We live in #Bolivia so I’m the odd one out, lol. pic.twitter.com/gqPLreObQa — Bryce Martineau (@bjmbolivia) January 30, 2014
#MyRightWingBiRacialFamily brought to you by @MSNBC! A hashtag I can jump in with my gorgeous wife! @michellemalkin pic.twitter.com/MwYBeiUuy4 — Nicholas Bailey (@I_Am_NickBailey) January 30, 2014
@Sgt_Bravo @TwittaChicca Here is #MyRightwingBiracialFamily @msnbc are a bunch of liberal hack idiots. pic.twitter.com/Op13k8Ik2O — John W. Wilson (@phjwi2) January 30, 2014
#MyRightWingBiracialFamily there are more of us than your myopic mind can probably process. @msnbc pic.twitter.com/bZ8lfGGqFn — Eugene Thurston (@mrgoody_2_shoes) January 30, 2014
This is the fourth time in the past few months that MSNBC drew criticism for its portrayal of conservatives as racist. Most recently, Melissa Harris-Perry poked fun at former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s family for having an adopted grandchild who is black.