Kansas City NBC affiliate KSHB attempted to “contextualize black shooting deaths at the hands of police officers” by publishing a video from its media partner Newsy called “These Are The Black People Police Have Shot and Killed This Year.”
The video features a list of names of black people shot by police officers scrolling over footage including protestor chants, police radio calls and eyewitness accounts. Newsy also posted the names of those killed below the video. Click here to view the cached version.
It didn’t go over well and the station says it’s not to blame.
“The headline itself was worded to incite anger and violence,” one viewer wrote on Facebook. “When I watch the news, I expect 100% of the facts, numbers, statistics and investigative. But, that is not what we get. And after that unprofessional attempt at “journalism” my household will not watch your station again. Disgusting, shameful, and ignorant.”
KSHB points to Newsy, which according to a Scripps press release is a “millennial-focused digital video news service that provides ‘news with the why,’ built to inform and engage by delivering today’s top stories across platforms.”
“Editor’s note: Newsy previously published a video titled “These Are The Black People Police Have Shot And Killed This Year,” Newsy said on its website and KSHB posted to its Facebook page. “In it, we attempted to contextualize black shooting deaths at the hands of police. Several of you reached out to us to say the video wasn’t successful in providing that context. Upon reviewing it, we agreed.”
“The national conversation about policing and race is important, difficult and nuanced. Newsy fell short in this particular contribution to that dialogue,” said the statement. “Every day, we strive to put the news in perspective with historical and statistical analysis so you can reach your own informed conclusions. And every day, we produce stories we’re proud to say do deliver on that mission. We’ve replaced the original video here with one such story.”
Newsy doesn’t have access to the station’s Facebook page and KSHB controls the editorial direction of its social media sites.
Newsy has replaced the video on its website. Click here to view the edited version.