FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

SAN DIEGO ASSOCIATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS APPALLED BY RACIALLY INSENSITIVE SEGMENT ON LOCAL TV PROGRAM

 

SAN DIEGO (November 19, 2021) – The San Diego Association of Black Journalists (SDABJ) is appalled by the interaction that took place on KUSI’s “Good Morning San Diego” show on Monday, November 15. The segment, called “Famous Baby Daddies,” featured Dave Rickards and Emily Maguire  — hosts of the 101.5 KGB radio program “The DSC Show” — and KUSI anchors Paul Rudy and Elizabeth Alvarez guessing which of two celebrity fathers had the most children with the most partners. Out of the 18 men named in the bit, nine were Black. 

 

“This appalling exchange was offensive to the Black community,” said Keith Bryant, president of the San Diego Association of Black Journalists. “The segment regurgitated racist stereotypes about Black fathers and families, turning those prejudices into fodder for tasteless jokes.”

 

Bryant spoke to KUSI News Director Steve Cohen this week about the segment. McKinnon Broadcasting owns KUSI. Cohen was very apologetic and said he found the feature “abhorrent.” 

 

“I was told the station will no longer provide a platform for The DSC Show, and Cohen described the segment as ‘inappropriate and an affront to our African/American community and their viewers,” Bryant said. 

 

Cohen offered to meet with SDABJ and allied groups in the coming weeks to discuss improving diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

 

“We applaud KUSI-TV and McKinnon Broadcasting for acknowledging this racist on-air incident and for their willingness to work with us in the near future,” Bryant said. 

 

Bryant added that SDABJ offered to work with KUSI on newsroom diversity and their staff and provide access to SDABJ’s resource guide, designed to educate and support journalists interested in learning more about and engaging with San Diego’s Black community.

 

As for KGB, SDABJ leadership reached out multiple times and received no response. 

 

“We’re very disappointed KGB hasn’t responded to our outreach,” Bryant said. “Along with the San Diego branch of the NAACP, we are calling for a meeting with management at KGB to discuss how this shameful incident occurred and next steps. We’d also like to discuss ways SDABJ can be a  resource to ensure this doesn’t happen again. SDABJ looks forward to hearing from management on this matter.”

 

ABOUT SAN DIEGO ASSOCIATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS (SDABJ)

SDABJ is a chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the largest journalism group of color. NABJ was founded in 1975 in Washington, D.C., by 44 journalists. Its purpose is to provide quality programs and services and to advocate on behalf of Black journalists. 

 

SDABJ was founded in February 2000 by a dozen journalists, mainly from the newsroom of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Its mission is to bridge the gap between African-Americans and the media. Among its programming is “Pro for a Day,” a popular journalism boot camp held in conjunction with Southwestern College in Chula Vista and its annual scholarship reception. It has awarded approximately $75,000 worth of scholarships to deserving students who want to enter the field of journalism and communications. The group also advocates hiring media and communications professionals of diverse backgrounds to ensure representation in local newsrooms and related communication fields.

 

Learn more at www.sdabj.org

 

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