The parent company of KGW-TV has reportedly launched an internal investigation into the story that brought down NBA broadcaster Braiden Bell.
Bell was fired by the Portland Trail Blazers on the same day he was hired after KGW unearthed racist and misogynistic social media posts.
Bell later apologized for the posts, which were shared in 2012 and 2013 when he was only a teenager.
The story sparked a backlash against the KGW journalists who broke the story and on Friday, TheDesk.net reported that TEGNA is looking into whether John Tierney and Devon Haskins followed internal editorial processes. The Daily Mail has reached out to Tierney and Haskins for comment.
It’s claimed that the KGW newsroom was divided over the story, with one insider telling TheDesk.net that it ‘comes across as creepy to look through someone’s tweets when they were 15.‘
A journalist at KGW’s sister station in Denver claimed the story was ‘out of bounds,’ while OutKick founder Clay Travis called it ‘journalistically indefensible.’
Braiden Bell was fired by the Trail Blazers after controversial historic posts resurfaced
Reporters uncovered racist posts shared by Bell when he was a teenager in December 2012
Amid the backlash, TheDesk.net reported, Haskins deleted his X profile after some of his previous social media posts were dug up.
In his statement on Friday, Bell said he was ‘deeply sorry for the language’ he used.
‘These tweets, while wrong, were written by me 14 years ago while I was only 15 years old and have no reflection of who I am today,’ he said.
‘I do not take lightly any harm it causes now. I regret this being my first impression to many of you online, but I can take solace in knowing that the people who truly know me understand that this is not the kind of person I am.
‘Again, I’d like to apologize to anyone who was hurt by my words and will continue to always treat people with kindness and respect.’
The racist and misogynistic comments appeared in 2012 and 2013, on the account he still uses for sports commentary.
‘I’m not racist at all.. But not gonna lie.. Asian people p*** me off! Hahaha #honest,’ read a post from December 2012.
Another, from November 2012, announced: ‘Gotta give a shoutout to all the big girls out there and those closet whores.’
The offending posts were shared on the same account Bell still uses to comment on sports
Bell (above) had been hired to replace Kevin Calabro, who left for the Minnesota Timberwolves
‘We got a slut alert on aisle 10,’ Bell posted in February 2013. In the same month, he tweeted: ‘Girls these nights… Smh. #ThirstyForTheD.’
Just hours after Bell was hired, the Trail Blazers said in a statement: ‘[We] have zero tolerance for racist, sexist, or harmful comments,’ the team said in a statement.
‘Social media posts made by our recently announced play-by-play broadcaster are in clear violation of team and league policies, as well as our values and expectations. Therefore, we will not be moving forward with this broadcaster.
‘The play-by-play role carries a long legacy of excellence, on the broadcast and in character, and we hold that standard without exception.
‘We did not meet our own bar in this process, and for that we apologize to Blazers fans and to Rip City.
‘We believe strongly that everyone who is a part of Rip City should feel welcome and safe and we will make sure that our new broadcaster reflects these values. We will do better.’
