Mainstream media in the United States have long had an aversion to calling out racism where it exists, instead opting for euphemisms like “white resentment,” “race-based appeal,” or “race-baiting,” among numerous others. This problem has reemerged in reporting on the protests against police brutality sparked by the police killing of George Floyd, and especially in recent stories about President Donald Trump repeatedly using or pushing racist rhetoric in tweets and speeches.
The issue gained attention in mainstream media multiple times in 2019, including when NBC News reportedly told staffers not to characterize comments Rep. Steve King (R-IA) made in an interview with The New York Times as racist. King -- also known for tweeting in 2017 that “culture and demographics are our destiny” and “we can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies” -- had told the Times, “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” NBC later reversed the decision.
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