NAACP slams CNN report of ‘dark-skinned’ Boston bombing suspect

The NAACP has lashed out at CNN and reporter John King, calling them “reckless and irresponsible” for King’s erroneous report that a suspect, described as a “dark-skinned man” had been arrested in connection with the Boston Marathon bombing. The report turned out to be false.

“The fact that this information was false is only part of the problem,” NAACP President and Chief Executive Benjamin Todd Jealous said in a statement. “Our concern is that CNN used an overly broad, unhelpful and potentially racially inflammatory categorization to describe the potential suspect. History teaches us that too often people of color are unfairly targeted in the aftermath of acts of terrorism.”

Jealous added, “We ask that CNN and all media outlets exercise caution and weigh the potential implications of such categorizations in future reports.”

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