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White Anchor Resigns After Saying 'News N***a' in DM Conversation With a Black Viewer

Here's why some are debating if Valerie Hoff's removal was justified.

A veteran news anchor with Atlanta's 11Alive News has resigned after posted screenshots revealed she used a variation of the n-word with a Black viewer. Valerie Hoff sent a direct message to Curtis Rivers to gain the rights to use a video he posted on Twitter. In her message, Hoff used the n-word and Rivers posted images of the conversation.

  • It began on April 13 when Rivers shared a video of a police officer punching a Black man in the face during a traffic stop. After posting the video, several reporters from news outlets contacted Rivers to acquire permission to use the video. 

    Rivers then tweeted about how a lot of "news n****s" were contacting him regarding the video. 

    Hoff then sent a direct message to Rivers that opened with the line, "Please call this news n***a. Lol I'm with 11 Alive."

    At first, Rivers seemed amused by her message. Then when he discovered Hoff is white, he asked where he could report her behavior.

  • Hoff tried to explain that she was attempting to go along with his joke and that she never should have used the word in a personal context. However, her actions violated company policy and the anchor was forced to resign. 

    “I was quoting something the gentleman said in a public tweet back to him in a private message but that doesn’t make it any less offensive,” Hoff told Atlanta Journal Constitution. “It was incredibly stupid and reckless. I was in the middle of a pressure-filled day trying to chase down the video of a man being beaten and kicked by two Gwinnett police officers, which this particular gentleman had posted on Twitter. I repeatedly apologized and continue to do so. I also offered to resign immediately.”

    John Deushane, Hoff's supervisor, made the following statement: “11Alive does not tolerate any form of racial insensitivity and aggressively enforces our standard policies. We acted promptly to address this situation. Valerie Hoff has chosen to resign and apologizes for her actions. 11Alive is committed to treating the communities we serve with dignity and respect.”

  • Hoff took to Twitter to explain she had good intentions but acted carelessly

  • Some people on Twitter have come to Hoff's defense

  • However, some believe the use of the word was completely inappropriate and the results were justified

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