KTLA, a Los Angeles-based television station, apologized for an “offensive word” being shared on its social media account. “KTLA experienced a technical error while adding language filters to our social media accounts, resulting in an offensive word being accidentally shared. We are appalled and apologize that this occurred,” KTLA wrote. KTLA experienced a technical error while adding language filters to our social media accounts, resulting in an offensive word being accidentally shared. We are appalled and apologize that this occurred. — KTLA (@KTLA) April 11, 2025 According to reports, the offensive word KTLA ‘accidentally’ posted was the N-word. “Currently, KTLA a major news media outlet and television station based in Los Angeles, widely known for its coverage of breaking news, live events, police pursuits, and more is facing significant backlash after an offensive racial slur was accidentally posted on its social media page. In an official statement, KTLA explained that a technical error occurred while configuring language filters on their platform, which led to the unintended and deeply inappropriate post,” Rawsalerts wrote. WARNING – EXPLICIT LANGUAGE #BREAKING: KTLA a large news media account and news station is receiving major backlash after it accidentally posted the word n!ggers on its social media page #LosAngeles | #California Currently, KTLA a major news media outlet and television station based in Los Angeles,… pic.twitter.com/UcitWhOznK — R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) April 11, 2025 Nigga of the Day #CTESPN https://t.co/c6dscARECO pic.twitter.com/DdppzPfwrR — AB (@AB84) April 11, 2025 The Wrap reports: X gives its users the ability to mute certain words on its platform — effectively blocking them from seeing any tweets that include said words. KTLA’s apology tweet suggests that it accidentally tweeted out the N-word when whoever was running its social media account at the time intended to instead add it to the profile’s list of filtered words. That explanation has not stopped X users from criticizing both the station’s mistake and its apology for it. “Aside from this obviously not being true —why would a news outlet need language filters on social media accounts?,” one X user tweeted, while another simply predicted, “Someone’s getting fired today.” A different user cast doubt on KTLA’s explanation, writing, “That’s your excuse? Someone typed the word and hit send, that’s not an error.” Another just shared their outrage over the deleted tweet, remarking, “KKKTLA just took their white hood off.” @hearinladotcom, meanwhile, tweeted in response to the event, “If KTLA doesn’t have a person of color running its social media. Today would be a good day to declare it will hire one ASAP.” So far, KTLA’s only response to the Friday morning incident has been its apology tweet and “technical error” explanation. Los Angeles residents will no doubt be watching to see what the station does to further rectify the mistake and ensure that nothing like it happens again in the future. KTLA faced severe criticism for the deleted post containing the word. The term was highly offensive and should not have been posted on your platform. — Gerald A. Griggs (@AttorneyGriggs) April 11, 2025 This is unacceptable, and probably a total lie about language filters. — Art Candee (@ArtCandee) April 11, 2025 who posted that? it doesn't post by itself! — Joseph (@Joseph3141593) April 11, 2025 Never watching KKKTLA again. — Rev. Ray Cistman (@RevRayCistman) April 11, 2025 If Fox news or Republicans did this you'd be calling for charges and federal jail time. — Sarah (@SarahfromOC) April 11, 2025 This says it all. I made a comment about you guys hiding my reply and it got 280 likes, then you blocked me and just now hid that reply as well. Disgusting censorship. pic.twitter.com/qi9YTL9cNM — Insider Wire (@InsiderWire) April 11, 2025 Per Daily Beast: One sympathetic commenter tried to help the station explain the mishap. When an X user replied to the station’s apology post that the “highly offensive” term should have never made it into a post, one person co-signed the station’s explanation that “code” could be to blame. “I don’t know if you’re aware of this but in the algorithm for these things they have to include certain words to a section of the code to prevent users from actually posting them,” they wrote. Slurs may be included in filters used to detect and remove harmful language—but how that language would make it into the “post” box on the platform remains unexplained. One Facebook user replied to the station’s apology on that platform, “So who got fired before or after this error?”