Chicago-based network WGN-TV displayed the worst possible symbol for a TV segment on Yom Kippur Tuesday evening: a Jewish badge - the yellow patch that Nazis forced Jews to wear in the 1940's.
The badges were required to be sewn on the clothes of every Jewish person in Europe and be worn out in public on certain occasions, according to the Holocaust Center in Michigan. By doing so, the German government was able to use the badge as a means to isolate and dehumanize the Jews of Europe, directly marking them as different to everyone else. It also allowed for the facilitation of their seperation from society and subsequent ghettoization, eventually leading to the deportation and mass-murder of six million Jews.
A lawyer in Chicago took notice and called out the CW's affiliated station on Twitter:
Holy crap, @WGNNews, this is your stock photo for a Jewish holiday?? Nobody thought that's a bad choice of photo? pic.twitter.com/z7BNuvGybS
— Marc Karlinsky (@MarcKarlinsky) September 23, 2015
WGN-TV quickly apologized for displaying the offensive image, saying that it was an accident and that they deeply regret their error, according to Mediaite.
We are truly sorry for inadvertently using an offensive image in our Yom Kippur story. We apologize and deeply regret the error. — WGN TV News (@WGNNews) September 23, 2015
Despite the network's apology, the damage was done and people all over social media have been left wondering if the posting was actually malicious and have even called for whoever missed the mistake to be fired.
