Categories: OLD Media Moves

CNBC anchor uses slur against Indians

CNBC “Squawk Box” co-host Joe Kernen put his foot squarely in his mouth during Friday’s show when a light exchange about India’s currency turned tasteless, reports David Boroff of the New York Daily News.

Boroff writes, “Kernan, Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin were discussing India’s central bank when Quick mentioned that she still had rupees left from a trip abroad.

“The conversation quickly devolved when she displayed a two rupee bills — a 50 and a 10.

“‘Gandhi’s on the rupee. Look at that,’ Sorkin said.

“Kernen repeatedly said ‘Gandhi’ in a bad Indian accent, but the conversation only deteriorated from there.

“‘No, I can’t do it. I was going to say something,’ Kernen said.”

Kernen then asked if Indians were good at Seven-11, and Quick told him that the comment was insulting. Kernen then apologized.

Read more here.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.

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View Comments

John Cram says:
September 25, 2013 at 12:08 pm
Joe Kernen is always making racists comment, nothing new here. I was hoping someone would call him out on it, hence I read these piece.
Montezuma says:
September 25, 2013 at 12:55 pm
These idiots just talk to fill time. What a bunch of morons.
No He Didn't says:
September 25, 2013 at 12:56 pm
He didn't ask if indians were good at 7/11's he asked if Rupees were.
0d1n24 says:
September 25, 2013 at 2:15 pm
He asked if rupees, not Indians, were good @ 7-11. Still racist, but you might want to correct your article.
appu says:
September 25, 2013 at 4:10 pm
I really hope some bloke from a 7/11 takes Joe's job. Glad that racism is becoming mainstream now. It used to be relegated to the anonymous comments section - now that its more and more out in the open at least we will not hide behind a veil of perceived racial equality.