Recently, a reporter from the Sacramento Political Reporters Corps faced backlash after posing a question that sparked accusations of racism.
Tina McKinner, a state representative from Los Angeles, had her chief of staff publicly accuse a CalMatters reporter of being racist. This incident followed a question about the authenticity of a Louis Vuitton handbag McKinner was seen carrying at an event.
McKinner took to social media to express her frustration, stating, “I have to deal with racist bullshit like this while Rome burns and American democracy is on the line.” She included a screenshot of an email from the reporter, which seemed to be prompted by the editor’s suggestion.
The reporter had asked about this handbag in connection with a broader report on legislators’ involvement in events funded by special interest groups. McKinner had attended a gathering hosted by the California Tribal Business Alliance, financed by profits from gaming.
Later, when approached by the newspaper, McKinner was discussing the situation nearby the Capitol when two women humorously inquired about the legitimacy of yet another Louis Vuitton bag she was carrying.
McKinner expressed her anger over the line of questioning, feeling that it implied Black women shouldn’t have nice things. “It’s not that the black woman worked hard… Why are we talking about this crap?” she remarked, highlighting the more significant issues at play.
Before her election in 2022, McKinner was involved in various roles within the nonprofit sphere and state party operations, as noted in her biography.
She pointed out that the original intent behind the CalMatters report was to explore whether Congress members could be swayed by free food and drinks at receptions, remarking sarcastically, “How awful!” about the idea of being influenced by drinks.
According to California Black Media, they questioned CalMatters about the editor’s motives in asking such a question, considering the historical context of questioning the worth of Black women.
CalMatters CEO Neil Chase communicated with California Black Media, indicating a willingness to discuss the matter with his team and mentioning that he had reached out to McKinner to review their standards.
Chase had not provided immediate comments to the newspaper when requested.
