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A Mississippi News Anchor Is Under Fire for Quoting Snoop Dogg WLBT's Barbara Bassett used the rapper's "fo shizzle" phrase during a live broadcast, causing the station to let her go.

By Jonathan Small

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

A Jackson, Mississippi, news anchor and meteorologist has been removed from her morning spot on WLBT and her bio stricken from the station's website after saying Snoop Dogg lyrics during a live broadcast.

Earlier this month, Barbara Bassett and her news crew were talking about Snoop Dogg's new wine, Snoop Cali Blanc. Co-anchor Wilson Stribling made a comment to Bassett about putting a "Snoop Dogg tattoo on her shoulder." To which, Bassett responded with the lyrics.

Bassett was quoting a phrase popularized by rapper Snoop Dogg. But the term is slang for the N-word.

No comment from the station

Mississippi's Clarion-Ledger has reached out to Bassett and WLBT staff for comment, but so far everyone is tight-lipped. "As I am sure you can understand, WLBT is unable to comment on personnel matters," said WLBT Vice President and General Manager Ted Fortenberry.

This is not the first time Bassett has run into trouble for controversial remarks. In October 2022, she used the word "grandmammy," an old slave term, while speaking to a Black reporter. At that time, Bassett apologized.

"Today at 11', I used a term that was offensive to many in our audience and to my coworkers here at WLBT. Though not intentional, I now understand how my comment was both insensitive and hurtful," she said at the time. "That is not the heart of who I am. And for that, I humbly ask for your forgiveness, and I apologize to everyone I have offended."

Not everyone is offended

While Bassett's "fo shizzle" comments have been criticized by some for being racially insensitive, others believe the station overreacted in its punishment.

Radio host Charlamagne The God defended Bassett during his radio show, The Breakfast Club.

"Come on, we got to like, stop, man. That's not a reason to fire that woman," he said. "She probably has no idea [it's] is a derivative of the N-word."

Jonathan Small

Entrepreneur Leadership Network® VIP

Founder, Write About Now Media

Jonathan Small is an award-winning author, journalist, producer, and podcast host. For 25 years, he has worked as a sought-after storyteller for top media companies such as The New York Times, Hearst, Entrepreneur, and Condé Nast. He has held executive roles at Glamour, Fitness, and Entrepreneur and regularly contributes to The New York Times, TV Guide, Cosmo, Details, Maxim, and Good Housekeeping. He is the former “Jake” advice columnist for Glamour magazine and the “Guy Guru” at Cosmo.

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