Valerie Hoff DeCarlo, a former CNN anchor whose journalism career ended in controversy after she used a racial slur in a private message, died last week at age 62 following a battle with lung cancer. Her death came years after a 2017 incident that led to her departure from the television news industry.
DeCarlo served as an anchor at CNN from 1992 to 1999 before moving to NBC-affiliate WXIA in Atlanta, where she worked as an anchor and consumer reporter from 1999 to 2017. Her nearly two-decade career at the Atlanta station came to an abrupt end following a controversial exchange on social media.
The incident occurred while DeCarlo was investigating a story about racial and police violence. She contacted a black man who had posted a video she wanted to examine for her reporting. In his public post, the man had noted that many “news n-words” were attempting to obtain his video. When DeCarlo messaged him privately, she repeated the phrase he had used, referring to herself with the same terminology.
The man took offense at DeCarlo’s use of the slur, regardless of context. He shared the private messages publicly, which quickly spiraled into a wider controversy. “If she is bold enough to say it to me, being an African American, then I’m pretty sure this isn’t the first time she has used that word,” the man told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
DeCarlo attempted to explain that she was simply repeating the language he had used in reference to journalists seeking his video, and that she was referring to herself rather than directing the term at him. Despite her explanation, the situation escalated when the man requested contact information for her manager or lawyer. WXIA placed DeCarlo on a two-week suspension before she ultimately resigned from her position.
The controversy highlighted ongoing debates about the use of racial slurs in any context, even when quoted or repeated. Many news organizations maintain zero-tolerance policies regarding such language, regardless of the circumstances in which it is used. DeCarlo’s attempt to mirror the source’s own language in what she believed was a professional exchange proved to be a career-ending decision.
After leaving WXIA, DeCarlo attempted to continue her journalism career as a citizen reporter through her own blog, though the site has since been deleted. The departure from mainstream journalism marked a significant fall for a broadcaster who had spent 25 years building her reputation in the industry.
Before the 2017 incident, DeCarlo had been known for personal storytelling that intersected with her professional work. She gained recognition for coverage of her family’s adoption journey after she and her husband, Derrick DeCarlo, struggled with infertility. The couple adopted one of their two sons from Russia. She also openly documented her battle with breast cancer in 2013, bringing attention to the disease through her platform.
In 2024, DeCarlo received a diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer. Despite the serious prognosis, she continued making plans for the future, organizing a family cruise and preparing to host a Christmas party in the weeks before her death. Close friends described her as maintaining her characteristic energy and determination even as her health declined.
Her husband remembered her strength and dedication to family. “She was a force with everything she did,” Derrick DeCarlo told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “She was a strong, capable, loving woman and a wonderful mother.”
DeCarlo’s career trajectory reflects the challenging landscape journalists face regarding language and social media communication. What began as an attempt to connect with a source using his own terminology became a defining moment that overshadowed her decades of work. The incident serves as a cautionary tale about the complexities of navigating racial issues in journalism, particularly in an era where private communications can quickly become public.
She is survived by her husband and their two sons. The family had been planning holiday celebrations when she passed away, underscoring the sudden nature of her final decline despite ongoing treatment for her cancer.
