Hearing exposes TV viewers to blunt language, racial slurs

The first day of the House investigation into the Jan. 6 uprising at the U.S. Capitol exposed daytime television viewers to profane language and racial slurs

NEW YORK -- People who watched the first day of a House investigation into the Jan. 6 uprising at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday were exposed to the sort of blunt language, including profanity and racial slurs, rarely heard on daytime television. The hearing featured emotional testimony from four police officers who defended the Capitol and video clips of violence and mayhem. It was shown live widely, but not uniformly, on several television networks. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, who is Black, said one rioter cursed him and called him the n-word, a phrase that was repeated and even chanted at him. Dunn didn't mask any language while describing it. Networks warned of graphic material in onscreen messages. In initial accounts of Dunn's testimony, The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Associated Press all mentioned the slur but did not spell it out. CNN's website linked to a video with the headline, “Capitol police officer recounts rioters calling him the n-word.” The video itself, after warning of graphic language, used Dunn's full quotes.