Oct 9

Oct 9 Local TV station has a habit of making inappropriate posts to Twitter

OK — whoever manages the Twitter account for KIMT needs to go.

The station, already notorious for posting lousy and misleading headlines, has made a series of inappropriate tweets in recent months that make you wonder if the person behind the account needs a psychiatric evaluation.

The latest gem, posted Friday morning, stated "I thought that's how they got pregnant?" and linked to an article about the dangers of drinking while pregnant. The tweet was quickly deleted after several users, including myself, criticized the headline choice.

But fortunately for us, I took a screenshot.

The now infamous (and deleted) tweet from @KIMTNews3 linking to this article: http://t.co/3W1mc1I7pv #rochmn pic.twitter.com/HUHDmXxLt4
— Sean Baker (@SeanBakerMN) October 9, 2015

Here's one from a couple weeks ago. Rather than just report that two employees were hurt in a fire at an Albert Lea Subway, the station posted a reference to the Jared Fogle porn case.

Was it funny? Not really. But that's not the problem. The problem is that someone representing a top regional news source is using their position to make cheap jokes about real stories.

"Honestly, it's like they handed the social media keys to a teenager," one Twitter user told me.

Not the worst news Subway has had this year. http://t.co/1TSGaNba1f
— KIMT News 3 (@KIMTNews3) September 24, 2015

I do not have a screenshot for the final tweet worth referencing, but I did check in with a veteran journalist in town who confirmed the post was as bad as I remember.

The station actually used the phrase "when child murder is a good thing" to tease a story comparing the original version of a horror film with the remake.

But that post, too, was taken down after receiving a load of negative feedback.

I'm not pointing all this out purely for entertainment value. It's embarrassing. These posts, more than likely made by the same person, reflect poorly on the entire organization.

That's just not fair. I know there's a whole crew over there working hard to report the news in a respectable way. They don't deserve to have their reputation questioned because one employee has a horrible sense of humor.

About Sean Baker: Sean is the founder and editor of the Med City Beat. Under his direction, the site has transitioned from a small news blog to one of the most widely-read publications in the city. Prior to launching the site in 2014, Sean spent about two years producing television news in Green Bay and Rochester. His office is above a brewery, so please excuse any typos. Twitter.