Skip to the story
All StoriesPoliticsConflict & SecurityBusiness & EconomyScience & TechHealthClimateMedia
All stories
Media191 outlets ran this3 min read

Converse pulls ad after critics cite KKK and lynching imagery

Company apologises and removes social media campaign following online backlash.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
Converse's latest ad sparked swift criticism including calls for the staff involved to be fired, as well as a boycott of the company. (Getty Images/AFP: Brandon Bell)

What this story says

  • Converse removed a social media ad after critics said it contained racist imagery.
  • Critics online stated a white triangular image on Karina's skirt resembled a Ku Klux Klan hood.
  • Online commentators also said the way Karina held the sneakers resembled the dangling feet of a lynching victim.
  • Converse apologised, stating they understood why the image was 'deeply upsetting' and 'got this wrong'.

Who covered it

Left 23%(32)Centre 57%(80)Right 20%(28)

Percentages are shares of the 140 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 51 of the 191 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

42/100

Craft

61/100

Hype

41/100

191 sources · methodology

Converse has removed a social media advertisement after critics said it contained racist imagery. The company apologised for the ad, which featured K-pop singer Karina wearing a skirt and holding a pair of Chuck 70 X sneakers. Converse stated they understood why the image was 'deeply upsetting' and 'got this wrong'.

Disagreement on claims

Critics online stated a white triangular image on Karina's skirt resembled a Ku Klux Klan hood. Critics also said the way Karina held the sneakers made them resemble the dangling feet of a lynching victim. Converse declined to answer questions about how the company screened ads before they were posted or how the ad was approved.

What the coverage left out

None of the left, centre, or right-rated reports printed below mention whether Converse has stated how the company screened ads before they were posted or how the ad was approved.

Tags:#Converse#Racism#KuKluxKlan#Lynching#Advertising#Kpop

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 3 times, most recently on 21 Sept 2026, 10:45, and will add the sides that appear.

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

32 rated outlets

  • Eight left-rated reports led on Converse removing a social media ad after critics said it included racist imagery. These reports carried claims that a white triangular image on Karina's skirt resembled a Ku Klux Klan hood and that the way she held the sneakers made them look like the dangling feet of a lynching victim. The reports also noted that Converse declined to answer questions about how the company screened ads before they were posted or how the ad was approved. ABC Australia, which published a full report, quoted Converse saying, 'We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognise that we got this wrong. We removed it from our channels and are working to remove it everywhere it appeared. This should not have happened, and we will do better.' IBTimes UK reported that Converse was tagged 'A Dying Brand' as it was accused of exploiting Black history with alleged 'Klan Robe' and lynching imagery. Big Easy Magazine reported that Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) released a statement after Converse and Nike released the campaign, asking, 'Nike and Converse, what the hell were you thinking?'

Centre

80 rated outlets

  • Six centre-rated reports led on Converse removing a social media ad after critics said it included racist imagery. These reports carried claims that a white triangular image on Karina's skirt resembled a Ku Klux Klan hood and that the way she held the sneakers made them look like the dangling feet of a lynching victim. The reports also noted that Converse declined to answer questions about how the company screened ads before they were posted or how the ad was approved. Ekstra Bladet reported that the ad was removed after 'Ku Klux Klan Rant'. Channel News Asia and CTV News stated the Instagram ad photo showed K-pop singer Karina wearing a skirt and holding a pair of Chuck 70 X sneakers. Boston.com reported that the ad sparked outrage among critics who viewed it as evoking the Ku Klux Klan and lynching.

Right

28 rated outlets

  • Seven right-rated reports led on Converse removing a social media ad after critics said it included racist imagery. These reports carried claims that a white triangular image on Karina's skirt resembled a Ku Klux Klan hood and that the way she held the sneakers made them look like the dangling feet of a lynching victim. The reports also noted that Converse declined to answer questions about how the company screened ads before they were posted or how the ad was approved. Origo reported that a 'Huge Scandal Broke Out Around Converse's New Commercial Due to a Racist Reference'. Die Presse reported that Converse CEO Aaron Cain announced an investigation into internal testing processes after criticism was sparked by a motif associated with the Ku Klux Klan. Latestly reported that Converse pulled the ad after backlash over 'Controversial Imagery'.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Converse pulls ad after critics cite KKK and lynching imagery?
Of the 140 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 23% are rated left, 57% are rated centre, 20% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 191. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Converse pulls ad after critics cite KKK and lynching imagery left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 140 rated outlets on this story, 23% are rated left, 57% are rated centre, 20% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Converse pulls ad after critics cite KKK and lynching imagery biased?
Converse pulls ad after critics cite KKK and lynching imagery is one event reported by 191 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which outlets covered Converse pulls ad after critics cite KKK and lynching imagery?
191 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
Why did Converse remove the ad?
Converse removed a social media advertisement after critics said the imagery evoked racist symbols, including those associated with the Ku Klux Klan and lynching. The company issued an apology, stating they understood why the image was 'deeply upsetting' and 'got this wrong'.
What specific imagery did critics object to?
Critics online stated that a white triangular image on Karina's skirt resembled a Ku Klux Klan hood. They also said the way Karina held the sneakers made them resemble the dangling feet of a lynching victim.
Did Converse explain how the ad was approved?
Converse declined to answer questions about how the company screened ads before they were posted or how the ad was approved. The company did issue an apology for the ad.

Read it at the source

191 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

32
Show 24 more

Centre

80
Show 72 more

Right

28
Show 20 more

Not rated

51
Show 43 more

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

More in Media

All Media →
Jake Paul2 min readPaul Brothers Visit Pentagon, Address US Military PersonnelRead storyJasper Savage/Prime3 min readAlan Ritchson says Reacher novel adaptation was blocked after Trump re-electionRead storyMeryl Streep's casting as Aslan in the forthcoming Narnia film has sparked furious Christian backlash, while some critics have slammed the 'woke' gender swap; seen in 2024 in L.A.3 min readMeryl Streep cast as Aslan in Netflix Narnia filmRead story

Elsewhere on the site

Share 1024x576Politics•3 min readNews Outlets Sue White House Over Press Credential RevocationMPs return to Parliament with economy and trade on agendaPolitics•1 min readMPs return to Parliament with economy and trade on agendaDes chercheurs américains ont annoncé mi-septembre poursuivre en justice le NIH qu’ils accusent d’avoir bloqué l’octroi de subventions à des fins de censure de recherches ayant trait à la diversité, l’identité de genre ou encore le changement climatique. © Crédit photo : MANDEL NGAN / AFPPolitics•3 min readTrump seeks control over US health research fundingXi JinpingBusiness & Economy•3 min readXi Jinping to Visit US Amid Rare Earth Export Drop
Converse Ad Removal | MediaBias News