The care packages came streaming in to the television station: ginger ale, tissues and chicken noodle soup.

All of it was for Nick Vasos, whose desk at Fox 4 in Kansas City, Mo., had been turned into a shrine on Thursday with candles and a framed photograph of Mr. Vasos. By Friday, there was a wreath, stuffed animals and flowers, as the hashtag #PrayersforNick trended on Twitter.

The newscaster had been suffering from an acute case of embarrassment.

Mr. Vasos, 53, a traffic and morning anchor, accidentally sent an email about taking a sick day to the entire company. Instead of reaching his boss, it popped up in inboxes at the nearly 200 television stations owned by Nexstar Media Group, much to the amusement of newsroom employees in markets from Buffalo to Seattle.