The BBC has once more covered itself in less than total glory after issuing a reprimand to presenter Naga Munchetty for taking exception to someone being racist. While anyone reading that last sentence gives their head a shake, it has to be said that what she said was in response to another slice of forthright bigotry from Combover Crybaby Donald Trump, and in the wake of his attack on several serving US Congresswomen.
Naga Munchetty
As the Guardian has reported, Trump Tweeted last July “that congresswomen Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley should ‘go back to the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came’”. All four are US citizens, and only Rep. Omar was born outside the country.
Donald, where's yer hairspray?
Ms Munchetty responded by stating “Every time I have been told, as a woman of colour, to go back to where I came from, that was embedded in racism … Now, I’m not accusing anyone of anything here, but you know what certain phrases mean”. How, she was asked, did she feel at hearing such language used? "Furious. Absolutely furious and I can imagine lots of people in this country will be feeling absolutely furious [that] a man in that position thinks it’s OK to skirt the lines by using language like that”. Well, quite.
Sadly, “after a viewer complaint the corporation’s complaints unit decided that Munchetty had gone too far in expressing a personal opinion while broadcasting in her capacity as a BBC journalist”. The BBC “ruled that while Ms Munchetty was entitled to give a personal response to the phrase ‘go back to your own country’ as it was rooted in her own experience, overall her comments went beyond what the guidelines allow for”.
This decision did not meet with universal approval within the Corporation, not least from former China editor Carrie Gracie, who concluded “[Naga Munchetty] Unease among BBC journalists for whom ‘go back’ = racist. If power trumps or bends meaning, then no point in journalism, just print propaganda. There is no BBC journalism worth the name without BBC values. Accountability is one. Explain @BBCNaga reprimand please”.
She may be waiting a long time. Nikesh Shukla did not wait before responding “We really do live in a time where it's worse to call a racist a racist than be actually racist. Solidarity with Naga Munchetty”. Alex Andreou added “The racial and sexual politics alone, of telling a woman of colour not to be so emotional about racism, should result in the BBC issuing an apology to [Naga Munchetty]. Enough is enough. Ordinary decency should temper any warped version of ‘balance’”. Many others echoed those views.
Tell Mama UK was one such organisation: “Perplexing, wrong-headed statement from the BBC. Don't dictate how minorities should feel when they discuss their lived experiences of racism. Solidarity with [Naga Munchetty]”. Priyamvada Gopal was not happy: “So, fellow gals of colour, please note that you are not allowed to say that in your experience, a certain kind of phrase is embedded in racism. Don't say it. Just put up with the racism. Or else”. And Marcus Bernard was totally unimpressed with the BBC.
“We've got Laura Kuenssberg setting her followers on a man defending his baby, Fiona Bruce riling up audiences against Diane Abbott but it's Naga Munchetty who breaches impartiality by calling obvious racism racist. Nah, mate”. Not a good look. Again.
Enjoy your visit to Zelo Street? You can help this truly independent blog carry on talking truth to power, while retaining its sense of humour, by adding to its Just Giving page at
Maybe the BBC should change its "guidelines".
ReplyDeleteThey won't of course. Not while it's controlled by increasingly right wing governors, managers, editors, presenters and journalists. Do we really need to list them yet again?
This episode is but one symptom of an organisation long gone to cowardice and propaganda. Winston Smiths all.
I know we've had ample opportunity over the years of seeing how low the BBC has sunk but this is still nonetheless an eye-opener.
ReplyDeleteThe BBC's line (which I'm not taken in by for one minute) seems to be that it's nothing to do with racism or offence and more about how a news broadcaster should not express a personal opinion, presumably on anything. How then was it that when Clive Myrie said that Tyson Fury "needs to stop behaving like a dick" was he not reprimanded? Surely that too was an example of a BBC News employee expressing a personal opinion?
In reality, what this is truly about is the BBC cannot condone one of their employees saying anything negative about the right-wing establishment they are repeatedly cosying up to. Johnson, Trump, Farage....they all get free passes.
Considering that Laura Kussenberg has been shilling openly for the Tories on the BBC and via her Twitter feed for years despite endless complaints which the Beeb dismisses out of hand without even pausing to review her dreadful reporting style.
ReplyDeleteConsidering the backlash and support for Naga, the BBC News management will have to back down or watch one its most talented presenters flee for more lucrative and supportive lands.