A 150-strong group of black broadcasters including actors Lenny Henry, David Harewood and Adrian Lester, have written to the BBC demanding it withdraws its decision to uphold a complaint against Naga Munchetty .
The anger of the group, which also includes the BBC’s Sean Fletcher, Sky News’ Gillian Joseph and Channel 4’s Krishnan Guru-Murthy, comes after the Breakfast presenter was informed she had breached guidelines over comments made regarding President Trump’s racism in July.
Now the group of TV and radio presenters have called on the BBC’s Editorial Complaints Unit to overturn its decision and acknowledge that can be no expectation of “impartiality” over expressions and experiences of racism.
In a letter to bosses, the group said that it “strongly condemned” the finding.
“It amounts to both a misunderstanding of the BBC’s editorial guidelines, and a form of racially discriminatory treatment towards BAME [black, Asian and minority ethnic] people who work on programming,” the letter says.
“The BBC’s editorial guidelines allow for ‘professional judgement, rooted in evidence’, and require ‘cultural views in other communities’ to be taken into account.
The ECU – which we believe does not reflect the diverse cultural views in the BAME communities in the UK – has failed to acknowledge the following: racism is not a valid opinion on which an impartial stance can or should be maintained.”
(Image: Getty)
BBC staff have already been effectively “gagged” from voicing support for Munchetty, who provided a personal response to the President telling four US congresswomen to “go back” to the “places from which they came”.
She said at the time: “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.”
Asked by co-host Dan Walker how she felt about Trump using such language, Naga replied: “Absolutely furious and I can imagine lots of people in this country will be feeling absolutely furious a man in that position thinks it’s OK to skirt the lines by using language like that.”
One viewer complained that her remarks had breached guidelines.
Yesterday former BBC executive and diversity expert Marcus Ryder said the ECU’s finding was simply wrong.
(Image: PA)
(Image: Getty)
He argued that the guidelines contain a clause which state that impartiality “does not require detachment from fundamental democratic principles” which included addressing racism.
BBC correspondent Carrie Gracie tweeted her support, saying the decision over Naga had caused unease among journalists “for whom ‘go back’ = racist. If power trumps or bends meaning then no point in journalism, just print propaganda”.
BBC correspondent Sangita Myska agreed: “Right now, there is a lot of bewilderment among BAME staff”, leading presenter Matthew Price to add: “There’s a lot of bewilderment (and some anger) among non-BAME staff too.”
But a message to staff warned them all to stop commenting.
One production executive in digital current affairs, told workers: “Reminder about the BBC social media guidelines and that people should not be tweeting anything that can be construed as an opinion – or backing an opinion – on the findings of the ECU and Naga.”
Labour MP David Lammy called the ECU’s decision “appalling” while Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn , said: “Naga Munchetty stated a fact.
“She shared experiences of racism she’s suffered. That can’t be at odds with any editorial guidelines.”
Last night the BBC said some of Naga’s remarks were legitimate but not the possible motive for, and potential consequences of, the President’s words which were “for the audience to make”.
