{UAH} FW: Racism, the BBC and Naga Munchetty

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Dear George, BBC presenter Naga Munchetty has come under fire from the BBC, for sharing her experiences of racism in response to comments made by Donald Trump. The BBC is upholding a complaint that was made, saying that Naga Munchetty has breached BBC editorial guidelines, even though she was only calling out racism. [1] Over the weekend tons of celebrities and campaigners have come out in support of Naga Munchetty - with many signing an open letter to the BBC, demanding they reverse their decision. [2] Now 38 Degrees member Ash has set up a petition calling for the same thing. George, if enough of us pile and support Ash's petition, it could be the final push the BBC need to back down and reverse their decision.  If you think the BBC should reverse their decision, sign the petition now: Campaign created by Ash Zaman   Sign the petition To: BBC What: 1. For the BBC's Editorial Complaints Unit (ECU) to overturn their decision that Naga Munchetty broke the broadcaster's editorial guidelines; 2. For BBC Management to give full support to journalists and acknowledge there can be no expectation of "impartiality" over expressions and experiences of racism; 3. For the bodies that deal with complaints about broadcasting, such as the ECU and Ofcom, to be clearer about how they research and come to their decisions, and make sure there is a diverse group of people making decisions like this. Why is this important: BBC Breakfast host, Naga Munchetty, was found to have broken the corporation's editorial rules following her criticism of Donald Trump for telling politicians of colour to "go home". Racism is not a valid opinion which you can have an "impartial" stance on. For communities and people who experience racist abuse – including Munchetty – being expected to treat racist ideas as somehow valid can have a devastating effect on their dignity. Along with many other celebrities and campaigners, we believe that the BBC's decision to uphold the complaint made against Munchetty is deeply flawed, potentially illegal and goes against the spirit and purpose of public broadcasting. The BBC's current position will also have a huge effect on future diversity within the BBC, to suggest that future BAME broadcasters will be hired at the BBC, providing that they remain "impartial" about how they feel about their experiences of racism is ludicrous. Read more... Sign the petition Thanks for being involved, Sana, Molly, Robin, Holly and the 38 Degrees team PS: Ash Zaman started their petition on the 38 Degrees website. With 38 Degrees anyone can start their own campaign with the click of a button. But that's just where your journey begins. Creating a petition, then sharing it with friends and colleagues, can soon give you a groundswell of support. Perhaps you'll end up changing something really important. Use this link to get your campaign started today, it takes just a couple of minutes and we'll support you every step of the way: https://38d.gs/new-petition  NOTES: [1] The Guardian: Growing backlash against BBC in Naga Munchetty race row: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/sep/27/growing-backlash-against-bbc-in-naga-munchetty-race-row [2] The Sun: Lenny Henry among 150 BAME TV stars to slam BBC after it rapped Breakfast host Naga Munchetty for calling Trump's comments 'racist': https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/uknews/10019140/lenny-henry-150-bame-bbc-naga-munchetty-trumps-comments-racist/ The Guardian: You can't be 'impartial' about racism – an open letter to the BBC on the Naga Munchetty ruling: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/sep/27/racism-no-such-thing-as-impartiality-open-letter-bbc

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