avatarMarla Bishop

Summary

The BBC has been criticized for mistakenly mixing up two Black MPs, Dawn Butler and Marsha de Cordova, in its broadcasts, raising concerns about the lack of diversity and recognition within the organization.

Abstract

The article discusses recent instances where the BBC confused Dawn Butler, MP for Brent, with Marsha de Cordova, MP for Battersea, by mislabeling images and mixing up their identities. This has sparked a debate about the lack of diversity among BBC staff, particularly in editorial and decision-making roles. The article reflects on the historical lack of diversity at the BBC, noting that little progress has been made since the 1980s. The author suggests that these mistakes are not just oversights but indicative of a broader issue of not recognizing Black individuals as distinct individuals. The article calls for the BBC to acknowledge these errors, apologize, and take steps to prevent such incidents in the future.

Opinions

  • The BBC's repeated mix-ups of Black public figures suggest a systemic issue within the organization, possibly stemming from a lack of diversity among its staff.
  • The errors could be interpreted as a lack of proper attention or respect towards Black individuals, reducing them to a homogenous group rather than recognizing their unique identities.
  • There is a call for the BBC to not only apologize for these specific incidents but also to implement changes that ensure such mistakes do not recur.
  • The author points out that despite the passage of time, the BBC seems to have made insufficient progress in addressing diversity among its journalists and staff since the mid-1980s.
  • The article implies that the BBC needs to take responsibility for its actions and that these incidents are more than just innocent mistakes; they reflect a deeper problem of racial recognition and equality.

Why Does the BBC Keep Mixing Up Black People?

In a week they’ve done it twice

(left) Battersea MP Marsha de Cordova (photo: Twitter) (right) The real Dawn Butler, MP for Brent (photo: Wikipedia)

Dawn Butler MP for Brent tweeted the BBC this morning that while she loves her sister, MP Marsha de Cordova, they are different people and that Marsha deserves to be recognised as a person in her own right.

Yes, BBC News has again confused two different Black people, attaching Dawn’s name to an image of Marsha de Cordova seated in Parliament.

Last week, the British news broadcasting organisation made a similar faux pas when they showed a video of Lebron James playing basketball as they reported on the helicopter crash that killed nine people including Kobe Bryant.

When I worked in the World Service Newsroom at Bush House in the mid-80s, diversity amongst journalists was sorely lacking, with almost all producers, editors and subeditors white and male from the European diaspora

Today it’s the turn of the Members of Parliament for Brent and Battersea who are also the Shadow Secretary for Women and Equalities and Shadow Minister for Disabled People respectively. (One can only hope that if Dawn Butler wins the race for Labour Deputy Leader, she will become more recognisable to BBC journalists.)

As of the time of writing, Marsha de Cordova had tweeted that she is still awaiting an apology.

Is this a problem of lack of diversity in the echelons of Britain’s longest-running broadcasting company, as some are suggesting? Or could it a deliberate strategy, as others intimate? Even if it’s a genuine mistake on the part of some harried caption writer, the BBC needs to take responsibility and issue apologies. They also need to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

When I worked in the World Service Newsroom at Bush House in the mid-80s, diversity amongst journalists was sorely lacking, with almost all producers, editors and subeditors white and male from the European diaspora. Most Black people were employed as newsroom typists (including myself) or in catering. You’d think something would have changed in three decades.

I’m reminded of a time at university some 38 years ago when one of my lecturers came up to me to thank me for flowers I’d left for him in his study. Except I hadn’t.

I looked at him mutely trying to fathom whether this was some metaphysical conundrum of the ‘when the tree falls in the forest’ ilk. (I was a philosophy major, so sometimes it was hard to tell.)

We are not seen by those who don’t look properly or don’t recognise us as equal human beings. It’s unacceptable to confuse two people just because they are Black.

The mystery was solved a few days later when the other black woman on my course remarked on said lecturer’s rudeness. “I left him some flowers for his help with my last assignment and he didn’t even say thank you.”

Photo by Trevor Cole on Unsplash

We are not seen by those who don’t look properly or don’t recognise us as equal human beings. It’s unacceptable to confuse two people just because they are both Black.

It’s 2020 and time for change.

©️marla bishop 2020 Marla Bishop is a writer and relationship coach specialising in helping others live a life they love. She lives in London UK with her husband and youngest two children. You can read more of her writings here: Lilith

Diversity
Diversity And Inclusion
Culture
Black Women
Politics
Recommended from ReadMedium