World News | BBC Radio Host Quits over Use of Racist Term in News Report
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. British radio host Sideman quit the BBC on Saturday over the corporation's decision to include a racial slur in a news report about a racist attack.
London, Aug 8 (AP) British radio host Sideman quit the BBC on Saturday over the corporation's decision to include a racial slur in a news report about a racist attack.
Sideman, who appeared on music station Radio 1Xtra, said in an Instagram post that broadcasting the word “feels like a slap in the face to our community.”
The comedian and broadcaster, whose real name is David Whitely, said that “with no apology (from the BBC) I just don't feel comfortable being aligned with the organization.”
The BBC included the word when reporting last month on a violent attack on a young Black man in Bristol, a city in southwest England. The attackers are reported to have yelled the offensive term as they ran into the 21-year-old with a car.
The victim needed hospital treatment for a broken leg and other injuries.
The BBC has defended the decision to use the word, saying it wanted to convey the racist nature of the attack and “gave adequate warnings that upsetting images and language would be used.” On Thursday the BBC said it had received more than 18,000 complaints about the broadcast. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)