BBC Faces Backlash After Racial Slur Airs Twice During Newsbeat Broadcasts
The BBC is under fire once again after airing a racial slur during two separate Newsbeat bulletins on Monday, just weeks after facing criticism for allowing the same derogatory term into their edited BAFTA coverage. The broadcaster used an unspecified song by American rapper Childish Gambino to soundtrack two segments about the newly released Super Mario Galaxy Movie, unaware that its lyrics contained the offensive term.
Listeners of BBC Radio were exposed to the racial slur during two short bulletins — one at 12:45pm and another at 5:45pm, the regular time slots for the programme.
A BBC spokesperson quickly issued an apology, acknowledging the error: “We are very sorry this was broadcast. We should not have included this clip in this news report, and we removed the clip from Sounds when we realised the error.”
The mistake followed an earlier incident at the BAFTA Awards, where a similar racial slur was broadcast during a segment featuring disability campaigner John Davidson, who suffers from Tourette’s Syndrome. Davidson, who was attending the awards to represent a film about his life, involuntarily shouted the N-word during a live broadcast, leading to widespread outrage.
Despite the outburst not being live, the BBC failed to edit the slur before airing it, which prompted severe backlash from the public and Hollywood figures. Davidson later apologized for the outburst, stating that his comments “are not a reflection of my personal beliefs,” and emphasized that it was a result of his condition.
This latest incident involving Childish Gambino’s song is another blow for the BBC, which has faced increasing scrutiny for its handling of such sensitive issues. A BBC source called the airing of the slur an “appalling oversight in the edit suite,” revealing that the wrong version of the song was selected and proper procedures were not followed. The team responsible for the oversight has been reminded of the correct processes.
Davidson has since spoken out again, questioning why he was placed so close to a microphone at the BAFTA event, as his tics are often unpredictable. He also reflected on his previous experiences with the BBC, expressing disappointment that they did not take more precautions given his history with Tourette’s.
This ongoing controversy highlights the challenges faced by the BBC in handling sensitive content, particularly when it involves individuals with neurological conditions like Tourette’s. While the corporation has apologized, the incidents continue to raise questions about editorial standards and the responsibility broadcasters hold in preventing offensive content from being aired.
For more on this story, stay updated with further BBC responses and actions.
Source: Daily Mail
