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August 14, 2006
Political Correctness
Something very weird said by one of the bureaucrats inside the BBC:
The BBC was yesterday plunged into a row over its foreign reporting after its new "diversity czar" said there were too many white journalists reporting from non-white nations, particularly in Africa.
Mary Fitzpatrick said that she was tired of repeatedly seeing programmes where the situation was "here we are in Africa, and here's a white person saying, well, look at these people".
That’s simply racism of course, distinguishing between people on the basis of their ethnicity.
But what’s worse is that she doesn’t actually seem to understand what she’s saying:
Miss Fitzpatrick told The Observer that the BBC's team of foreign correspondents should come from the same ethnic background as the country they were reporting from.
This is entirely nonsensical. So we’re reporting from India: the reporter should be of which caste? (Yes, they are very different ethnic backgrounds). A Sikh? Moslem? Hindu? Reporting from Sri Lanka, Sinhalese or Tamil? Nigeria: Yoruba, Hausa or Ibo?
As the UK is majority a vague pinkish colour is she going to fire all reporters currently employed in the UK who are not vaguely pinkish?
August 14, 2006 in Media | Permalink
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Comments
Perhaps they should also report in the native language too. Surely to do otherwise is yet another example of western cultural imperialism?
Posted by: Tim Newman | Aug 14, 2006 9:31:37 AM
Now, now, you're back at your old game of poking fun at the terminally stupid. Carry on.
Posted by: dearieme | Aug 14, 2006 10:26:15 AM
Unfortunately I currently work in an organisation that currently peddles this line.
However, we did some research on business clients from various ethnic minorities, and it turns out that one thing they really dislike is.. being treated differently! they didn't like being patronised as an ethnic or women owned business, but just wanted to be treated like anyone else!
Posted by: angry_economist | Aug 14, 2006 2:16:21 PM
This won't do. EMAG says that firms and organisations must employ racial minorities in proportion to the "surrounding populations". So the BBC are going to have to sack most of their presenters (especially Scots) and replace them with white English people.
http://www.emetaskforce.gov.uk/reports.asp
Posted by: Bob Doney | Aug 14, 2006 3:37:51 PM
A proposal. The BBC should agree on what the staff is. Something like
'The BBC News is 14% White English males, 2% Black English males, etc.,,,, .05% Basque Male Sort of Spanish.
This might be difficult. But it would make subsequent decisions quite easy.
Ms. Fitz (I can't say what group she would be in) might be in the group with 3%. She would then be paid 3% of her salary and work roughly 4 days per year.
Her work would be done 2% of the time, by a Black English male, who would get 2% of the salary.
I am not sure of several details. But is should be tried simply because it sounds very fair. And it must be unfair not to try what sounds fair.
Posted by: K | Aug 14, 2006 4:38:36 PM
