'Free speech paragon' BBC allegedly gags employees in Munchetty matter

According to the former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, United Kingdom, Trevor Phillips, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was pressurizing its employees to not sign any petition or letter regarding its decision to uphold a complaint against its flagship news show presenter, Naga Munchetty. Phillips reckoned that such a bar could be considered harassment. He further added that this was in violation of the 2010 Equality Act. On Friday, more than 40 popular broadcast journalists in the UK had issued an open letter asking the BBC to reconsider its ruling. 

Read: Major Gaurav Arya Calls Out BBC's Fake News And Hypocrisy On Kashmir, Tweets Aerial View Of Peaceful Eid

Munchetty’s remarks 

Munchetty, who was born to an Indian mother and Mauritian father, hosts the trademark BBC Breakfast show. While discussing the allegedly racist comments made by United States of America President Donald Trump against his female minority Democratic party rivals in July, she referred to her own perception of his remarks.  

She commented, "Every time I have been told, as a woman of colour, to go back to where I came from, that was embedded in racism," the journalist said in a discussion with her co-host while reporting on the story. “Now, I'm not accusing anyone of anything here, but you know what certain phrases mean,” she said, adding that even though it made her furious she was not there to give her opinion on the matter. 

Read: BBC Replies To Republic's Mail On Kashmir Video Under Govt's Lens, Stands By Report

While the Editorial Complaints Unit (ECU) of the BBC acknowledged Munchetty’s right to feel strongly about the issue, it stated that its editorial guidelines did not allow for journalists to give their opinions about the individual making the remarks or their motives for doing so. The complaint against her was partially upheld. 

Selective interpretation?

Just like the Munchetty case, the BBC’s interpretation of its ‘Editorial Values and Standards’ has come under question on other occasions as well. For instance, it published an ‘exclusive’ video from Saura, Jammu, and Kashmir in August this year.  It was reported that thousands of people took to the streets of Srinagar after the Friday prayers in the largest demonstration since the lockdown imposed in Jammu and Kashmir. It further allegedly witnessed security personnel opening fire and using tear gas to disperse people. Then, the Indian government asked for the unedited footage of the video to prove its authenticity.  

Read: J&K: Shekhar Kapur Calls Out BBC's Hypocrisy On Kashmir, Asks 'why Don't You Call Northern Ireland - British Occupied Ireland'?

In a response to Republic’s questions about the source of the video, the BBC responded,” The BBC stands by its journalism and we strongly refute any claims that we have misrepresented events in Kashmir. We are covering the situation impartially and accurately. Like other broadcasters, we are currently operating under severe restrictions in Kashmir but we will continue to report what is happening.”

Thus, it neither acknowledged or denied the possibility of a third-party providing the video. This raised a lot of questions about the BBC's selective reading of its own guidelines. 

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