Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

BBC bans BAME as report reveals term "not fit for purpose"

THE BBC is set to drop the "BAME" acronym after a report has revealed the term is "not fit for the purpose", reported The Telegraph.

The report added that the term could “cause serious insult” by treating ethnic minorities as a single group.


Along with ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, the corporation has committed to move away from the term. Instead, it will refer to specific ethnic groups where possible, or use the full description of “black, Asian and minority ethnic”, The Telegraph report added.

The pledge applies not only to news reports and programmes, but also to internal and external corporate communications.

The report commissioned by the BBC on behalf of the broadcasting industry, and carried out by the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity, said the term was “problematic”.

It also identified “white nervousness” around the language used to describe ethnicity, saying such changes should be made gradually.

“There seems to be a general acceptance that Bame is no longer fit for purpose as a collective term in describing a group of people who do not identify as white, and if used needs to come with several caveats," the report concluded.

The Telegraph report also revealed that the study’s authors “did not come across anybody who described themselves as Bame when describing their racial identity”.

They added that the use of the term in headlines “does not enable deeper understandings of often complex stories”, and it could “cause serious insult to some members of the audience”.

The report suggested that applying the BAME label to stories such as the incidence of Covid-19 or educational outcomes was not useful, as those statistics applied to some ethnic minority groups and not others.

It also identified concerns that organisations are hiding discrimination against certain racial groups by collating everyone under the BAME label to meet diversity targets.

The report called for a ban of "Bame" as a noun to rhyme with “game”, saying most of those interviewed for the report found it “totally unacceptable”.

Contributors to the report included Pat Younge, the BBC’s former head of production. Other interviewees included Krishnan Guru-Murthy, the Channel 4 News presenter, and Megha Mohan, the BBC’s gender and identity correspondent, plus representatives of employee network groups at the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV.

“There is a social problem that needs to be addressed. BAME is widely used in the creative sector, but public criticism of the term is increasingly mobilising. We identify strong evidence to suggest that the term BAME is problematic for many, and that a case can be made for considering alternative language,” the report said.

Journalists who work for the BBC World Service and the corporation’s Asia region said referring to an ethnic “minority” made little sense when reporting news for a global audience.

The report said that some arts organisations including RADA and the Casting Directors Guild now use the phrase “black and global majority”. However, it did not recommend its usage.

The BBC said it would still use BAME in its annual report when detailing the proportion of staff from non-white backgrounds, as is required by Ofcom. Though it will also break down the data into constituent groups.

More For You

The meeting between Trump and William took place at the UK ambassador's residence in Paris after the event. (Photo: Getty Images)
The meeting between Trump and William took place at the UK ambassador's residence in Paris after the event. (Photo: Getty Images)

Trump meets Prince William at Notre Dame reopening

US president-elect Donald Trump met Prince William on Saturday during the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The event marked the restoration of the historic landmark following a major fire in 2019.

Keep ReadingShow less
Princess of Wales hosts emotional Christmas service
Kate attends the "Together At Christmas" Carol Service" at Westminster Abbey in London on December 6, 2024. (Photo by ISABEL INFANTES/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Princess of Wales hosts emotional Christmas service

PRINCESS OF WALES, Kate Middleton, hosted a Christmas service at Westminster Abbey on Friday (6) that reflected on "the most difficult times" as she returns to public life after her cancer diagnosis.

The London carol service intended to "reflect upon the importance of love and empathy, and how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives", according to Kensington Palace office.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rotherham sexual assault convict to be released from prison: report
Banaras Hussain

Rotherham sexual assault convict to be released from prison: report

A MAN convicted of violent sexual offences in Rotherham is set to be released from prison on licence after serving nine years of a 19-year sentence.

The crimes of Banaras Hussain, 44, included rape, indecent assault, and actual bodily harm, were part of a prolonged pattern of abuse targeting vulnerable victims, some as young as 11.

Keep ReadingShow less
Birmingham gang convicted for £2.5m Covid fraud

Birmingham gang convicted for £2.5m Covid fraud

TWELVE members of an organised crime group from Birmingham, Walsall, and Yorkshire have been found guilty of defrauding over £2.5 million in Covid support grants through fraudulent claims.

The crime group exploited non-trading businesses and stolen identities to submit multiple Covid support claims, including Bounce Back Loans, HMRC payments, and various grants set up to assist struggling businesses and individuals during the pandemic.

Keep ReadingShow less
Migrant workers key to meet housing target, warn builders
Construction workers work on building residential houses and homes at a Homes by Strata building site, in Leeds, northern England on September 4, 2024. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Migrant workers key to meet housing target, warn builders

THE UK must urgently address a construction skills shortage, including by increasing migrant worker numbers, to achieve prime minister's target of building 1.5 million homes by the end of this parliamentary term, industry leaders have warned.

The National Federation of Builders, which represents small and medium-sized contractors, highlighted the scale of the challenge, pointing to an ageing workforce and declining numbers of apprentices, the Telegraph reported.

Keep ReadingShow less