A Modern Controversy

CNN Business posted an article this past August addressing BBC’s apology for using an uncensored racial slur during one of their news segments. Though they apologized for this racial slur, this was not the first time they raised controversy pertaining to the n-word. The controversy first started when a member of BBC’s Social Affairs Correspondents used the n-word while reporting on an attack against a rapper known as K-Dogg. The musician was hit by a car and the attack was said to be racially aggravated. Though the report using the racial slur aired July 29^th, the stations apology was not released until one of their popular DJ’s resigned. BBC’s DJ Sideman, also known as David Whitely, resigned from his position due to the airing of the report that included the n-word. Whitely commented on the incident in disapproval, “the use of the N-word and the subsequent defense of it felt like a slap in the face of our community.” The DJ continued to address the situation and explain why it was not okay with him, “the BBC sanctioning the N-word being said on national television by a white person is something I can’t rock with. This is an error in judgment where I can’t just smile with you through the process and act like everything is okay.” After Whitely resigned, along with 18,600 complaints from viewers, BBC finally felt the need to apologize for the use of the n-word. Along with DJ Sideman, another employee of BBC voiced his disapproval of the use of the n-word on air. Larry Madowo, a correspondent for BBC World also commented on the issue and discussed his own run in with the use of the n-word. Madowo said that when he tried to post an article that used the n-word while quoting an African American, the network did not allow him. Then months later, Madowo sees the airing of a white woman using a racial slur on national television and it did not sit right with him. Because of the uproar from both viewers and employees BBC then apologized and banned the n-word from being used in any context.