According to the latest press release from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), a complaint was made about a programme called “Let’s Talk Racism” aired as part of RTE’s After School Hub programming.
The complainant stated that during a segment titled ‘Let’s Talk Racism’, the presenter claimed that there have been black and brown people in Ireland for centuries. However, the complainant believes this to be historically inaccurate as it implies that black or brown people made up a significant proportion of the population throughout the centuries and that the multiracial society that now exists here, always existed. The complainant believes this to be inaccurate as Irish people are of predominately Gaelic, Celt and Norman ancestry reports the BAI.
The complaint also highlights that the programme took place during “Black History Month” on 22nd October 2020 and the RTE presenter stated , “there are black and brown scientists, doctors, lawyers, astronauts, sports stars, actors and singers” yet, “we rarely hear about them”.
The complainant believes this to be inaccurate as most
viewers would know many black or brown sports stars, actors and singers but many children would not know any black or brown lawyers or astronauts. By asking why we rarely hear about black or brown people in these fields, it infers that persons of other races are somehow the cause of this alleged racism.
The BAI rejected the complaint saying “The Committee did not consider that there was evidence in the broadcast to support the complainant’s contention that the content was inaccurate or that it inferred that particular persons were racist. Principle 5 requires broadcasters to have respect for human dignity and to ensure that broadcast material does not stigmatise, support or condone discrimination or incite hatred against a particular group in society; the Committee noted that the item discussed racism and the negative effects of racism in an open manner which would be easily understood by children. Further, the presenter discussed her own experiences with racism and provided a positive view on the diversity of Irish society. It was the view of the Committee that the programme was inclusive and informative, which is in the public interest. The Committee did not find that the broadcast infringed the Code in the manner described by the complainant, rather, it was the view of the Committee that the broadcast aligned with both the spirit and letter of the Code of Programme Standards.”
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