BBC guilty of ‘rewriting British history’ promoting Awakening agenda in ‘biased’ documentaries

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Dr Alka Segal Cuthbert, director of the anti-racism group Don’t Divide Us, said: “When a public institution like the BBC helps normalize a radically critical, historical view of Britain’s history, it makes possible a culture within – common to the nation’s citizens – old, new and unfamiliar. They become after – more difficult. This is not a public service.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “We place great importance on accuracy and provide audiences with a broad range of viewpoints, perspectives and analysis across thousands of hours of news, current affairs and factual programmes, covering a range of historical topics.

“In our entire production there will, of course, be occasions when people disagree or wish to challenge what they have seen or heard and we have well publicized ways for them to do that.

“Picking out a few examples or highlighting real errors in thousands of hours of production on television and radio does not constitute analysis nor is it a true representation of BBC content.”

Comment: The BBC should build unity around British history, not slander it

By Marie Kawthar Daouda

The BBC has a glorious past. For a French or American audience, BBC adaptations of Shakespeare and Dickens are essential. But why should a national broadcaster be ashamed of being British?

We hear a lot about the evil doings of the British Empire, but an episode of African history dedicated to the involvement of the British in ending the slave trade has yet to be seen. Meanwhile, The Adventures of Romesh Ranganathan fails to mention that between 1808 and 1860 alone, the West African Squadron captured 1,600 slave ships and freed more than 150,000 African slaves.

We have heard much lately of the Benin Bronze Islands and their response, but in its coverage of the matter the BBC systematically fails to point out that these objects, the work of enslaved hands, were seized in 1897 as an act of revenge after the massacre of an unarmed party of British envoys and a large number of their African bearers, and that the next British campaign put an end to the slave trade in Benin.

The way the BBC portrays British history may be the only way many people have access to this past, and this inaccurate, biased and divisive slander of Empire will do little good.

The BBC claims that it is committed to reflecting Britain’s diversity. Promoting diversity of skin tone is a rather cheap alternative to diversity of opinion. In 2020, quotas were announced as targets for 2023 – 50 percent women; at least 20 percent black, Asian, or minority ethnic; and 12 percent are disabled.

For racial targets, are potential employees required to take genetic testing to qualify for one of the first categories? Britain is diverse and, so far, inclusive by allowing skilled people, regardless of gender or skin colour, to make use of their talents in all sectors. The quota policy is inherently divisive and nurtures a victim mentality, while masking hard work, personal achievement, and meritocracy.

There is no shame in promoting a common British identity. In its early years, BBC Radio was shaped as a suave, high-flying, family-friendly universe, more anxious to create a national British cohesion than to reflect regional characteristics.

During the Second World War, this national dimension took on much greater importance. Speeches from Winston Churchill or George Orwell kept people informed of the situation, but more importantly gave the public something to look forward to and thus created a sense of togetherness.

For the French, “L’appel du 18 Juin 1940,” when Charles de Gaulle stood as leader of the Free French, was a beacon of hope. And in October of that year, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret spoke during children’s hour, telling them that “everything will be well in the end.”

Family, faith and tradition are truths shared by many Britons of all skin colours, and understood by the vast majority of humanity. Many, in Britain and abroad, regardless of creed or race, will join in watching Carroll’s service and for the King’s speech.

If the British National Broadcasting Corporation does not respect the British identity, why do other countries? There is an urgent need to build unity around British history and tradition – and the BBC can and should help create it.

Marie Kawthar Daouda is a Salary Lecturer in French at Oriel College, University of Oxford

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