“Undignified”, “humiliating”, “belittled”—BAME experience at the BBC

A source at the BBC has leaked us this resignation letter that someone sent out to all employees. The experiences described herein stand in stark contrast to the commitments the BBC made towards its BAME staff.

Dear all,

As a woman of colour I already know what it’s like to live in a world of systemic sexism and racism. Being a freelancer at the BBC brought another layer of discrimination, culminating in the current neglect of freelancers during a global pandemic.

I don’t want to continue at the BBC in this undignified capacity; undignified because management has undermined mine and PAYE freelancer’s dignity. We feel our concerns over furlough, our livelihoods, our health and financial security, have not mattered. Hiding behind feigned sympathy for our plight and tossing us a few shifts – that could only be acquired through a humiliating process given the machiavellian antics of our scheduler – and knowing full well we were struggling to make ends meet is not how a caring employer behaves.

Having experienced the language services who did not offer their producers much better than a glorified translator’s role while also subjecting them to different social rules than the country they’re working and living in, I was hoping my time in the world newsroom would be more fulfilling.

Continue reading ““Undignified”, “humiliating”, “belittled”—BAME experience at the BBC”

In Search of Shakespeare

In celebration of the Bard’s forthcoming 450th birthday, here is the BBC’s four part series on the lives and times of Will Shakespeare. It’s hosted by Michael Wood.

1. A Time of Revolution

Continue reading “In Search of Shakespeare”

Gods That Always Fail

Each day over the next week we’ll be publishing one of the six lectures on the theme of ‘Representation of the Intellectual’ that Edward Said recorded in 1993 as part of the annual BBC Reith Lectures.

The sixth lecture is titled: ‘Gods That Always Fail.’


Gods That Always Fail (30 mins): MP3

Speaking Truth To Power

Each day over the next week we’ll be publishing one of the six lectures on the theme of ‘Representation of the Intellectual’ that Edward Said recorded in 1993 as part of the annual BBC Reith Lectures.

The fifth lecture is titled: ‘Speaking Truth To Power.’


Speaking Truth To Power (30 mins): MP3

Professionals and Amateurs

Each day over the next week we’ll be publishing one of the six lectures on the theme of ‘Representation of the Intellectual’ that Edward Said recorded in 1993 as part of the annual BBC Reith Lectures.

The fourth lecture is titled: ‘Professionals and Amateurs.’


Professionals and Amateurs (30 mins): MP3

Intellectual Exiles

Each day over the next week we’ll be publishing one of the six lectures on the theme of ‘Representation of the Intellectual’ that Edward Said recorded in 1993 as part of the annual BBC Reith Lectures.

The third lecture is titled: ‘Intellectual Exiles.’


Intellectual Exiles (30 mins): MP3

Holding Nations And Traditions At Bay

Each day over the next week we’ll be publishing one of the six lectures on the theme of ‘Representation of the Intellectual’ that Edward Said recorded in 1993 as part of the annual BBC Reith Lectures.

The second lecture is titled: ‘Holding Nations And Traditions At Bay.’


Holding Nations And Traditions At Bay (30 mins): MP3

Representations of the Intellectual

Each day over the next week we’ll be publishing one of the six lectures on the theme of ‘Representation of the Intellectual’ that Edward Said recorded in 1993 as part of the annual BBC Reith Lectures.

The first lecture is titled: ‘Representations of the Intellectual.’


Representations of the Intellectual (30 mins): MP3

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