The BBC has issued a statement explaining their ruling that Breakfast host Naga Munchetty breached their guidelines with a comment she made about Donald Trump, amid a growing backlash.
The corporation came under fire from many commentators and social media users on Wednesday, after announcing the outcome of the ruling.
BBC Breakfast presenter Naga made headlines following an off-script moment in July, when she said she was “absolutely furious” about tweets Trump had posted regarding four Democratic politicians, suggesting they should “go back” to their home countries.
Naga said on air that she had been the recipient of similar comments to those Trump made on a number of occasions, stating: “Every time I have been told, as a woman of colour, to go back to where I came from, that was embedded in racism.
“Now, I’m not accusing anyone of anything here, but you know what certain phrases mean.”
After the BBC ruled her remarks had gone “beyond what the guidelines allow for”, they’ve now addressed the criticism by expanding on their verdict.
The corporation’s Editorial Complaints Unit said in a statement: “President Trump’s comments that a number of female Democrat members of Congress should ‘go back’ to the ‘totally broken and crime infested places from which they came’ were widely condemned as racist, and we reported on this extensively.
“The BBC’s editorial guidelines do require due impartiality, but the Editorial Complaints Unit’s ruling is clear that Naga Munchetty was perfectly entitled to give a personal response to the phrase ‘go back to your own country’. She understandably feels strongly on this issue, and there was nothing wrong with her talking about her own experiences of racism.
“However, our editorial guidelines do not allow for journalists to then give their opinions about the individual making the remarks or their motives for doing so – in this case President Trump – and it was for this reason that the complaint was partially upheld. Those judgements are for the audience to make.”
Naga is yet to address the BBC’s ruling, but among those who have publicly defended her are rival breakfast presenter Piers Morgan.
The Good Morning Britain host accused the BBC of “shameful censorship” on Twitter, calling their decision “bloody ridiculous”, adding that Naga’s words were “powerful and necessary”.