Media

BBC Seeking ‘Non-White’ Journalist Trainees Only

Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Derek Hunter Contributor
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The British Broadcasting Corporation is seeking a “multi-media journalist” trainee for their “flagship news programme on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra.”

There’s just one catch: white people need not apply.

The job posting unambiguously states, “This traineeship is only open to candidates from a black, Asian or non-white ethnic minority background.”

The position is supposed to “provide news tailored for a specifically younger audience.”

The job posting continues that “The successful trainee will be passionate and engaged in the world of journalism and will also offer a different perspective on stories that affect the key target audience of 16-25 year-olds. They would be expected to work on radio broadcasts, and online including the website and on social video.”

It’s not until the end, listed under the “To Apply” header, that the race of potential applicants is mentioned.

The UK is 87.2 percent white, according to the Central Intelligence Agency.

This is not the first time the BBC has searched for non-white only applicants for a trainee position. In November of 2017, amid similar charges of racist hiring practices, a BBC spokesman said, “This training scheme is designed as a positive action scheme to address an identified under-representation of people from ethnic minority backgrounds in certain roles; such schemes are as allowed under the Equality Act and we’re proud to be taking part.”

At the time, Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen told the UK Express, “It’s positive discrimination – and I thought that discrimination on the grounds of race, sexuality, or gender was illegal.”