Is this for real or is he in fact being racist ??? Discuss

[Colemans Left Hook]

 AS usual make your own decision  - Mrs Coleman said "How does he manage when he is walking down the street ?" 

"BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Nihal Arthanayake has said an “overwhelmingly white” working environment is affecting his mental health."

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/other/bbc-presenter-says-overwhelmingly-white-workplace-affects-his-mental-health/ar-AA1kIVmj?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ACTS&cvid=5b5d001c673a4dc8acd7383b77c4fb72&ei=21

BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Nihal Arthanayake has said an “overwhelmingly white” working environment is affecting his mental health.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The presenter told a journalism diversity conference on Wednesday: “It’s really affecting me that I walk in and all I see is white people.”

His colleagues’ response when he told them this was to reply defensively that they were not being racist, he claimed as he said that was missing the point.

Speaking at the Journalism Diversity Fund (JDF) conference at BBC Media City in Salford, he said: “I’ve seen a lot of people leave this building because they couldn’t deal with the culture.”

He also said others found they had to try to be a certain type of person to progress with the broadcaster, adding: “If you want journalists to progress, they have to be who they are.”
“I don’t think there’s a single Muslim involved in the senior editorial processes” at BBC Radio 5 Live, he added.

He went on: “The hardest thing is to walk into a room, look around and nobody looks like you.”

The presenter made the comments in an on-stage interview with Jo Adetunji, editor of The Conversation, at the JDF’s annual equality, diversity and inclusion conference organised by the NCTJ, which trains new journalists.

The JDF awards bursaries to aspiring journalists from diverse backgrounds who do not have the financial means to support themselves through their training.

  here's the punchline .....  Mr Arthanayake added that he has noticed a difference since moving north after living in London for 20 years.
 

He said: “Since moving up here, being called the P-word – that didn’t happen in London. You’d get a slap for that in London, not even from me.”

Following the interview, Cheryl Varley, a BBC Radio 5 Live producer, said the organisation is committed to tackling the lack of diversity in its newsrooms.

[ncRover]

Generally speaking - I wish people would stop conflating negative emotions with mental health issues.

[tommy toes]

He's on 5live in the afternoons.
A more bland, tedious and sycophantic presenter you'd be hard pressed to find.

[belton rover]

He's on 5live in the afternoons.
A more bland, tedious and sycophantic presenter you'd be hard pressed to find.

I completely agree. His ‘style’ results in the dullest radio presenter I have ever heard. He tries to sound like he cares about his interviewees, but his questioning skills are dreadful.
Now, how on earth does he have a prime time Radio 5 slot?

[Pancho Regan]

He's on 5live in the afternoons.
A more bland, tedious and sycophantic presenter you'd be hard pressed to find.

I completely agree. His ‘style’ results in the dullest radio presenter I have ever heard. He tries to sound like he cares about his interviewees, but his questioning skills are dreadful.
Now, how on earth does he have a prime time Radio 5 slot?

Totally agree Belton. I've had to switch him off several times and I just avoid listening to him now. Why the BBC allow him an interview show I really don't know.

[idler]

One thing is for sure. Making views like that known in the media makes it hard to demote or remove him without him falling back on this story. I have never heard him so I can't comment on his interviews. Any job or position should be earned on merit in my eyes.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

He's on 5live in the afternoons.
A more bland, tedious and sycophantic presenter you'd be hard pressed to find.

I completely agree. His ‘style’ results in the dullest radio presenter I have ever heard. He tries to sound like he cares about his interviewees, but his questioning skills are dreadful.
Now, how on earth does he have a prime time Radio 5 slot?

Totally agree Belton. I've had to switch him off several times and I just avoid listening to him now. Why the BBC allow him an interview show I really don't know.

And me, there's some great journalists on 5 live that I have on when working at home often, but he's terrible and dull.

[tommy toes]

Bring back Fi Glover please.

[Donnywolf]

He's on 5live in the afternoons.
A more bland, tedious and sycophantic presenter you'd be hard pressed to find.

Got to agree - he was on Telly last night doing a "Winter Walk" on BBC Four last night , the one where one person does a walk with just a selfie stick and invites you to share the sights and sounds and people they meet

Mrs Wolfie said after 10 minutes , bloody hell hes a boring bugger , who is it ? I said I have no idea whatsoever despite him dropping hints about what he did etc

Now I know why and agree with what your post says

Have you seen any of these as usually they are quite entertaining , but he put a stop to that last night

[i_ateallthepies]

Seen a few of them John and thoroughly enjoyed all I have seen.  Reverend Richard Coles, Alistair Campbell, Adrian Chiles (another 5-Live presenter) and a couple of others I can't recall.

[tyke1962]

Well I don't know about anybody else but I detect a whiff of racism with Arthanayake's comments .

 " it's really affecting me when I walk in and all I see is white people "

If I went to Human Resources at my company and told them " it's really affecting me when I walk in and all I see is brown people " I think and rightly so I'd be in serious trouble .

Maybe you just don't fit in Mr Arthanayake , it happens , it's happened to me a couple of times in my working life .

[BillyStubbsTears]

Well I don't know about anybody else but I detect a whiff of racism with Arthanayake's comments .

 " it's really affecting me when I walk in and all I see is white people "

If I went to Human Resources at my company and told them " it's really affecting me when I walk in and all I see is brown people " I think and rightly so I'd be in serious trouble .

Maybe you just don't fit in Mr Arthanayake , it happens , it's happened to me a couple of times in my working life .

Honest question.

When was the last time you were working and all you could see was "brown people" around you?

[tyke1962]

Well I don't know about anybody else but I detect a whiff of racism with Arthanayake's comments .

 " it's really affecting me when I walk in and all I see is white people "

If I went to Human Resources at my company and told them " it's really affecting me when I walk in and all I see is brown people " I think and rightly so I'd be in serious trouble .

Maybe you just don't fit in Mr Arthanayake , it happens , it's happened to me a couple of times in my working life .

Honest question.

When was the last time you were working and all you could see was "brown people" around you?

When I was working in a bar in Majorca around 1981 .

Seriously though , why would it matter ?

Would working with a few more brown people make the job better for Arthanayake ?

Is that what he saying ?

More people  of  the same colour skin makes the difference between a place he likes to work rather than one he doesn't when it's predominantly white .

What's that actually saying ?

Arthanayake was born 52 years ago in Essex .

[belton rover]

I am certain that there many places in Britain where the workforce is multi raced, or predominantly non white.

[ncRover]

As of March 2022, 16.4% of all BBC employees were BAME. The BBC aims to get this to 20%.

Leadership positions were 13.1% BAME. And the BBC also aims to get this to 20%.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/documents/equality-information-report-2022.pdf

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) based on population survey figures from 2019, people from ethnic minority backgrounds make up 14.4% of the United Kingdom population.

The institute for public policy research estimates that by 21% of the UK population will be BAME by 2030.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Well I don't know about anybody else but I detect a whiff of racism with Arthanayake's comments .

 " it's really affecting me when I walk in and all I see is white people "

If I went to Human Resources at my company and told them " it's really affecting me when I walk in and all I see is brown people " I think and rightly so I'd be in serious trouble .

Maybe you just don't fit in Mr Arthanayake , it happens , it's happened to me a couple of times in my working life .

Honest question.

When was the last time you were working and all you could see was "brown people" around you?

When I was working in a bar in Majorca around 1981 .

Seriously though , why would it matter ?

Would working with a few more brown people make the job better for Arthanayake ?

Is that what he saying ?

More people  of  the same colour skin makes the difference between a place he likes to work rather than one he doesn't when it's predominantly white .

What's that actually saying ?

Arthanayake was born 52 years ago in Essex .

If you genuinely don't get why there's a difference between this guy's ACTUAL experience and your imaginary, hypothetical experience then I'm not sure how to begin to explain it.

[tyke1962]

Well I don't know about anybody else but I detect a whiff of racism with Arthanayake's comments .

 " it's really affecting me when I walk in and all I see is white people "

If I went to Human Resources at my company and told them " it's really affecting me when I walk in and all I see is brown people " I think and rightly so I'd be in serious trouble .

Maybe you just don't fit in Mr Arthanayake , it happens , it's happened to me a couple of times in my working life .

Honest question.

When was the last time you were working and all you could see was "brown people" around you?

When I was working in a bar in Majorca around 1981 .

Seriously though , why would it matter ?

Would working with a few more brown people make the job better for Arthanayake ?

Is that what he saying ?

More people  of  the same colour skin makes the difference between a place he likes to work rather than one he doesn't when it's predominantly white .

What's that actually saying ?

Arthanayake was born 52 years ago in Essex .

If you genuinely don't get why there's a difference between this guy's ACTUAL experience and your imaginary, hypothetical experience then I'm not sure how to begin to explain it.

I don't have a problem working with people from overseas , I've worked with literally hundreds of them over the last 20 years .

So why would a 52 years old man born in Essex have his mental health challenged because he's working alongside predominantly white people ?

Now if he said he was challenged by the culture , he'd experienced racism and discrimination or was bullied then fair enough .

He didn't though did he , he said  his poor mental health is down to the fact the colour of his colleagues skin is different to his own .

I believe there's a name for that .

Explain to me why you can't see that Billy ?

[BillyStubbsTears]

Tyke.

Where did Arthanayake say anything about "working with people from overseas"? I don't understand why you have brought that into the discussion. It's got absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the issue at hand.

He's talking about living in a society where 10-20% of the population is from a BAME background, yet, he says, in his experience he rarely sees that reflected in the meetings he attend or in BBC management.

He's taking about people in Manchester calling him P***.

That's a point worth discussing if people are prepared to stop and think about it, rather than engage in the faux-offended shit-chucking going on in this thread.

[belton rover]

Tyke.

Where did Arthanayake say anything about "working with people from overseas"? I don't understand why you have brought that into the discussion. It's got absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the issue at hand.

He's talking about living in a society where 10-20% of the population is from a BAME background, yet, he says, in his experience he rarely sees that reflected in the meetings he attend or in BBC management.

He's taking about people in Manchester calling him P***.

That's a point worth discussing if people are prepared to stop and think about it, rather than engage in the faux-offended shit-chucking going on in this thread.

‘faux-offended shit chucking going on in this thread’
Can you be more specific about who you think is shit chucking?

[wilts rover]

Fascinating that a lot of white people have a problem with a black/brown person pointing out he is the only BAME person in his workplace and that people around him, in 2023, call him 'pa*i'.

And some of them think HE is a racist.

Funny old world.

[belton rover]

Fascinating that a lot of white people have a problem with a black/brown person pointing out he is the only BAME person in his workplace and that people around him, in 2023, call him 'pa*i'.

And some of them think HE is a racist.

Funny old world.

Similar question to you Wilts: who is it on this thread who you think is guilty of racism?

[drfchound]

I thought that the UK was populated by predominantly white people so why is it odd that workplaces have more white people than others.

[selby]

  Don't know the guy, don't listen to or watch him, but it seems as though he isn't that popular or gifted according to his audience on here, perhaps his insecurity is that he knows it, and he is just part of the numbers game played at the BBC over the last few years, where colour seems to matter more than skills especially in an archaic institution living on borrowed time where jobs are likely to be cut in the near future.

[scawsby steve]

Tyke.

Where did Arthanayake say anything about "working with people from overseas"? I don't understand why you have brought that into the discussion. It's got absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the issue at hand.

He's talking about living in a society where 10-20% of the population is from a BAME background, yet, he says, in his experience he rarely sees that reflected in the meetings he attend or in BBC management.

He's taking about people in Manchester calling him P***.

That's a point worth discussing if people are prepared to stop and think about it, rather than engage in the faux-offended shit-chucking going on in this thread.

If anyone's called him a p***, he should go to the police, because THAT's racism. If he thinks there is not enough diversity in his place of work, he should take it up with his employers, because THAT could be construed as institutional racism.

However, the way he put it sounded insulting to white people, and utterly racist, just like the guy who said the same thing about the England women's football team.

[tommy toes]

Mine, Belton's and Pancho's posts were clearly our opininion of him as a broadcaster, nothing else.

[ncRover]

Fascinating that a lot of white people have a problem with a black/brown person pointing out he is the only BAME person in his workplace and that people around him, in 2023, call him 'pa*i'.

And some of them think HE is a racist.

Funny old world.

He’s not accusing anyone at his place of work of directing racial slurs at him is he?

The BBC is stringent on diversity. Its current and target employment demographics are in line with current and projected national population demographics, as I have pointed out above.

If there’s slightly more white people in his department, then so what? They probably just deserved the job. Their skin colour shouldn’t be his problem because they can’t help it.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Tyke.

Where did Arthanayake say anything about "working with people from overseas"? I don't understand why you have brought that into the discussion. It's got absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the issue at hand.

He's talking about living in a society where 10-20% of the population is from a BAME background, yet, he says, in his experience he rarely sees that reflected in the meetings he attend or in BBC management.

He's taking about people in Manchester calling him P***.

That's a point worth discussing if people are prepared to stop and think about it, rather than engage in the faux-offended shit-chucking going on in this thread.

‘faux-offended shit chucking going on in this thread’
Can you be more specific about who you think is shit chucking?

Not aimed at you. Aimed at people who are ignoring the valid points he raises while suggesting he is driven by racism.

[Colemans Left Hook]

Well I don't know about anybody else but I detect a whiff of racism with Arthanayake's comments .

 " it's really affecting me when I walk in and all I see is white people "

If I went to Human Resources at my company and told them " it's really affecting me when I walk in and all I see is brown people " I think and rightly so I'd be in serious trouble .

Maybe you just don't fit in Mr Arthanayake , it happens , it's happened to me a couple of times in my working life .

Honest question.

When was the last time you were working and all you could see was "brown people" around you?

That question should be asked to people working in what we "loosely described as London" ---  different world mate  - i have quoted the 2011 census figures on here before but haven't got the time to find the old link on here - but the up to date 2021 census is out there ?  --

which shows "where to go" to meet your "criteria"

[BillyStubbsTears]

No. My post has not got anything to do with London has it? It was a response to Tyke raising someone's hypothetical response to a hypothetical experience he's never going to have.

And doing so in response to Arthanayake responding to a real experience that he has had.

[i_ateallthepies]

Well I'll go against the flow and say for a start I think he is an excellent interviewer and the BBC have done a good job in his selection for that programme slot.  I certainly don't go with the sycophantic slur.

Having said that, I don't like his conflating northern culture with BBC culture.  The discussion was about the lack of diversity as he sees it at his workplace and in that same discussion mentions the use of the P' word which can then be misconstrued to be relating to the culture at the BBC
.
His statement “It’s really affecting me that I walk in and all I see is white people.” shouts out to me that skin colour is at the forefront of his mindset and that a predominance of white skinned people is offensive to his sensibilities.  That to me says he has racism in his being.  He doesn't see those white people at his workplace for the people they are he just sees people he doesn't want to associate with.