The BBC's official policy on "entertainers" who commit child rape is to post articles in the "Arts & Entertainment" section

[StewiesBack]

I've been complaining to the BBC for months about their coverage of the trials of Stuart Hall, Max Clifford, Gary Glitter and all the other male celebrities investigated, charger and/ or convicted as part of the Yewtree operation into Jimmy Savile's systemic sexual assault of children whilst working at the BBC. I've had a number of utterly ridiculous emails from them claiming that it is totally appropriate for coverage of the trials of "entertainers" to be placed as both "news" and "arts and entertainment" on the online sites.

I've started a petition to have the BBC change their official policy so that articles referencing child rape, sexual abuse or exploitation not be placed under the heading of "arts and entertainment" online. I'm not sure what the MN policy is on petitions anymore but I've written it up for my blog.

[scallopsrgreat]

Annoys the fuck out of me too. Signed and shared.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Bleugh, this is so creepy.

How have they never thought that just a teeny tiny few readers might feel quite sick to click on 'entertainment' and be faced by that?!

[StewiesBack]

Thank you!

I'm so very angry by this and it really isn't something that is difficult to fix. All they need to do is just stop doing it FFS

[CaptChaos]

Signed.

Just bleah.

[TheNumberfaker]

I don't understand the issue. If they were politicians it would be under politics, teachers under education, scientists under science and environment.

[Onesleeptillwembley]

They are/were prominent names in arts/entertainment. It's relevant.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Ok, put it this way.

Are you 'entertained' by the thought of someone raping someone?

Of course not.

If you clicked on 'entertainment' as, say, a rape survivor or someone whose family had been affected by child abuse, might you not feel slightly sick someone else had categorised that topic as 'entertainment'?

I can't really imagine anyone who's interested in the Rolf Harris case struggles to find where the stories about him are being reported.

[TheNumberfaker]

But it's Entertainment and Arts related news.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

So, it could be in 'News', right?

Why would that be a bad thing?

Do you honestly believe there are large groups of people out there thinking 'darn, I really wanted to read up on Rolf Harris's trial, the really funny bit where he started singing, but it's not in Entertainment and I can't imagine where it would be?!'

I just don't really believe that. I do think (and know) there are people who'll flip to 'Entertainment' expecting to be entertained, not triggered.

[CaptChaos]

No, it is child rape and abuse news.

Just because the perpetrators were famous doesn't make it about them, it should be about the victims, their voice, their needs.

If the perpetrators were scientists, it would not be appropriate for it to be in the science section, if they were teachers, it wouldn't be appropriate for it to be in the education section.

Given how many more cases are going to be brought, maybe the BBC could have an 'Ex employee who abused or raped children' section.

Child abuse isn't entertainment, or science, or education. It doesn't belong in those sections of the BBC websites.

[TheNumberfaker]

It's on the BBC news website, entertainment and arts section. There are also several other articles about Gary Neville's monotonous football commentary, swearing on the Politics show and JK Rowling being abused online.

[Onesleeptillwembley]

If you want 'entertaining' you way/read/listen to something designed to do that. The news is designed to do as it says on the tin - relay the news. Under the appropriate headings, which this is.

[Onesleeptillwembley]

Sorry that should be; watch/read/listen.

[Cocolepew]

Signed.

[TheKitchenWitch]

I agree that's it's in the right place - it is news which pertains to people in Arts and Entertainment. Same as when recently a rapper got shot, that was also under this heading.

Would you like them to section their news by type-of-crime categories?
So "Burglaries and Muggings", "Fraud and Deception", "Sexual Crimes" etc?

[TheNumberfaker]

Are you guys really suggesting that the BBC should be covering up a news story relating to entertainers ?News stories that have only recently come out because people used to think that abusing women and children was a perk of being powerful and famous?

[Onesleeptillwembley]

But that's the whole bloody point! It's not categorised as 'entertainment'! It's appearing in the news pertaining to the world of entertainment. Completely different thing!

[HaroldsBishop]

In what way does classifying a news article by it's content trivialise child abuse?

[TheNumberfaker]

Cyril Smith is in the Politics section because he was a politician. Rolf Harris is in the Entertainment & Arts section because he is an entertainer. Oh and an artist too!

[Onesleeptillwembley]

It's even more relevant because it has been discovered/outed that it's been endemic in the entertainment industry. If that's not relevant news god knows what is.

[TheNumberfaker]

By the way, shouldn't this thread be in the 'In the news' section, rather than 'Feminism/women's rights'?