Tony Hall Apologizes: Last News

Leo Barraclough Senior International CorrespondentTony Hall, the director general of British public broadcaster BBC, has apologized for the use of a racial slur in a news report last month. He said it had made a mistake and had created “distress amongst many people.”The report, which aired on July 29 on the regional show “Points West” and on the BBC News Channel, covered an alleged attack in which a Black health worker in Bristol, England, was hit by a car.

Jake Kanter International TV EditorBBC director general Tony Hall has apologized 12 days after a reporter used the N-word on-air, prompting outrage from both viewers and the British broadcaster’s employees.Up until Sunday, the BBC had staunchly defended social affairs correspondent Fiona Lamdin’s use of the word in describing a race hate attack, saying it had been signed off by senior editors and was justified by its context.But after receiving 18,656 complaints, staff voicing their concerns on social media, and the resignation of BBC Radio 1Xtra presenter Sideman over the issue, Hall has intervened.In an email to staff today, the director general said: “It should be clear that the BBC’s intention was to highlight an alleged racist attack.