The use of the term Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic in The Voice and Eastern Eye newspapers, a discourse analysis of Covid news stories in the UK press

Abstract

This study finds that during the pandemic the UK mainstream press presented a blame narrative in their news stories when discussing BAME communities in relation to Covid-19. Articles from The Voice and Eastern Eye newspapers aimed at diasporic readers were contrasted with stories from UK mainstream press, published during the first lockdown in the UK. An intersectional approach was taken to examine news articles published between March and July 2020. The analysis revealed a failure in the British mainstream press to recognise structural and systemic racism when reporting Covid related stories. In contrast, the ethnic press looked for solutions and tried to examine structural racism. A deficit approach is evident in the mainstream press that sought to apportion blame to cultures, faith, and customs. There is a focus on the terminology BAME (Black Asian and minority ethnic) used as a formal descriptor by the UK Government and media to describe minority communities. The term is now defunct. It is acknowledged that Covid-19 accentuated differences that already existed in society, particularly those pertaining to race. Research has also evidenced that mainstream news organisations can be overly critical of minority communities, conflating their perceived flaws and condemning minorities as a method to delegitimise claims of mistreatment or differential outcomes.