LAHORE (Staff Report) – There was a huge out pour of criticism against the BBC when the British news media failed to mention the name of Indian tennis star Sania Mirza in the headline of its news story about US Open Women Doubles 2015.
“US Open 2015: Martina Hingis wins fifth doubles title of year” reads the title of the story, which sparked huge criticism on social media.
Hingis wins US Open doubles title http://t.co/rHCHBz18kZ
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) September 13, 2015
Hundreds of Indian fans of Ms Mirza took to Twitter to point out BBC’s ‘mistake’ for not including the tennis star’s name in the headline of the story. While some called it racism, others pointed out that was not the first time when BBC had done this.
@Wiseywoman It is possible if one of them is of fair skin. The colonial mindset will not go easily. @BBCNews
— Sudhanshu Singh (@sssingh21) September 13, 2015
@BBCNews Such an inappropriate headline from a leading news service.
— RA (@RA_Comments) September 13, 2015
@a_mca thank god Serena did not win the U.S. Open…wonder how @BBCNews would have tweeted about it ??? #BlindinglyWhite #YoBBCSoWhite
— Radhika (@tweetierads) September 13, 2015
Hey @BBCNews, a donkey never repeats the same mistake !! unlike some ppl working at @BBCNews pic.twitter.com/RP6dBzaUnz
— Santoesha Bissesar (@MsSantoesha) September 13, 2015
Doesn’t doubles mean that 2 people won? Racist much? RT @BBCNews Hingis wins US Open doubles title http://t.co/p6heIERKpJ”
— Natasha A. (@Grammar_nazzzi) September 13, 2015
@indiantweeter They @BBCNews teeeted similar crap after Wimbledon too. Corrected only after @smritiirani pointed out.
— Ruchir Modi (@Ruchir78) September 14, 2015
.@BBCNews Hello Read: ‘US Open Doubles’ See Pix: Two Players Get the picture? pic.twitter.com/bV50xmMXEP
— Shankkar Aiyar (@ShankkarAiyar) September 14, 2015
This is not the first ‘mistake’ that BBC has been criticized for. In July, the British media giant ‘forgot’ to mention Mirza’s name when she won Wimbledon doubles alongside Martina Hingis.
