Society of Editors board members hold urgent meeting after executive director Ian Murray quit last night
It follows SoE s reaction to comments made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex about racism in the media
Statement provoked furious response from board members including Oly Duff, Vic Motune and Eleanor Mills
It s also been criticised by Daily Mirror, Guardian, Financial Times, Evening Standard and HuffPost UK editors
Last modified on Fri 12 Mar 2021 00.34 EST
The National Press Awards will be postponed, the Guardian understands, after the board of the Society of Editors concluded that a series of withdrawals over its statement that there was no racism in the British media threatened its integrity.
The decision emerged in an emergency meeting on Thursday prompted by the resignation of Ian Murray, executive director of the industry body, over his statement in response to the Duchess of Sussex’s claims in her interview with Oprah Winfrey.
After Murray’s withdrawal critics of the body had demanded a clearer repudiation of his initial statement than the clarification issued earlier this week. It is understood that after the meeting a new statement is being drafted.
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Under fire over race, British media admit there might be a problem
11 Mar, 2021 05:00 AM
7 minutes to read
New York Times
By: Stephen Castle and Isabella Kwai
The fallout from the Harry and Meghan interview created a rare public schism in the press, and an embarrassing reversal, and raised broader questions about racism in Britain. In the wake of Harry and Meghan s explosive interview, an influential professional society speaking for the British news media issued a defiant response, rejecting the idea of racism and intolerance in British coverage of the couple.
On Wednesday the group, the Society of Editors, was forced into an embarrassing about-face after objections from more than 160 journalists of colour as well as the editors of both The Guardian and The Financial Times.
11 Mar 2021
The head of the UK’s Society for Editors has been forced to resign after pressure from 160 journalists from the UK’s most left-wing media outlets because he defended the press and said it was “not acceptable” for the Sussexes to claim the media was racist “without supporting evidence”.
Ian Murray, the chief executive of the leading British press industry body, had released a statement on behalf of the Society for Editors on Monday following Meghan and Harry’s tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, saying: “The UK media is not bigoted and will not be swayed from its vital role holding the rich and powerful to account following the attack on the press by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”