Fu*k The media : His name is Daniel Anjorin

What angers me the most is the inability that people have to acknowledge the clear overt racism that is still prominent in this country. People only seem to admit that  there is an issue if a tragic situation were to occur, such as the “child Q” incident, where an innocent school girl was immorally stripped and searched by the police, whose job is to supposedly make us feel safer.

 A couple months ago, in march, a young black boy was racially abused and beaten up, by a bunch of racist thugs, either on his way to school or going home, the certainties I am unsure of, however, that should not undermine the prominent factor of this incident. There are many people who have the audacity to say racism is not a prominent issue any more but yet fail to remember the real life scenarios that still happen today. Yes we are not drinking water from different fountains nor being taught in segregated schools, although one could argue that the education system has its own systematic segregation embedded in it, to the simplistic eye, they say that “we have moved on from” racism. Sadly, I have encountered a lot of black people who agree on this, and it makes me wonder whether they have entered the phantom less trap of believing what society wants them to believe in regards to race and identity.  

The main reason, for this article in particular, is that a few days ago, sadly a 14 year old boy was brutally murdered on his way to school. This case has been plastered all over the media, in terms of social media, the news, and articles… Articles such as the BBC, and the Guardian, address the correct name of the boy being, Daniel Anjorin. The Sun on the other hand chose to call this young man, Sword boy. Sword boy! The disregard to address this boy, the victim to a barbaric attack, which resulted in his death, by his full name alone, is a ridicule to not only Daniel's existence but any black boy that's lost his life to knife crime. I don't know whether this was meant to be some joke or something.

But it says a lot about how certain white people hold black people on such a low pedestal, this was a child of 14 years, let  alone it being an adult of 30 years… 

They show no care, nor remorse, the micro-racism in the media is something that gets ignored by people too often and it must come to an end. This is not the first time the media has made “error” to a black child that has passed away to a murder, we also saw this with Elianne Andam, where her name was spelt incorrectly. 

For someone who wants to pursue a career path in the media , it really makes me weary when I see  subtle racial incidents such as this as because, if “puns” or “errors” can be made like this in the industry, how much more can this happen when I do make it into the journalism industry. I had the amazing opportunity to have placement at the ITN production studios, where I got to shadow and work with big media companies such ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. Although being grateful for the opportunity, I barely saw the reputation of myself in these companies and if I did it was almost by luck, I don't want to be in the kind environment when I finish  university in the next two years and feel uncomfortable or know what I will be the joke of the room because I am black. I understand why a lot of black people don't opt to go into the media industry, because of obvious racial occurrences, but if there is no change now, when will there ever be?

I on the other hand do not mind entering the industry as for now, because if there are not people like me doing so who will ? We need to cater a path for the other black people that want to pursue a career in the media industry, and I will most definitely not sit back and see what subtle racism happens in my face and keep quiet about it.

My condolences to the Anjorin Family, and all those affected by knife crime, who felt like they have been disregarded by systematic institutions. 

Printed by : Nya'Lay