BBC's Carrie Gracie 'moved' by support in equal pay row
Carrie Gracie says the reaction to her resignation as the BBC's China editor shows there is a "depth of hunger" for "equal, fair and transparent pay".
She has quit her China post, citing pay inequality with male colleagues and was speaking as she co-presented the Today programme with John Humphrys.
She said the support she received from colleagues, MPs and the public had been "very moving".
The BBC has said there is "no systemic discrimination against women".
BBC broadcasters including Lyse Doucet, Clare Balding, Emily Maitlis and Sarah Montague voiced their support for Ms Gracie; while Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman, and Labour MPs Harriet Harman and Jess Phillips and Conservative MP Nadine Dorries have also reacted positively to the move.
Many expressed their support using the hashtag #IStandWithCarrie.
It said it was "hugely regrettable that an outstanding and award-winning journalist like Carrie Gracie feels she has no option but to resign... We wholeheartedly support her and call on the BBC to resolve her case".
Ms Gracie added: "What is lovely for me is that people are mentioning my China work...
"I want to be remembered as the person who did some fine China work and enough people are saying that for me to feel that will not get buried because of this."
In an open letter issued on Sunday, Ms Gracie - who has been at the BBC for more than 30 years - accused the corporation of having a "secretive and illegal pay culture".
She said the BBC was facing a "crisis of trust", after it was revealed two-thirds of its stars earning more than £150,000 were male.
Ms Gracie said she left her role as editor of the corporation's Beijing bureau last week, but would return to her former post in the TV newsroom "where I expect to be paid equally".
In the letter, posted on her blog, Ms Gracie - a China specialist who is fluent in Mandarin - said "the BBC belongs to you, the licence fee payer".
"I believe you have a right to know that it is breaking equality law and resisting pressure for a fair and transparent pay structure."
Heres my suggestion. I'll pay 50% less of my licence fee. I love and would die in ditch for the BBC but this isn't the gender pay gap even, this is equal pay issue and it's illegal to pay her less than men doing equivalent work. SORT IT OUT twitter.com/BBCBreaking/st…
End of Twitter post by @jessphillips
End of Twitter post by @bbclysedoucet
In July last year, the BBC was forced to reveal the salaries of all employees earning more than £150,000 a year.
Ms Gracie said she was dismayed to discover the BBC's two male international editors earned "at least 50% more" than its two female counterparts.
US editor Jon Sopel earned £200,000-£249,999, it was revealed, while Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen earned £150,000-£199,999.
Ms Gracie was not on the list, meaning her salary was less than £150,000.
A letter calling for equal pay - published in the Telegraph - was later signed by both Ms Gracie and BBC Europe editor, Katya Adler.
Ms Gracie said: "The Equality Act 2010 states that men and women doing equal work must receive equal pay.
"But last July I learned that in the previous financial year, the two men earned at least 50% more than the two women.
"Despite the BBC's public insistence that my appointment demonstrated its commitment to gender equality, and despite my own insistence that equality was a condition of taking up the post, my managers had yet again judged that women's work was worth much less than men's."
Pay report
Ms Gracie said she asked for the four international editors to be paid equally but the BBC "offered me a big pay rise which remained far short of equality".
She said "patience and goodwill" among female staff was running out.
In a statement, a BBC spokeswoman said "fairness in pay" at the corporation "is vital".
"A significant number of organisations have now published their gender pay figures showing that we are performing considerably better than many and are well below the national average.
"Alongside that, we have already conducted a independent judge-led audit of pay for rank and file staff which showed 'no systemic discrimination against women'.
"A separate report for on air staff will be published in the not too distant future."
Arriving at the Golden Globes ceremony in Los Angeles, actress Emma Watson said the BBC's commitment to equal pay was "great... but we need to see them fulfil it".
"What has happened with the resignation is a really good example. You have got to follow through. You have to back up what you are saying."
“BBC News.” BBC's Carrie Gracie 'Moved' by Support in Equal Pay Row, BBC, 8 Jan. 2018, www.bbc.com/news/uk-42601477.
My Write Up:
My Bias:
As I read this, I was aware of my bias as a female and I fully supported Ms. Gracie in her decision to protest for women's rights. Quitting her job to make a statement was a bold move and I admire her for doing it. I was also aware of how unwilling I was to believe that the BBC was a sexist organization, since I really like the BBC and the articles they post. However as I read the statistics showing that men were indeed being paid more than women, I was forced to concede that the author had a point.
Author's Bias:
The author of this article made their bias pretty clear. Their approval of Ms. Gracie and of her decision to quit her job was shown by talking about how many people supported her decision and not mentioning anyone who disagreed with her. Similarly their bias against the BBC was shown by voicing the opinions of people who thought the BBC was a sexist organization as well as by backing up their claims with data, which was more convincing.
Audience:
This article is particularly directed towards feminists who will enjoy seeing someone standing up for the causes they believe in. It is not necessarily directed towards and particularly educated group since no previous knowledge of anything is required and it is written in simple terms.
Purpose:
The purpose of this article is to address the ongoing issue of the gap in wages between men and women. It is meant to inspire women to take a similar stance and to inform the world (and men in particular) about what is going on. I think that the BBC probably published it because, even though it says negative things about them, it would be worse for them if people found out about it from a different source.
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