The media needs to better reflect the society it represents, a Labour MP has said after the BBC misidentified her for a colleague.
Battersea MP Marsha de Cordova has called on the media regulator Ofcom to monitor the make-up of media workforces after she was misidentified as Labour colleague Dawn Butler (Brent Central) in a BBC clip last week.
She said the media is currently "a bit pale, a bit male and a bit stale".
This error was later compounded when, in reporting on the error, the Evening Standard used a mislabeled Getty Image picture of another Labour colleague Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Streatham).
On Monday, Parliament's own video stream misidentified Erith and Thamesmead MP Abena Oppong-Asare as Labour colleague Taiwo Owatemi (Coventry North West).
Shadow work and pensions minister de Cordova said people of colour will remain "invisible" as long as the media does not reflect modern society.
READ MORE: Bowling in Norfolk counts for BBC quota of ‘Scottish programmes’
She told MPs: "In the space of a few days three separate news outlets Getty Images, the BBC and the Evening Standard have confused me with another female black MP.
"And this wasn't the first time, as it has happened time and again to me and my other colleagues of colour in Parliament."
She added: "The message is clear. It doesn't matter how prominent, accomplished, integrated, qualified or celebrated non-white people become to a significant number of others, including their peers, they will always just be another black person."
"In the eyes of much of the media, it is impossible for me to have my own identity outside of being a black woman in that sense. I am invisible to them," she said.
De Cordova cited a study by the City University and the Sutton Trust which showed that 94% of journalists are white and only 0.2% are black.
"There are eight million black and ethnic minority people in this country and 14 million disabled people, but neither group is given a proper voice in our media," she said.
READ MORE: BBC: Director-general job requires no experience making TV/radio
De Cordova added: "It is time that Ofcom introduces a regulatory mechanism to monitor the make-up of all the workforces on-screen and off-screen.
"We must not be afraid to say it, that our media is, as is many other areas and sectors in our society, it is a bit pale it is a bit male and it is a bit stale."
Responding for the Government, culture minister Nigel Adams said the media needs to better reflect Britain's diversity.
He added: "Unfortunately the experience of the honourable member for Battersea (de Cordova) is not the first of its kind and is unlikely to be the last.
"There have been a number of other high profile examples including recently when the basketball player Kobe Bryant was mistaken for LeBron James during a BBC news report and the musician Stormzy – he's been previously mistaken for the former Manchester United player Romelu Lukaku.
"But in addition to these other negative experiences which have been raised here by the honourable lady, these examples all point to a wider issue directly linked to, and she rightly points out, a lack diversity in our media.
"The media plays a vital role in British society and therefore it has an important responsibility to reflect the reality of modern Britain."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here