The BBC has defended discriminating against white applicants for two media placements they are currently recruiting for.
"This is not a job, but simply a training and development opportunity"
The two job opportunities include working as a Junior Research Trainee or as a Trainee Broadcast Journalist. Both advertisements state that these internships are open to candidates from a black, Asian or non-white ethnic minority background only.
A BBC spokesperson told Blasting News: "This scheme is organised by Creative Access, an independent organisation dedicated to increasing diversity in the creative industries, whose other partners include ITV, United Agents, Faber and Faber, and John Murray.
"This is not a job, but simply a training and development opportunity. This training scheme is designed as a positive action scheme to address an identified under-representation of people from ethnic minority backgrounds in certain roles.
"We're proud to be taking part"
"Such schemes are allowed as under the Equality Act and we're proud to be taking part."
A UKIP spokesperson told Blasting News: "There is nothing wrong with the BBC making these types of programmes. However, to think that the whole white community cannot know anything about what happens in the ethnic community is ridiculous.
"If it was the other way round, and people of an ethnic background were excluded from applying for this internship, there would be more outrage."
The Junior Researcher Trainee role is a twelve-month placement provided by BBC Current Affairs which, according to the advertisement, provides a unique opportunity to spend that time working across the output of the department on Newsnight, Panorama, Radio Current Affairs programmes and TV current affairs documentaries.
Applications for this position close on December 3rd.
The Trainee Broadcast Journalist position is also a twelve-month opportunity provided by BBC World Service. The successful candidate will spend three months working in each of the following departments: The World Service's Newsroom Programme; The World At One and PM R4 sequence programmes; The Global News Podcast, R4 1800 podcasts and other digital duties; World Service and domestic bulletins and summaries.
Applications for this position close on December 4th.
The scheme has caused an uproar on social media. Jack Montgomery, Assistant Editor at Breitbart, tweeted: "Anti-white hiring practices at the BBC again, I see. Interesting they claim this isn't illegal race discrimination because these are 'internships' and 'training and development opportunities' rather than 'jobs'- yet the ads clearly display a 'job title' and 'job description'."
"White working class frozen out yet again"
Michael Heaver, co-owner of Westmonster, also tweeted: "Why is Britain's state broadcaster advertising an internship open to everyone except someone with white skin?
White working class frozen out yet again."
Patrick O'Flynn, a UKIP Member of the European Parliament for the East of England, quote retweeted Mr. Heaver, saying: "Yes and yet a crazy percentage of BBC journalists are kids of other journalists or MPs. Class discrimination- the real biggie- is ignored."
Other media training schemes that Creative Access works in collaboration with are not expelling white candidates from applying for positions. To work as a News Producer for the Lorraine show on ITV, applicants must have a strong journalistic background, regardless of race.
ITV Cymru Wales are advertising for an On Screen Journalist, which is also open to people from all backgrounds.
John Whittingdale MP, former Digital, Culture, Media and Sports Secretary of State in between 2015-16, was approached for comment, but declined to do so.
A spokesperson for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports was also asked to comment on this story, but they failed to do so.
You can apply for any of these positions on Creative Access' website.
