'It's disrespectful’ - Juliet Asante blasts BBC over failure to credit summit organisers for Idris Elba story

Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante, convener of the Africa Cinema Summit and CEO of the National Film Authority, has expressed dissatisfaction with the BBC for what she deems a disrespectful oversight regarding the organisers of the Second Africa Cinema Summit held in Accra.

In a Facebook post, Juliet Asante expressed disappointment that, despite inviting BBC News to interview Idris Elba, the media organisation failed to credit them when the actor announced his decision to relocate to Ghana.

Juliet Asante questioned why the BBC would not recognise the organisers, especially since they provided the media house with an exclusive scoop.

"What gets to me is that they didn’t even have the dignity to say that he made these comments at the #Acs2024 but they say that he made the comments at an ‘industry event in Accra’!!! Really!!!!?.

"We invite you and give you the biggest scoop! This article was the most read article when it came out on your platform and you can’t even give credit where credit is due?" she added.

She further criticised the BBC for not highlighting Ghana as one of the destination countries where Elba plans to establish a film industry.

"Not intending comparisons but this is truly disrespectful of the summit and the effort. If you had interviewed him at Cannes, would you have said ‘industry event in France?! Or wherever?" she asked.

Background

On October 23, 2024, BBC News published a story stating that renowned Hollywood actor Idris Elba announced plans to expand the film industry in Africa, focusing on his two home countries, Sierra Leone and Ghana.

In the interview, Idris, whose father is from Sierra Leone and mother from Ghana, expressed his desire to transform these countries into film hubs for the continent, emphasising the wealth of compelling stories that can only be authentically told from within.

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