London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025

Guardian gaffe: UK newspaper left red-faced after black British rapper picture mix-up

Guardian gaffe: UK newspaper left red-faced after black British rapper picture mix-up

The Guardian newspaper has been mercilessly mocked after publishing a story on black British rapper Wiley - who has become embroiled in an anti-Semitism storm in recent days - with a picture of grime artist, Kano.

The UK media outlet – which has since acknowledged and corrected its embarrassing error – published the article by left-wing journalist Owen Jones, titled: “Tackling racism on social media is just the tip of the iceberg,” on Wednesday morning. The somewhat painfully ironic gaffe was spotted by eagle-eyed observers on Twitter, including Aruba Red – a London-based music artist.


Jones himself took to social media to voice his horror at the photographic error and offered his apologies on behalf of the Guardian, adding that he did “not choose the photo or sign it off.” Kano – the unsuspecting victim of the race storm – has made no public comment, but has retweeted a message suggesting people should avoid “giving any more energy to those dying publications.”

Wiley – an MC from East London – is being investigated by police following an anti-Semitic rant on Twitter last week. The grime artist ignited outrage online after posting a series of tweets about Jewish people, in which he claimed they are the “real enemy” who want to “rob us blind,” and compared them to the Ku Klux Klan.

The paper’s blunder provoked an avalanche of ridicule online – with many stunned that a media outlet that sought to publish an article attempting to shine a light on racism permeating through social media could ever make such a gaping gaffe.

One commenter suggested the mistake was “emblematic of how the media is not qualified to be the moral arbiters on race(ism),” adding “If anything they’re the biggest culprits.” British comedian Jonathan Pie joked that his “Irony Meter has exploded.”

Another commenter hit out at the Guardian’s “pictorial chain of the command” for seemingly not knowing what Kano or Wiley look like, as they fumed: “What are they searching?!”


It’s not the first time a British newspaper has become embroiled in a “race” controversy. In February, the London Evening Standard published a race storm story involving the BBC mixing up the identities of two Labour MPs – Dawn Butler and Marsha de Cordova – but committed their own gaffe by using a photo of a third black Labour MP, Bell Ribeiro-Addy.

In yet another twist of prophetic irony, the Guardian devoted two journalists to the story, and argued that “British media outlets have been left embarrassed and facing accusations of racism.”

It comes as Wiley insists that he's not "racist". In an interview with Sky News on Wednesday, the 41 year-old said that his "comments should not have been directed to all Jews or Jewish people.”

“I want to apologise for generalising, and I want to apologise for comments that were looked at as antisemitic," the British rapper added.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
×