THE News Letter and BBCNI have joined forces to rain on the Kneecap parade after the West Belfast rappers’ debut film scooped the Outstanding Debut Bafta for director Rich Peppiatt.

In an extraordinary awards season media first, the unionist morning daily and the local broadcaster both headlined on their websites and on social media the movie’s ‘failure’ in coverage that provoked a mixture of scorn, disbelief and hilarity.

BBCNI was first out of the blocks on Sunday night with an online story headlined ‘Kneecap wins first Bafta but misses out on five categories’. That Ormeau Avenue headline was the only one across the BBC’s Bafta coverage that highlighted the categories in which a winner lost out.

Not to be outdone, the News Letter quickly followed up in similarly begrudging vein with a Twitter headline that dispensed completely with the small and awkward matter of the movie’s Bafta win. ‘Kneecap suffered another blow yesterday (16th) when their movie lost five out of six Bafta awards it was up for’.

Andersonstown News columnist Squinter reacted on Twitter on Monday morning with a screengrab of the BBCNI website headline and the message: ‘BBC Ulster’s gonna BBC Ulster. This is so pathetic it’s embarrassing.’ He quickly followed that up with the observation: ‘The News Letter has understandably received considerably more mockery/criticism over this. But it's the News Letter. Shockingly-written impotent fury is its trademark. For me, BBC Loyal Ulster's bitter and nasty gloating is infinitely worse as it's done with our money.’

HEADLINER: The BBCNI/News Letter coverage received some light-hearted but biting responses
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HEADLINER: The BBCNI/News Letter coverage received some light-hearted but biting responses

In a sudden attack of self-awareness, BBCNI balked at putting up its unprecedented headline on social media, perhaps sensing the reaction it would produce. Its Twitter link to the headline and story dropped the sniping ‘Kneecap misses out’ reference.

But the News Letter had no such qualms, its Twitter headline linking to a story that attempted to further mock and belittle the Kneecap achievement: ‘Bafta blow for Kneecap as movie loses five out of six categories: Only win for Republican rappers’ film was English director picking up Best British Newcomer gong’.

The Twitter response was by turn savage, incredulous and hilarious.

Top RTÉ current affairs presenter Sarah McInerney linked to the News Letter story with the comment: “I genuinely thought this headline was a joke when I read it earlier.”

Media guru and former head of news at BBCNI Angelina Fusco said simply: “Seriously!”

Veteran marketing executive Tim McKane commented:  “You would expect that sort of comment on Twitter but when it is from a ‘newspaper’ it is simply childish. Well done Ben Lowry [News Letter editor], that’s another step towards oblivion.”

Here’s a selection of the hundreds of other responses.

•So they won a Bafta!? (@ginesi95)

•What? What ridiculous framing. Bafta winner. Nominated for six categories is the headline. Your editor is pitiful. (@UselessSpy)

•Not a Kneecap fan myself, but could you be anymore childish and petty? (@Efch17)

•In other news, local top student disappointed to only get 1 A* and 3 As in her A levels;  blow for Belfast athlete as he only wins one gold medal at the olympics; Seamus Heaney ‘devastated’ to only win one Nobel Prize. (@MatthewTaylorNI)

•Very strange way of saying Last Night Kneecap Won A Bafta. (@FlawedPlane)

•Incredibly sweaty post. (@Deve_Dy)

•Is this a parody account? (@Sme51899360)

•Tell me you’re raging they won a Bafta without actually saying. (@BroganMcneilly)

•Just like school in July – no class. (@TerryC_DL)

•Is being nominated losing? (@qwdads1962)

•I know little or nothing about this group but why mention them at all if this is your take? Congratulate them on their win or don’t mention them. This really says a lot more about your paper than Kneecap. (@dollDCFC)