If you thought the weekend before Christmas would be a peaceful one, you were wrong. On Saturday, several media outlets misrepresented comments the grime artist Stormzy made about racism. In an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, in response to the question of whether Britain is still racist, the bestselling musician said, “definitely, 100%”. The quote was used in headlines and articles to suggest that Stormzy had said the UK was “100% racist” – this is the difference between saying the UK absolutely has a problem with racism and everyone in the country is a racist.

Stormzy claimed afterwards that the outlets were “intentionally spinning my words”.

As sad as it is, the fact that an interview so constructive and insightful could be twisted – with Stormzy being demonised by the media – is in no way surprising.

Jump forward one day, and there was another incident of racist abuse at a football match, followed by a viral clip of former England player Gary Neville pointing out that racism is a problem not just in football but in the “highest office in the country”.

The Sky Sports host David Jones intervened to say that these were the views of Gary Neville and not Sky Sports. Jones has since apologised for “shutting down” the discussion, explaining that he believed he had to intervene when Neville suggested the Conservative and Labour parties “were to blame”.

The scenario is all too familiar. While the notion of “balance” clearly plays a vital role in mediating between political parties, it makes much less sense when a commentator is making uncontroversially true statements about racism. Social media, as ever, was full of opinions about what happened. But one in particular stood out, BBC radio producer Roushan Alam said: “If Stormzy and Gary Neville struggle to get points about racism across to the mainstream with their platforms imagine for a second how difficult it is for everyone else.”

Roushan Alam (@roushanalam) If Stormzy and Gary Neville struggle to get points about racism across to the mainstream with their platforms imagine for a second how difficult it is for everyone else.

And it’s true – how can we begin to tackle racism when people are silenced whenever they talk about it? When we’re made to feel as if we might be breaking rules by describing the world as it is? Racism will not be ended by the Premier League, or Stormzy, or the government. The situation can be improved by listening to people and learning from their experiences. But if former England players and bestselling Glastonbury headliners can’t speak honestly and clearly without being cut off or misrepresented, imagine what it’s like for everyone else.

Play Video 1:08 Gary Neville says football's racism problem extends to UK politics – video

I constantly find myself engaged in an internal struggle, wondering how to react when someone says something racist. Part of me knows I should speak up and tell them why it’s offensive or harmful. Calling it out and educating people seems like the best way to stop it, right? Nope. Because as Stormzy told La Repubblica: “It’s like people are more scared to be branded a racist than actually tackle whatever racism they do.”

Stormzy hits back at media for 'intentionally spinning my words' over racism comment Read more

But, as disturbing as they are, it’s important to remember that racism is much more than racial slurs or someone throwing a banana at a black football player – it must not be reduced to individual interactions in the public eye. Race is a social construct and is deeply embedded in this country’s history. This means racism has the ability to manifest itself across society, and we need to examine – and talk about – the way racism expresses itself in subtle ways: in economic outcomes, unemployment rates and political disenfranchisement.

This weekend demonstrated how easy it is for anti-racist voices to be silenced or intentionally misheard. The sad truth is it just doesn’t seem like a meaningful national discussion about racism is possible right now.

• Miriam Walker-Khan is a freelance sports journalist