How TV Saved My Life

Sometimes I wonder if increasing diversity in the media is really that important. In the grand scheme of things how important is it for a few more people from diverse backgrounds to get jobs in television? Who cares if there are more black, brown and yellow faces on our screens?

It was when I was having one of these “what’s the point of all” moments that I read the new Queens Honours list for 2011. Most of the newspapers covering the Honours list focused on Bruce Forsyth's knighthood. But what caught my attention was the OBE that was awarded to Beverley De Gale.

Beverley De Gale is the founder of the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust and has campaigned for years to increase the number of people of African decent to enlist on the national bone marrow register.  When she started campaigning, less than 0.2% of people on the bone marrow register were from African or Caribbean backgrounds. Now it’s roughly 10%.  An amazing achievement. Her work not only helped people needing bone marrow donations it also served to highlight that not enough BME people donate any kind of body parts from blood to organs after death.

But, crucially, Beverley De Gale’s  achievements and OBE may not have happened – or may have been significantly less – without diversity in the media.

The African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust first came to prominence back in 1996 when her campaign and the plight of her late son Daniel were the lead story in a brand new BBC current affairs programme called “Black Britain”. “Black Britain” had a predominantly black production team and a remit to bring stories that affect the black British community directly into our front rooms.

If I'm ever asked for an example of why we need more diversity in the media I need look no further than Beverley De Gale. I believe the issue of the low donor registration amongst the black community made it to TV precisely because there were black people working in the production office and the BBC had made a commitment to tell their stories.

Now I am not arguing for the return of “Black Britain”, or culturally-specific programmes, nor am I arguing that only black production staff should work on black issues (I’m sure I can write about that in a future post).

But what I am arguing is that at its most basic, increased diversity in the media literally saves lives. Just ask all the black British people who have received bone marrow transplants in the last 15 years.

I have no doubt that there are other amazing BME people like Beverley De Gale across Britain. If we are serious about diversity in the media our job is to identify them and tell their stories. A few more black people receiving OBE’s would be nice, saving the lives of hundreds of BME people would be even better.