On the 22nd December 2018 over 100 black
jouranlists signed an open letter by the the Black Journalists' Collective UK (
@BJCUK1 ) calling on newsrooms across the UK to adopt their "4 Point
Representation Manifesto" to increase diversity, inclusion and
representation in journalism.
I am proud to have been involved in its
drafting and a signatory.
Please find the letter in full below:
Dear news editors
The poor and misleading quality of
reporting related to people of colour in the UK has been brought into sharp
focus in recent days by Raheem Sterling and Jamelia Davis. These are only the
latest in a long litany of inadequacies in newsroom coverage of race and how
stories of non-white people are covered.
We, as members of the Black Journalists’
Collective UK (BJCUK), believe that there is a direct correlation between the
ethnic makeup of the staff in a newsroom and how issues are covered.
There is a chronic underrepresentation of
black journalists across British newsrooms. The December 2015 survey of 700
journalists, conducted by the Reuters
Institute for the Study of Journalism revealed that only 0.4% of British
journalists are Muslim. The same survey also revealed only 0.2% of working
journalists are black.
The evidence shows this is not due to a
lack of available graduates from ethnic minority backgrounds. 2017 research by
the NCTJ revealed that only 8% of black journalism graduates were able to
obtain jobs in journalism, compared with 26% of white journalism graduates.
We need journalism that better serves all
communities in the UK and therefore we need newsrooms that reflect the society
they serve. We do acknowledge that news providers like ITN and the BBC have
already published their intentions to improve recruitment and close the
ethnicity pay gap. However, there are some who have not been so forthcoming.
It is clear there is much more progress to
be made, therefore the BJCUK is calling on all newsrooms to urgently show their
commitment to improving their reporting of racial issues and subjects, and to
increasing the diversity of their staff by signing up to the points outlined in
the manifesto below.
THE REPRESENTATION MANIFESTO
Based on four guiding
principles, the BJCUK believes newsrooms should commit to undertake the
following essential actions:
1. REPRESENT SOCIETY
Newsrooms should commit
to the long-term goal of their staff at every level, accurately reflecting the
society in which they operate. They should also commit to short-term goals set
against specific deadlines by which progress can be measured.
To this end, newsrooms should openly commit to measurable and easily understood goals and implement and publish methods by which they intend to recruit, retain and advance diverse journalists and editors.
2. TRANSPARENCY
Openness and
transparency are essential to measure progress and for people - both within the
and outside any organisation – to be able to trust the actions of the newsroom.
To this end,
newsrooms should publish detailed diversity figures within their organisation – both in functional areas and seniority levels.
newsrooms should publish detailed diversity figures within their organisation – both in functional areas and seniority levels.
3. FINANCE
Finances are a clear
signal indication of the priorities of an organisation. Financial commitments
build credibility and - if no organisation wants to waste money - helps to
focus the actions of the organisation.
To this end,
organisations should make clear financial commitments to increase diversity within their organisation and output by publishing percentage total salary spend on different diverse groups to training budgets.
Organisations should also commit to delivering and providing more robust unconscious bias training amongst its senior decision-makers and management.
4. EQUALITY OF
OPPORTUNITY
We can only ensure that
people are promoted on talent if everyone is given an equal opportunity to
compete for jobs. Therefore, ensuring that as wide a pool of people have access
to important information is one of the best methods to ensure equality in an
organisation.
To this end,
as many employment opportunities as possible should be open to as many people as possible with information about job opportunities advertised as widely as possible.
as many employment opportunities as possible should be open to as many people as possible with information about job opportunities advertised as widely as possible.
Annually the number of job opportunities which were advertised (externally and internally) compared to the number of actual new jobs, moves and promotions made should be published.
We want any news organisation that believes it is serious about improving representation within the British journalism industry, and is serious about halting the steady stream of careless reporting of stories around race and diversity, join us to formulate plans for ensuring this industry is fit for right now and fit for Britain’s future.
The quality of journalism depends on reporters and commentators
who have access to a comprehensive and varied set of sources and perspectives.
Freedom of Speech dies
if only the powerful and
majority culture is given a platform to be heard
Democracy dies if
only the powerful and majority
culture is given the means to voice their reality and experiences
Society is poorer
if we are deprived of the creativity,
stories and vision of any one section of that society
Diversity and Inclusion are not
luxuries
but essential elements of a
functioning, free and equal society
Equal representation across
newsrooms is key
to achieving better journalism
and a better society
=========================================================================
Note to
Editors:
Direct
all BJCUK Media enquiries to
Marverine
Cole, Journalist, Broadcast & Academic
Black
Journalists’ Collective (UK) – BJCUK - is a newly-established, and
fast-growing, support network which represents the views of over 100 black and
minority ethnic journalists and broadcasters, working in newsrooms across the
United Kingdom.
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