The Journal of Media and Diversity Issue 01 Winter 2020

Sir Lenny Henry, Leah Cowan, David Olusoga, Marverine Duffy, Charlene White, Kimberly McIntosh, Professor Stuart Hall, Kesewa Hennessy, Will Norman, Emma Butt, Dr David Dunkley Gyimah, Dr Erica Gillingham, Dr Peter Block, Suchandrika Chakrabarti

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REPRESENTOLOGY The Journal of Media and Diversity

Editorial Mission Statement

Welcome to Representology, a journal dedicated to research and best-practice perspectives on how to make the media more representative of all sections of society.

A starting point for effective representation are the “protected characteristics” defined by the Equality Act 2010 including, but not limited to, race, gender, sexuality, and disability, as well as their intersections. We recognise that definitions of diversity and representation are dynamic and constantly evolving and our content will aim to reflect this.

Representology is a forum where academic researchers and media industry professionals can come together to pool expertise and experience. We seek to create a better understanding of the current barriers to media participation as well as examine and promote the most effective ways to overcome such barriers. We hope the journal will influence policy and practice in the media industry through a rigorous, evidence-based approach.

Our belief is that a more representative media workforce will enrich and improve media output, enabling media organisations to better serve their audiences, and encourage a more pluralistic and inclusive public discourse. This is vital for a healthy society and well-functioning democracy. We look forward to working with everyone who shares this vision.

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CONTENTS EDITORIAL

04 Lessons from history In the wake of Black Lives Matter, many Sir Lenny Henry and David Olusoga people at the helm of the UK media industry interview. Transcript by Marcus Ryder have rightly been critical of its historic 10 IRL with Team Charlene: failings around diversity – both in its output behind the cameras and in making sure its workforce mirrors the Charlene White many shades of modern multicultural Britain.

12 Diversity in post-production sound But we must remember that this period of self-analysis roles in UK television production does not mark a moment – it heralds a movement. In Emma Butt the pages of Representology – the Journal for Media and Diversity – we hope to build connections between 22 The future of diversity regulation the academy, journalists and broadcasters. Rather than in the UK broadcast industry seek piecemeal reform to address the - models and ownership underrepresentation of marginalised voices, we wish to Dr Peter Block go further and help create a media that reflects the richness of every part of society. Launched as a joint 34 The importance of archive initiative between Birmingham City University and Dr David Dunkley Gyimah Cardiff University (see back page for comments by 38 Strangers in a Strange Land: their Vice-Chancellors), we want to analyse and work with all areas of media production, commissioning new media representation of disability research and opening meaningful conversations on Will Norman how to dismantle existing barriers to participation.

42 Widening perspectives in This first issue features Sir Lenny Henry and David political journalism Olusoga talking frankly about race and stereotyping Leah Cowan in the television industry, Charlene White’s thoughts on fusing together current affairs and children’s 48 Freelancing in the media programming for ‘IRL with Team Charlene’, and Suchandrika Chakrabarti Dr Peter Block and Emma Butt unveiling their original 52 The Financial Times: New initiatives academic research on the systemic lack of diversity in to engage women readers broadcast regulation and post-production sound recording. We republish Professor Stuart Hall’s Kesewa Hennessy ferocious television essay ‘It Ain’t Half Racist, Mum’, 56 ‘It ain’t half racist, mum’ discover a treasure trove in the Black radio archive, Professor Stuart Hall. Introduced by K Biswas consider cultural depictions of disability and newspaper initiatives to better engage women readers, 64 Book review and navigate the evolving worlds of freelance and Kimberly McIntosh on Joshua Virasami’s political journalism. At the end of each article, you will ‘How to change it’ (Merky Books) find a summary of ideas for the industry to act upon.

68 Protect the ones you love We are looking to widen the editorial board of Poem by Dr Erica Gillingham Representology (see back page for full list) as well as our pool of writers. If you are interested in contributing 70 Representology recommends to this developing project or have feedback and Marverine Duffy suggestions for future issues, please get in touch: 72 Statements from the Vice-Chancellors [email protected] of Birmingham City University and Cardiff University 74 Representology Editorial Board 75 Submission Guidelines

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LESSONS FROM HISTORY

Sir Lenny Henry in conversation with Sir Lenny Henry: David Olusoga: My colleagues and I set up The thing history can bring historian, broadcaster and film-maker the Sir Lenny Henry Centre to the debate about David Olusoga on media diversity, for Media Diversity at diversity and inclusion is an Birmingham City University understanding of where institutional memory and racism in the because we had this feeling race came from. These that the industry often ideas are so deep, so UK television industry. doesn’t learn from its ingrained within our society, mistakes or build on its that when we just talk about successes. Why do you structural racism and we think history is so important don’t talk about the in achieving media historical process of diversity? construction, I don’t think we land that idea properly. These ideas did not come about of their own volition. This was not accidental. The idea of Black inferiority, Black intellectual inferiority, transcript cognitive inferiority, behavioural inferiority – Marcus Ryder these things were invented

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and they were propagated in our societies for decade after nothing like the background neighbours and if you would decade by people with vast amounts of money and political of the city. live next to someone. They power in order to justify slavery, the slave trade and then always missed out the third Sir Lenny Henry: Do you later, empire. Then they were armoured with pseudo-science. one because it never think diversity and inclusion seemed a possibility in the I think the job of historians is to look at the process of is getting better in the UK 50s when they were asking construction and explain what the phrase ‘structural racism’ film and TV industry? these attitudinal surveys: means. To make more people understand that this is not an David Olusoga: would you work for a Black extreme kind of racism that Black people have made up to I think it boss? annoy white people. It’s an accurate terminology for an idea might be – but because of the past six months, not that was built and that needs to be deconstructed. Sir Lenny Henry: Can you because of the past 30 imagine that, in post-war Sir Lenny Henry: How much does your background as a years. If you asked me that Britain? historian shape how you view the media, television, film question in January 2020 industries? before Black Lives Matter, David Olusoga: People were before the murder of George comfortable with Black David Olusoga: I think it relates to the previous question. It Floyd, I would have said I people driving the buses but makes me alert to the way race operates and what the tropes see very, very little progress. they didn’t want them as and the stereotypes are. What I see in my career is really I see some progress in neighbours and they didn’t nice, good, decent, liberal people acting in ways that content, I see some progress want them going out with reinforce stereotypes because they’ve never examined their in youth programming and their daughter. They never thinking. I’m sure people would say I’m over-alert but I don’t again there’s a problem with thought about the possibility believe I am, because actually there’s now a young seeing Black people and of saying, you know, I hope generation who, almost instinctively, seem to be alert to these youth as intersecting and he’s running the bus issues. But I see an industry full of people who’ve never overlapping, but I didn’t see company. thought – and get upset when they’re asked to think – about much progress behind the how race operates in our interactions with each other, in the Sir Lenny Henry: The way to camera. ideas that they’re comfortable with and the ideas that they’re change it is to increase uncomfortable with, or in the positions in which they’re That might be about to who’s running things. It’s perfectly happy to see Black people and the positions where change. It seems to me that what we’ve been saying for it just feels uncomfortable to see Black people. the initiatives do seem of a years. different order – although David Olusoga: who’s going to hold people I’ve noticed to account is a big question. throughout my career when There’s something specifically But the level of urgency I’ve been in positions of wrong with television and I think seems of a different order, authority that some people people are saying things have really struggled to it’s worse than other industries. they haven’t said before. actually do what I say and to It’s more insidious, it’s more That makes me more see that my judgement is hopeful. So, I don’t think we valuable. I had an experience damaging. have seen change behind with an assistant producer: the camera but I think we I’d devised a sequence and have to hope that we might I’d spoken to a lot of What happens with Black people in the media is there’s this be about to see that change. historians and I thought it slow realisation that it’s you and maybe two other people. As would work, and I’d asked Yeah. They I say, nobody’s horrible but the status quo is that you guys Sir Lenny Henry: the assistant producer to go don’t want to have authority are on your own. and look into it and find the wielded over them by people and see if we could Sir Lenny Henry: And it’s damaging to people? somebody that doesn’t look get access to the locations. like them. David Olusoga: One of the great subconscious biases in our And she had gone to my society is a bias against the idea of subconscious bias. David Olusoga: If you look at business partner and said, Because it’s seen to be a slight against people’s views and the attitudinal studies done ‘David wants to do this, and their status as a good person. But if you have a production in about race over the years, I don’t think it’s right or a city like London where the population is 48% BAME, and if there seem to be two big appropriate’. we believe that ability and intelligence are equally distributed fault lines. One is about And my business partner across all races – which we have to believe if we don’t believe interracial relationships and said, ‘Well he’s written books in racism – then a random recruitment would create the other is about on slavery and I haven’t, and something close to the background of the city. And it’s he’s been a producer for 20

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years, what’s the problem?’ medals on their chest having revolutions and uprisings If that had been the other fought in what was called and rises of socialism all Being a way around, there’s not a the Great War for civilisation over the world and people Black boss chance she’d have come to and they began to make did come back from the Sir Lenny Henry: You set up me and said my business demands for equality. They trenches with these ideas. your own company, as did I. partner has this crazy idea made civil rights demands They’d gone to France, Again, bearing in mind and it’s not going to work. and their movement was they’d been treated too well, everything we’ve just And, you know, we made the tarred with being Bolshevik. they’d been Frenchified, in spoken about, is there sequence and it made Rather than civil rights in the the phrase of the time, and anything we can learn from perfect sense. And it made 1920s, what you got was the they’d come back with these the past about what Black perfect sense because I’d Red Summer of 1919 when uppity ideas of equality – company owners have had been making TV hundreds of Black people because the French had to do in order to succeed? programmes since my late were killed. I think 13 Black spoiled them by treating 20s… I’m really good at it. soldiers were lynched for them like human beings. David Olusoga: There’s a wearing their uniforms, I haven’t had that experience Exactly that game plan was view that the Black returning from the war. You writing for newspapers or applied in the days after the community has not set up have this unleashed political working for publishers. It’s murder of George Floyd and businesses as readily as campaign to say that these only in television where I feel if you go back to the some immigrant populations, demands for Black liberty my confidence chipped newspapers and the and I think there’s a lot of and equality were radical away at. There’s something discussion programmes, problems with that. Black and dangerous and specifically wrong with even Newsnight, in the days people have set up communist. television and I think it’s after George Floyd’s murder, businesses, but also lots of worse than other industries. And I think we need to one point was made over Black people have looked at It’s more insidious, it’s more realise that this game plan and over again: ‘Surely the society they live in and damaging. People leave with has worked before and it is you’re not saying this applies the level of hostility aimed at their personality and their now being applied to what is here.’ them and they’ve asked, is abilities and their sense of actually a movement rather this a society that is going to There was an attempt to self more damaged in this than an organisation – a kind treat me fairly as a business suggest that you couldn’t industry than the others I’ve of global uprising against owner when it can’t treat me make parallels between worked in. racism. There’s a blueprint fairly as an employee? Is this Britain and America because and it’s being applied and a society where I want to of the issue of guns. Well, we need to watch for the take a risk with my finances The game plan guns weren’t involved in the signs of it being applied. and the financial security of What murder of George Floyd or Sir Lenny Henry: Also we need to imagine if it my family? A society that lessons in more recent Freddie Gray, or others. hadn’t been applied. Imagine unleashes police forces that history can we draw upon There’s all these devices if America had listened to are deeply racist, that are to understand the situation used to say that American calls for Black equality in exempted from the Race we’re in now? racism is of such a depth 1919 and they’d had civil Relations Act, upon our and ferocity that it can’t rights in the 1920s, not the communities. David Olusoga: We need to apply, and when Black 1960s. America would be 40 remember that every Black people see parallels in their I think Black people have years ahead of where it is movement for equality has lives and the experiences of been less entrepreneurial in now. It’s a tragedy that been demonised. The African Americans, that Britain because they’ve appeals for civil rights were example I’m fond of is that they’re deluding themselves. made an accurate tarred with being Bolshevik. what’s happening to Black That it’s a form of false assessment of the level of It’s a tragedy for everybody. Lives Matter is exactly what consciousness. Well it didn’t hostility aimed against them. happened to the African Sir Lenny Henry: Could you work this time because it And that’s been put down to American veterans of the unpack that… Bolshevik as wasn’t just Black Britons, it a lack of entrepreneurial First World War who came in having communist was Black people all over spark. Well, look at the back to America in 1919 leanings, right? the world, people of other entrepreneurialism of Black having fought in the French minorities all over the world, people all over the world – in David Olusoga: army. They weren’t allowed Yeah. They in New Zealand and Africa, in the Caribbean. to fight in the American army were said to have come Tasmania, who saw the clear Looked what happened after because white officers back contaminated with the parallels between that slavery in Jamaica, there wouldn’t lead them into Bolshevism of the trenches. situation and their own lives. was just a rush to become battle. They came back with Remember there were farmers and market gardeners and to become

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traders. I come from a town 4’s trying to get more Black contribution to the stuff that we’ve done’. Not the story called Ijebu Ode in Nigeria companies to know more of how the exploitation of Black people through slavery was which is infamous for its commissioners, and I think one of the biggest industries of the 18th century, not how the traders who will bargain you that’s sort of a help, but cotton industry of the 19th century built on the enslavement down to your last penny. The when people have known of African Americans, accounted for 40 per cent of Britain’s stereotype against people each other for years, in exports and was the justification and the rationale for the from where I’m from in networks from which Black damn civil war. Not the fact that the ‘scramble for Africa’ was Nigeria is that they’re people have been excluded, one of the biggest stories of the 19th century that repeatedly ruthless businessmen! You the domino effect is that you almost brought Britain, France and other countries to war. come to Britain, you’re Black don’t know the people in Black history is British history, it seeps out into everything. British, Black people don’t positions of power. So the We’re not marginal. We’re not a sidebar, we’re not a ‘nice to do business. number of commissioners have an additional bit of colour’ for Black History Month. This that you know, the number Sir Lenny Henry: The thing is British history, it’s fundamental. Time and time again… and of people that you are we always asked for was it’s not just Black history. Take the story of the Battle of pitching ideas to… I don’t some kind of fund to Britain. Tell the stories of the Polish and Czech pilots. They’ve know if any quantitative provide a cushion but also never bothered to interview them! We don’t know about the studies have been done but to enable people to feel Indian Army, the biggest volunteer army in the Second World it seems to me that Black confident in setting up a War. The majority of soldiers who fought at Waterloo weren’t companies don’t have that business. If you feel like British. They were Belgian or Dutch or German or they spoke range of 50 commissioners there’s a direct pipeline to one of the German dialects. It’s a European battle, but we from six broadcasters, that money then it’s possible don’t know that. they’re targeting with ideas. that your business might The problem is the version of history we’ve got is bullshit, not survive. Absolutely put that Black history needs to exist alongside this myopic, gatekeepers on that money Black history is whitewashed history. It’s that history is wrong and it’s written but have an open pipeline British history out the chapters that explain who the hell we are. where a conversation can be had about creating Sir Lenny Henry: How do something cool or you think the lack of media The infantilisation of Blackness something that not just a diversity shapes the way Sir Lenny Henry: That’s brilliant. I love to hear you talk Black audience will want. television approaches about this because I never see you like this on television, Because we all know that if history programmes? you’re always so polite and smooth. a person of colour creates David Olusoga: There’s a David Olusoga: Yes, because there’s the trope, the angry something, as Jazzie B puts huge presumption that the Black guy. it, the underground very audience is familiar with a quickly becomes the small number of historical Sir Lenny Henry: You’re the Teddy Pendergrass of history, overground. stories and we just need to David!! We can make things that keep doing those over and David Olusoga: But it’s such a landmine to walk into, the have a global appeal. We over again. There’s a lack of angry Black guy is just… ‘There we go. He’s angry, he’s don’t just make Black interest in new subjects and unreasonable, he’s unbalanced. This isn’t objective, look at things, we make things that the focus of interest is on him, he’s emotional.’ For me to get emotional means I’m have an overground appeal. new approaches to old operating on the emotional spectrum and not the intellectual And why wouldn’t you want subjects. Who Do You Think one. That would give them what they want. to be in on that? So, make You Are has created an some development funds interest in documentary Sir Lenny Henry: People accept youth-skewed images of available and have some evidence and emotional Black and Asian and working class people of colour, but slots available for that and journeys which I think has when we are talking about adult programming, it’s a very we can do business. But if the possibility of different matter. we’re scrambling, we can’t encountering a broader David Olusoga: Think about the workings of anti-Black racism do it… it’s very difficult, it’s range of stories. and the idea, the fundamental idea, that Black people were like pushing a boulder But, the problem with the childish, that they had a level of mental capacity that was uphill. way we do Black history is, equivalent to that of European children. Lord Lugard, who David Olusoga: A lot of ‘here is a self-contained, was a governor of Nigeria, described Nigerians, my Black producers don’t have hermetically sealed, Black ancestors, as attractive children. Generations, from the 1860s the networks, they don’t history for the Black people until the 1960s of African American men, middle-aged men, have the connections with who are watching so we can elderly men, were called ‘boy’. There is an urge within the commissioners. Channel tick a box’ or ‘here’s the anti-Black racism as it emerged in the new world to call and

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to think of Black people as once had a shoot in a church careers. It’s anecdotal but institutional culture is children. As a result, you can in Jamaica, and I was in the there’s no research. When I incredibly damaging. see in the way that we edit and all of the shots was a producer what was I was a researcher on a approach race that there is a they’d used were of the said, the truism of the time, shoot and the production comfort with Black people children. Now, this is a was that you had to leave manager was furious with as children. Youth – I think church in Jamaica, most the BBC in order to advance. this runner because he didn’t you can see that in people are elderly, they are And the rich kids whose want to go and get lunch for recruitment. incredibly well-dressed, they parents had literally bought the crew. And the reason are visually so attractive and them a house, could give up I’ve been doing this since I was because he didn’t have appealing. And this is about a staff job, go and work for was 16. It’s an industry full of the money in his bank history, this is about the role the indies for nine months people who’re quite happy account. The presumption is of religion in the creation of a and come back and be my to have a junior Black runner that you’ve got a couple of moral mission for Britain in boss. I’d lived through the who they’re instructing and grand in your bank account the 19th century. Why were eighties in the north east advising but less as a float and you can afford the editor and the director where shipyards closed and comfortable when the Black to wait six weeks for a crap more comfortable with the my mates had to leave person is their boss. Less expenses system to pay you shots of children? This is the school and go and live comfortable when there’s a back. This kid’s trying to way race plays out. These somewhere else because Black person challenging work out whether he can pay ideas are so deeply they couldn’t afford the rent their ideas. They’re his rent or whether he’ll be ingrained in our society that on their house. The idea of waiting for the money to giving up any form of come back from buying financial security when I had For me to get emotional means lunch for a cameraman no safety net at all, was just who’s making, you know, not a possibility. Just I’m operating on the emotional 900 quid a day. It didn’t culturally, never mind occur to her. I’ve seen these spectrum and not the intellectual financially, not a possibility. things operate, but I’ve one. That would give them what It’s almost unspoken that never seen them studied. those realities are not valid in they want. Sir Lenny Henry: David, this discussion. These are thank you. comfortable with Black the rules, we don’t care that we swim in a water that’s people in performing roles they impact on some people poisoned by them and we but not in administrative and differently to others. We don’t see when they operate managerial roles. don’t care that those with This is a transcript of a through us. And the wealth and family money conversation which took But also there’s a infantilisation of Blackness is and safety nets can get over place over Zoom on 16th fundamental willingness in one of the big tropes of that hurdle easily – that’s just September 2020, produced programming to see youth racism. the way it is. And that sort of and edited by Marcus programming and Black blindness to the impact of Ryder. programming as almost the The race/class same thing. I’ve heard nice, decent, liberal people in nexus television say, ‘If you solve Sir Lenny Henry: Is there Representology takeaways the youth problem, you solve one historical/academic Why historical perspective is important in analysing the diversity problem’. And study you want the Sir media diversity efforts so, the answer to television’s Lenny Henry Centre for • Racism is “structural”, we need to understand the lack of focus on Black Media Diversity to embark origins of those structures to address current stories and Black upon? We’ve got all these problems. experiences is to have more academics waiting for things like BBC Three and David to tell us what to do. • Black people are traditionally entrepreneurial - if T4 because that’s where What would your BAME-led indies are not being set up we need to Black people are because recommendation be? look at the business environment, not blame Black Black people are children. producers. David Olusoga: I think we It’s deeply, deeply • Race and class are not separate issues - there need to be smarter on the subconscious. needs to be more analysis of how the two intersect. nexus between race and • We should seek to expand the range of historical Making programmes about class. The thing that’s topics we think an audience will find interesting. Black history – this is just unspoken is how wealth one example of many – I allows people to build TV

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10 ISSUE 01 WINTER 2020 IRL with Team Charlene: behind the cameras

Creating a programme talking Finding a diverse cast for the But working with a team that show was the easy part. We understands that and honestly to children about race and knew we wanted a recognises the importance recognisable face from CITV, of it also made a difference. prejudice was a ‘baptism of fire’ for and Kerry Boyne fit the show From the commissioner broadcast journalist and newsreader perfectly. And we wanted a Gemma to the exec Jess, to man with us in the studio… me the creator, it was a Charlene White. but how often do you see non-negotiable part of the Black men in the counsellor process of making the show. As Black Lives Matter And then began the baptism role on TV? We wanted to And that’s the key isn’t it? protests took hold globally, of fire. I had to quickly learn change that, so sought out Yes, we were making it struck me that children how to realistically put Rotimi Akinsete who something fun and were being left out of the together a new studio-based thankfully loved the concept informative, but we couldn’t conversation about race, kids programme, in a way of the show and wanted to make a show about race and racism and diversity. As that was engaging, be involved. racism without making a someone who’d learnt about entertaining and difference behind the scenes Once those pieces were in racism at an early age, informative… during a too. So, I’m proud of what place, we looked for music having been a victim of pandemic. ITV agreed that we achieved, and the way talent who could lift the abuse from other children, ITN Productions were best that we did it. I feel strongly that children placed to make it alongside show. Scouring social media Charlene White is a ought to be instrumental ITV News – the company’s to find young talent who journalist and newsreader in the conversation. first children’s commission. were doing great things, we who has been lead Excluding them allows found King Caelan and I took on my friend Jessica presenter of ITV News stereotypes and ‘othering’ Eva-Marie. At no point did Symons as executive London since 2019. to continue for another we question whether there producer of the show, and generation. was ‘too much’ Black talent IRL with Team Charlene from the very start we were on-screen on one show. We aired on 3rd October 2020 Thankfully ITV felt the same adamant that we wanted it wanted diverse talent, so we and is available to watch on when I suggested the idea to be a diverse mix of talent looked for it, found it, and ITV Hub. which became IRL with on the team. We were used it. This was the same Team Charlene, a magazine thankfully able to achieve for the production team too https://www.itv.com/hub/ show dealing with racism in that by using some of ITN’s and the end credits reflect irl-with-team- the UK, and how it impacts team, and some fantastic that. charlene/10a0575a0001 the lives of young people, young freelancers. through a mix of short films, The commissioner, Gemma animation and music. I have John-Lewis, helped to bring little to no experience on the the idea from an image in my programme-making side of Representology takeaways head to what was produced television. In all honesty, on screen. The passion that How one programme can address industry I wasn’t necessarily Gemma also had for the diversity issues ‘pitching’ as such when I project was fabulous. Let’s • Opportunities to address on-screen diversity spoke to them, but they not forget that this is should also be used to address diversity behind the loved the idea. They saw my something that had never passion and immediately cameras. been done before: ITV, ITN agreed that it was something • Traditional production teams can work dynamically Productions and ITV News they wanted to be a part of. working on a children’s alongside freelance staff. programme together. We • Social media is an excellent source for locating really did, together, want to diverse talent. make a difference.

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Emma Butt is a sound editor working Abstract in television post-production. Her This paper analyses (published online 15th research was commissioned by the Sir research conducted September 2019), on screen throughout August and credits and IMDB. This Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity September 2020 examining project also included and supported by Dr Ellie Tomsett of the breakdown of diversity interviews with a range of across key post-production professionals working in Birmingham City University’s School of sound team roles in the post-production sound to Media. highest rated TV shows identify barriers to career broadcast during the progression in this area. The It is the pilot for a new grant initiative, Autumn period of 2019 on research reveals a worrying Practitioners Investigating Media Industry BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel absence of diversity in Diversity (PIMID), matching experienced media 4, Channel 5 and Sky One. post-production sound professionals with academic mentors to conduct The data was drawn from teams specifically in drama, Broadcast magazine’s entertainment and factual. short-turnaround research in their own sector. quarterly reports on the There is information on applying for these grants highest rated shows at the end of this article.

Key words: diversity, post-production, sound, career progression, barrier

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As my ethnic identity is not of feature films (e.g. Bridget Introduction visually evident, I have not Jones Diary [2001]) and In 2020 there has been a significant amount of discussion personally faced racism in American made shows were about the lack of racial and gender diversity in the film and the workplace, although I omitted from the data. Any TV industry. This has mostly been focused on directors, have experienced racism in shows where the information actors and producers with BAFTA and AMPAS re-evaluating my lifetime. could not be found for the sound teams involved were their awards process across all genres of film and TV, and This research explores the also removed from the introducing new submission requirements to help address the barriers to career sample. (Only four shows fell issue. Conversations have also begun about diversity behind progression that relate to into this category). the camera in craft and technical roles, with new schemes women, Black and ethnic and initiatives being set up to help establish a more diverse minority sound Using this information, I workforce on set. However, to date this has not included professionals, and whether found the names of the post-production sound. there are commonalities in sound teams involved on the Post-production sound has two key problem areas in relation experiences. Additionally, specific episodes. This was to career progression: Mid-career level and the period when this project considers achieved through a people are initially embarking on their careers. Sound exactly what actions can be combination of searching on professionals at mid-career level, especially freelancers, face taken to remove these IMDB and reviewing the end some of the same issues that film and TV directors from barriers to ensure wider screen credits. As the diverse backgrounds have experienced. They are stuck either inclusion in the post- highest rated shows were working on short form content, independent productions, or production sound from a variety of genres (e.g. in the factual and entertainment world. Very few break profession. drama, entertainment, through to drama (both recurring and high-end). In addition, factual) and the make-up of whilst this research is focused on television production, feature film production in the UK is also severely lacking in relation to racial diversity (Nwonka 2020) and has even fewer Head of Department roles. As a mixed-race woman who has As with TV and film directors, sound professionals find it hard worked in the industry for over to get drama or feature film work without existing credits in this genre, but to get the credits they need someone to take a 13 years, I am continually faced chance on them. Very few people are prepared to take chances with their hiring practices due to financial risk. For with being one of the only any sound professionals working as a freelancer, these issues women on most sound teams. become even more difficult to navigate. Progression within a company can be supported by senior members of staff, training provided, and clients (producers, directors and production companies) made to feel less of a risk is being sound teams vary across taken in the appointment of staff. However, currently no Research each genre, I decided to schemes or training exist to provide freelancers with the Methodology focus on the key common same structure and support that some companies offer, sound roles found in each As a starting point, the leaving them pigeon-holed in their current professional roles one. These are: Re- highest rated UK TV shows or within specific genres. Recording Mixer, Dialogue across the Autumn period of At entry level to post-production sound careers, people face Editor and Sound Effects 2019 were identified. The the same issues as everyone else trying to break into a Editor. industry magazine, creative profession - trying to get a foot in the door of an Broadcast, publishes a With drama and feature films already very difficult industry. As this research uncovered, quarterly list of the highest production, the roles of people attempting to break into post-production sound may rated shows made for and Re-Recording Mixer, also face racism (through name-based discrimination), broadcast by BBC1, BBC2, Dialogue Editor and Sound sexism and ageism. In addition to this, they face ill-articulated ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 Effects Editor are covered by job descriptions which require much more skills and and Sky One, the date each different people. In some experience than is necessary to fulfil an assistant level role. show aired and the viewing cases, for example on When undertaking any research, it is important to figures. productions with higher acknowledge one’s own position in relation to the area of budgets, these roles may be For the purposes of this study. As a mixed-race woman who has worked in the undertaken by multiple research from this list any industry for over 13 years, I am continually faced with being people due to the scale of live sporting events, shows one of the only women on most sound teams. As a result, I the production. When which do not require have faced sexism and bullying, and I have struggled to producing factual and post-production sound work progress into high end drama as a Re-Recording Mixer. entertainment work, all three (e.g. BBC1’s Strictly Come roles can be covered by one Dancing [2004-]), broadcasts individual. In order for the

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importance of these roles to fluent in Mandarin. An believability and accuracy of difference. Out of 60 people be fully understood I will English-speaking Dialogue what audiences hear on a working across a total of 36 briefly set out the key Editor, despite perhaps a finished production. shows, 55 people responded components for each role familiarity with Mandarin as providing information on Lastly the Re-Recording and the contribution these an additional language, their gender identity and Mixer balances all the make to the finished would not have been able to ethnicity. Some people elements together, production. replace problematic lines, fit chose not to confirm any combining the dialogue, ADR accurately or direct the other details. Firstly, the Dialogue Editor, in sound effects, ADR and crowd ADR sessions drama and features, is there musical score. They add Of the 36 shows there were efficiently. to make the dialogue editing effects like 60 roles that fell into the intelligible to the audience. Secondly, the Sound Effects reverberation and delay to categories of Dialogue They replace words, Editor (who can also be ensure the separate Editor, sound Effects Editor sentences and sometimes referred to as the Sound elements are heard coming or Re-Recording Mixer. In even syllables which may Designer) creates the from the same physical terms of racial diversity this have been distorted due to soundscape for the space as the action. For research found that across background noise. This is production. All atmospheric example, if a scene is shot all channels, only one mixed- achieved through deploying noises that help establish which includes two people race person was involved in techniques to remove the the world of the drama’s talking in a large room with a the post-production sound background noise to make story such as cars, dogs, lot of echo, that echo would teams for the highest rated the audio usable, or by doors opening and closing, be placed on by the Re- shows in the sample and editing in audio from effectively anything you hear Recording Mixer to mimic they identified as male. In alternative takes of the on screen, has been placed the way the sound would act this instance this person scene. They compose the in by the person in this role. in that specific space. They made one show for Channel Automated Dialogue In addition to adding and are responsible for making 4. No other sound team from Replacement (ADR) list for editing existing sound sure ADR also plays within the sample included both cast and crowd group effects, they also work with a seamlessly and sounds someone from a Black or actors, attend all recording Foley artist to create a list of identical to dialogue shot on ethnic minority background sessions and then integrate any additional sounds that set. The Re-Recording Mixer of any gender. the ADR to make it sound need to be created such as works with the director and In terms of gender diversity, seamless, as if that audio footsteps (on specific producers to make the show the highest rated shows was also recorded on set. surfaces), clothing come to life, in line with their produced for BBC1 and When Dialogue Editors movement, and skin contact creative vision for how the BBC2 included only three attend crowd group ADR sounds etc. Accuracy of the production should sound. white women. For ITV shows sessions, they have to direct sounds used is hugely The person in this role is also included in the sample, the the actors in what will be important and the role of responsible for the technical same individual white needed for the sound from Sound Effects Editor is vital aspects of delivering a show, woman worked across two background extras. This to the success of a drama making sure it fulfils delivery separate productions. process often involves production as sound is a requirements from different Channel 4 had no women in writing lines of dialogue for significant part of creating broadcasters and their post-production sound the supporting actors within and maintaining a believable distributors. teams across any the session, and involves world for the action to take This brief overview of the productions. For Channel 5 ensuring that the language place. key roles and their relevance shows included in the they use will be appropriate An obvious example of the to this study demonstrates sample there was one white for the piece and the significance of the work of clearly the contribution made woman who worked on one accents are accurate. This Sound Effects Editors is to by sound teams both in production. This particular role is both technical and consider nature terms of their technical show also represented the creative as the Dialogue documentaries, where the expertise and their influence only instance where a Editor has a direct impact on majority of the footage is on the creative aspects of woman held the role of who is being heard and what shot without any sound. In the shows. Re-Recording mixer. Sky is being said. these kinds of productions, One shows indicated only Once all names of those in Channel 4 drama Chimerica the Sound Editor is one white woman on a team the key sound roles covered (2019) can be used as a responsible for finding out which worked on two in the sample had been recent example of why the not only what the location separate productions. confirmed, I contacted every identity of the Dialogue where footage was shot person directly to request In total six women were Editors can be very actually sounds like, but also their age, gender, career included out of the 60 important. One of the main to edit sounds into footage level, ethnicity and to ask available roles. All other characters in this production for any animals featured. whether they identified as members of the teams speaks Mandarin and the Across all forms of having a disability, identified as white men. show required an production their role has a impairment or learning experienced Dialogue Editor significant impact on the

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successfully with clients in UK, he could only think of 4 or 5 people from Black or ethnic Interviews the same technical role. In minority backgrounds working in post-production sound, who To better understand the order to make that he had met socially and not worked with directly. progression into longform barriers people of ethnic or Participant 1 noted that in many other companies she worked she had to go back a step in minority backgrounds and at ‘the women were in bookings roles’, organising the her career to assistant level women are facing in scheduling for the creative departments, answering client where she remains after progressing in their careers, I emails, and these were very much administrative roles and almost 2 years. interviewed five participants: not technical ones. two white women and three She found that during her When she made the decision to progress to longform, she men from ethnic minority early career stages, she was noted the biggest barriers were that: backgrounds. Each not encouraged or given the participant was at a different opportunity to learn and train Short form and longform feel like two separate industries stage in their career and while working as a runner. and the worlds never collide, so knowing who the people faced different challenges. In She noted that ‘there was a are was difficult, but also technically you lack some of the the table below (Fig. 1) the hierarchy where you had to skills the longform people have because they’re ethnic background of know your place, keep your experiencing something different to you and there’s not participants is intentionally head down and if you were any training programmes out there to learn that and learn kept general, as to be more allowed into a studio you from people. specific in an industry where were lucky’. She also noted In order for her to overcome these barriers she had to take a there are so few people from that these studios lacked step back in her career and decided to become a runner or BAME backgrounds would diversity across all aspects assistant again. This involved taking a pay cut so she could make them identifiable. of identity. It was not until learn from someone in longform specifically. I asked Participant 1 whether they believed they would have progressed quicker if a scheme had existed where they could shadow a Re-Recording Mixer on a project for a certain amount of time, before taking on a project with their supervision and support. Participant 1 said: Yes, it would be a really good way of getting to Fig. 1 understand their workflow and not second guessing the way they might want things. You learn on the job, you Participant 1 was a woman she worked for her fourth learn from practically doing it, not reading it from a book. still at the early stage of her facility, a working environment where the staff career, even after eight years Participant 2 was a male in his 40s from an ethnic minority were diverse rather than working continuously in the background and had to take a similar approach in taking a uniformly white, where she television industry. She career step back in order to progress. This participant had was actively encouraged to faced barriers trying to achieved a successful career in a non-sound role in his home enter the studios and learn, progress from assistant roles country’s film and TV industry. He successfully transitioned which helped her progress. to becoming a mixer into the same role in the UK film and TV industry. Participant (progressing to different When asked if she met 2 then decided to retrain in sound at University and try to roles) and then from short anyone who looked like her develop a career in post-production sound. Finding himself in form to longform content at any point starting out in debt after paying the university fees, he tried to find a staff (progressing between genres her career, or whether she position to give himself some financial stability, rather than of content). Having started had any female role models working freelance. He started applying for jobs, emailing and out as a runner and working in the industry, she noted meeting people, but found he was turned down or received within four different facilities that she met one other no response. in either runner, machine woman mixer at the first When asked if he felt his name, which is not one that would room or assistant roles over facility she worked at. be considered ‘traditionally white British’, may have played a a 3.5-year period, she finally Having left that first facility, it part in not getting responses he replied ‘yes, the short started working as a was a long time before she answer is yes’. Participant 2 did acknowledge that this could Re-Recording Mixer. After worked with any other only be an assumption on his part, as this bias is something working as a Re-Recording women. This was an that is hard to prove. He had considered changing his name Mixer on short form content observation also made by on his CV but felt he ‘wasn’t prepared to do it’ as ‘that is my for two years, she wanted to Participants 2, 4 and 5. identity’. progress into longform When starting out they content. However, she found encountered no one who It is important to note that numerous studies have her lack of experience in that looked like them with demonstrated that name based racial discrimination is genre meant people in hiring Participant 2 noting that prevalent in the UK. A summary of the Growth, Equal positions were unwilling to post-production sound was Opportunities, Migrations and Markets Report, produced by give her a chance, even overwhelmingly a field that Nuffield College, University of Oxford in 2019, highlighted though she had a proven employed white men. Since that recruitment practices still discriminate against ethnic track record of working entering the industry in the minorities. Researchers sent 3,200 applications to employers,

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which were identical in terms ‘People need to try to hire create change. It is freelancer the building up of of skills and experience, but people who don’t look like important to highlight experience in drama became the researchers had varied them a bit more and go a however, that he was also harder to do, and she ended the ethnic background of little further and reach a little aware that speaking out up back working in the these fictional candidates. farther than their circle of about topics such as these factual side of the industry The report concluded that: friends’. can have negative on more independent consequences for productions. High-end On average, nearly one in Ageism was another barrier freelancers. He said that ‘I drama work, although she four applicants from the that Participant 2 identified. thought if I’m seen to be had some credits, became majority group (24%) Having decided to change promoting this [research into harder to get as a freelancer. received a positive career to try and enter diversity], I’m going to get She noted that contacts are response (i.e. callback) post-production sound at a less work, that was my fear a vital part of maintaining a from employers. The job later stage in his life, he was but then I thought, what career: search effort was less fully prepared to start as a have I got to lose?’ successful for ethnic runner and work his way up Part of me knows that if I Freelancers often have minorities who, despite in order to work on high-end had of been there a couple precarious roles in the having identical resumés drama. However, what he of years longer and carried industry and are officially and cover letters, needed found was that ‘there was on working on those TV ‘outside’ of big production to send 60% more certain resentment towards projects, that when I went organisations. This means applications in order to older people’. People freelance I would’ve had that highlighting issues receive as many callbacks working in the industry told more TV contacts and it freelancers face, and as the majority group. The him he should not have to would have been easier to advocating for change as an discrimination start from entry level carry on working in TV. encountered by minorities individual, may be difficult. She believes her gender also does not vary by gender. played a part. She (Di Stasio and Heath remembers a sound 2019:1) ‘People need to try to hire people supervisor, with whom she So, while Participant 2 may was trying to get freelance not be able to categorically who don’t look like them a bit work, saying to he: say this was an issue for him more and go a little further and Well I like you, we get on, in his career, there is but the problem is what if certainly sufficient evidence reach a little farther than their you join our crew and to suggest that he may well circle of friends’. what if two of you started be right. dating and it ended badly, One of the main barriers that would disrupt the Participant 2 had entire balance of the crew experienced as a freelancer positions due to his age, but Participant 3 was a white and I’m not sure about was ‘finding the work and took the decision out of his woman who has worked in taking on that kind of risk. getting people to trust you hands by not considering sound post-production for Following this exchange, she who don’t know you’ as him for these entry level over 20 years. She took a did not receive any offers of ‘they want to work with roles, even though he was traditional route into her work from this man, arguably people they are comfortable prepared to work his way up. career, starting as a runner due to his sexist and with, and that comfort He has felt his experiences and progressing through the heteronormative comes from trust and that over the last few years have ranks by working in various assumptions about the role trust comes from familiarity made him reconsider companies. This was a women play in a workplace and similarity’. This was a working in this industry. This successful strategy until (i.e. potential sexual partners challenge also faced by is evidence that some of redundancies had to be rather than professionals Participant 3 with her noting these barriers to progression made from an organisation with skills to offer). She ‘There’s set people that can lead to people leaving she worked for, and she was recognises, as with many people like to work with and the field entirely. This forced to go freelance 13 male dominated professions, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it, participant’s experience years ago. She identified this that it is difficult to tell most so they have their circle of highlights the importance of move from staff member in a times if her gender prevents people and the boys they go ensuring that ‘new entrant’ company to freelancer as her getting work. to the pub with and it’s hard schemes are also inclusive one of her barriers to career to break into that’. She of people from a range of progression. While working Participants 4 and 5 were comments that this circle of age groups. in her last facility she was both men from an ethnic hiring (a who-you-know starting to supervise minority background who, Participant 2’s reason for approach) is preventing high-end dramas and was after careers in similar taking part in this research more diversity within building up her CV in a industries, decided to try was because he was tired of post-production sound. She management role. However, working in post-production his experiences in the concluded by saying that once she became a sound. Participant 4 started industry and wanted to help

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out by offering to work for people’s identities may broadcasters or funders He also acknowledges that little or no pay in order to intersect with barriers related said: there have been occasions learn from other people and to class status too (Khan Your Dialogue Editor, when, while meeting with progressed from there. He and Shaheen 2017). sound supervisor, mixer, new clients about upcoming said ‘It’s so hard for anyone projects, he has felt it best to As a company owner, whatever, have to be a to get a break in sound, to bring a white male colleague Participant 4 said he is woman, Black or ethnic get some diversity in [the with him to meetings. He felt drawn to hiring people from minority, that would be industry] is going to be a that this was necessary just different backgrounds. Their money well spent. […] If challenge’. He felt this was for a white colleague to be work tends to be for the public funding bodies because ‘They set the wall present to reassure them, as European clients and having did some positive so high to become a sound he knows he will encounter staff from different discrimination then the editor and even when you suspicion and resistance, as backgrounds and with private funding bodies make it over the wall, it he is ‘entering the lion’s den different views works better would be encouraged to doesn’t become much […] they’re going to look at for them and makes things do that too. better, to survive in it is a me and think is this person more interesting. Participant nightmare’. He remembers Participant 5, after working fine, look me up and down 3 4 noted that ‘Diverse people when he started out, he had his way up in various or 4 times and I know it’s not are more interesting’ and ‘It to work three simultaneous facilities, also decided to set a conscious decision on doesn’t matter what kind of jobs outside the creative up his own company after their part, it’s just part of story you’re trying to tell, industries whilst trying to get experiencing stereotyping their programming’. What there’s some aspect of into sound work. He could from employers where he was particularly notable human struggle, most drama not get an opportunity or a found himself being given about this participant’s has a human story behind it foot in the door. In order to only specific projects based response was their and to tell a human story you get any work, he had to set on Black or ethnic themes. resignation towards having need some kind of up his own company, He was tasked to work on a to make these adjustments interesting background’. something Participant 5 also drama portraying Africa in an to their working practices to had to do. The issue of This participant in their role inaccurate way. He thought reassure industry figures having to undertake unpaid as a company owner, has set this was soul-destroying and about their ability to do the work in order to access a up and run an internal ignorant and he decided he job. This participant felt their creative career has been placement scheme, as they could not continue working skills would be in doubt due identified in many studies as recognised that people need at the facility. After over 20 to their ethnicity and the fact to leave the organisation years working in the industry they were working as an he said he can recognise independent organisation. now when some This is unacceptable and conversations take place needs to be challenged. It Having to undertake unpaid with clients about an certainly should not be upcoming project, that accepted as a norm. work in order to access a ‘they’re trying something The interviews conducted for out, they’re trying to prove creative career has been this research indicate that something to themselves participants felt gender and identified in many studies as one and they recognise a racial stereotyping has diversity issue and it can be impacted negatively on their of the key ways that the creative a diversity hire’. In this way a careers. In order to avoid greater awareness of the industries maintain class, racial working in organisations that need for a diverse workforce are resistant to their and gendered barriers. has impacted on hiring inclusion several had decisions without the founded their own structural issues being organisations to gain more addressed. control over their careers. one of the key ways that the with actual credits in order to When hiring for his own The need to work outside creative industries maintain progress. Not only does this teams, Participant 5 chooses big companies, while class, racial and gendered organisation train up people to hire people not based on achieving more control for barriers (Brook, O’Brien, in a particular skill, whether it their ethnicity but who he an individual, may also Taylor, 2018 and 2020). Not is dialogue or Foley sound, considers ‘like-minded present new barriers. everyone is in a position to but they make sure that each people’. He has noticed that Working in a freelance work for free or has the intern leaves having worked most of these people tend to capacity within the post- social capital in order to on a show. He observed that be women who are trying to production sound industry know who to approach for if broadcasters or funding break into an all-male can be additionally work experience. This is of bodies encouraged positive industry. He said he challenging without a particular concern when we discrimination when funding appreciates the difficulties significant amount of consider how in the UK a show or film, it would help. they face. industry connections, or Black and minority ethic He argued that if

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without an existing research relating to the The scheme has been successful with Directors UK’s latest reputation for work in a careers of sound Who’s Calling the Shots report (2018), showing that Casualty, specific genre. The professionals. The 2014 Holby City and Doctors, had a notable increase in the number opportunities to make new report concluded that: of episodes directed by women. The data revealed a 14.8%, connections or transition into 14.4% and 16.2% increase respectively over a three year 1) Decisions on hiring were different genres will be influenced by the period. The report concluded that ‘running equality hampered unless those opinions (or perceived interventions on particular shows does produce positive connections and credits opinions) of results’ but that ‘this intervention activity needs to be have already been achieved commissioners, resulting implemented across other programmes in other genres, to before starting out as a in the hiring of the same replicate progress towards greater gender equality’ (ibid). freelancer. directors. As many of the barriers identified in the directing profession have also come to light in this study, I believe this model could 2) There is no uniform or Analysis of the consistent monitoring of work if replicated in a particular way across sound teams on Continuing the freelance workforce high-end drama. As one of the interviewees for this research throughout the industry. emphasised, credits are everything. In order to progress in Drama Beyond a trusted few, high-end drama and more high-end work generally, you need Directors there is a lack of to show you are capable of the job through having relevant awareness of a large credits on your CV. The only way to get the credits is by Scheme and number of highly someone giving you an opportunity, but as this research has qualified and already shown, there is often a reluctance from people in sound scheme experienced women hiring positions to give new or ‘unknown’ people a chance. proposal drama directors. When budgets are tight, and people are working under pressure, questions such as ‘What if they don’t understand In May 2014 Directors UK, 3) Gender stereotyping is the workflow?’ or ‘What if training them eats into already tight the professional association prevalent when hiring in deadlines and budgets?’ often become relevant to hiring of over 7,000 director specific genres in drama, decisions. members working with the factual and comedy. moving image in the UK, (Directors UK 2018) The risk needs to be eliminated for both the people in the released a report titled hiring positions and those participating in the scheme. By As a result of the report, the Who’s Calling the Shots following the example of the BBC Continuing Drama BBC, Screen Skills and (2014). This report was Directors’ Scheme I believe this could also work to diversify Directors UK set up the BBC widely reported in the media the post-production sound industry. Continuing Drama Directors’ at the time, especially in Scheme. The scheme Let us first consider how this scheme could work for those at industry circles (see The involves shadowing mid-career stage. If someone has already been actively European Women’s opportunities that result in working in the post-production sound industry for a certain Audiovisual network website tangible credits in drama amount of time, but in another genre (e.g. factual) they would [2014] as an example). The programming. The scheme already have most of the transferable knowledge and skills report showed a worrying is described on the Directors relevant to high-end drama production. The main knowledge decrease in the number of UK website and works in the they would be lacking is an understanding of the workflow. If a women employed over a following way: post-production sound scheme followed the BBC director two-year period specifically As part of their training, example and enabled someone to shadow the specific role in drama, entertainment and they are interested in for several episodes of a recurring comedy. They found women each director will observe and participate in the drama (in the role of a Dialogue Editor for example) they would directors were being gender gain an understanding of the workflow. This new knowledge stereotyped with the entire production process of an episode of a show, would be developed while they have someone there as a programmes they were support system; someone to whom they can ask questions or offered to direct, no women from pre to post- production, and will request guidance from. Having completed this phase, and had worked on many with their new understanding of the workflow, they would then popular dramas and ultimately take the helm for one full episode to gain be able to cut a full episode alone which they would receive a entertainment shows, and full credit for. I believe this approach would help in starting to ‘fast track credits’ which a directing credit. The scheme also offers the address the issue of lack of diversity in post-production sound allow progression to high roles across the industry. end productions were also, possibility of employment at the time, largely only after training, as there is If the role of the participant was funded through an available to men. an ambition for the series independent source, this could eliminate the risk for both to hire directors within sides- the person hiring and the person participating. That The problems women nine months for a full way the participant is not risking financial hardship while directors were encountering directorial commission if trying to progress their career; especially when the ability to in 2014 as revealed by the the director has shown participate in training without being paid immediately presents Directors UK report are that they can meet the barriers to those who are without economic resources to fall frustratingly similar to the standards required. back on. problems uncovered in this

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Another advantage is that As a result of the inflexibility We have to ask why the person hiring would not Research of existing hiring practices, emphasis in recent years has feel as if their budget were implications people from BAME been put on diversity in front being negatively impacted in backgrounds have felt the of the camera whereas any way. This may put off This research project has need to create their own post-production sound, some companies offering collected data relating to 36 companies in order to which accounts for 50% of a this opportunity. The top rated shows across six progress within the industry. TV show or film and is an participant would be broadcasters (BBC1, BBC2, There are no opportunities or integral part of the supported by their allocated ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, schemes currently available storytelling process, is industry mentor. This would Sky One) from the Autumn for training, or progression forgotten about? Recently , allow the production team to period of 2019. In total, there for post-production sound the UK’s Association of feel confident that the were 60 available sound freelancers, especially for Motion Picture Sound participant can achieve the roles across these shows those moving between short Engineers (AMPS) and the standards required and and these were undertaken form or factual into drama. US Motion Picture Sound expected of the show before by a total of 55 people. It Engineers (MPSE) and they take control of an has found that there is a lack episode. of racial diversity in male post-production sound crew. We have to ask why emphasis in The same scheme could In this sample only one man also be implemented for identified as mixed-race. The recent years has been put on entry level positions ensuring other 46 identified as white. that the industry has a more There is a lack of gender diversity in front of the camera diverse workforce diversity in the general whereas post-production sound, progressing for years to post-production sound come. Currently on bigger industry. In this sample six which accounts for 50% of a TV budget feature films, the role out of 55 people identified as of assistant still exists. It is women. There was only one show or film and is an integral where a lot of dialogue and Re-Recording Mixer who part of the storytelling process, sound effect editors learn identified as a woman. They their skills when starting out. worked only in factual TV. No is forgotten about? This scheme could enable women were working as new entrants to watch and Re-Recording Mixers in help more experienced Drama. Cinema Audio Society (CAS) editors, in a supported way, Conclusions wrote an open letter to to build up their skills and There are issues with Hollywood seeking screen experience. Currently the intersectional aspects of Having undertaken this credit changes to reflect only way to learn at entry identity. In this sample there research, it feels clear that parity with other key creative level is by getting one of the were no women of colour the same barriers are being professionals. few positions of runner and working in the 60 available faced across the board in hoping there are sound roles. In the sample of the creative industries. More Currently sound teams face opportunities to progress 55 people only three people training opportunities need being placed low down on within the company you are self-identified as having a to be provided to people at the end credit roller while working for, and eventually disability. None of the both entry and mid-career positions in picture-related become an assistant. identified disabilities required levels in order to ensure a departments appear much physical adjustments to a more diverse workforce, and higher. Productions such as The other way is to try and workplace. that the industry retains the Killing Eve (2018-) and the get one of the very limited skills of people who enter it. As with the findings of the documentary 100 Vaginas amount of sound assistant The responsibility now needs Directors UK research into (2019) are regularly lauded roles on feature films which to be placed on the directorial professions, as having diverse teams in often still require you to have broadcasters too, to decisions on hiring are terms of gender and some experience. We need introduce diversity influenced by the opinions, ethnicity. On closer to create more opportunities requirements on all or perceived opinions of inspection that diversity is at entry level. commissions, not just for people in project not achieved with post- talent in front of the camera, management roles. In a production sound teams. but in relation to post- risk-averse culture this production as well. results in the hiring of the same sound teams without opportunities for new entrants, or later on in mid-career professionals moving between genres.

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Until vital steps are taken, and hiring practices move References beyond simply ‘who you Broadcast (2019) The top consolidated shows for Q3 2019, 5 September. Available online at https://www. know’, it is unlikely the broadcastnow.co.uk/consolidated-ratings/the-top-consolidated-shows-for-q3-2019/5143867.article participation of women, accessed 9 October 2020 Black and minority ethnic Brook, Orian, David O’Brien and Mark Taylor (2018) Panic! Social Class, Taste and Inequalities in the sound professionals will Creative Industries report. Available online at https://createlondon.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ Panic-Social-Class-Taste-and-Inequalities-in-the-Creative-Industries1.pdf show any growth and accessed 1 September 2020 improvement in equality. Brook, Orian, David O’Brien and Mark Taylor (2020) Culture is bad for you: Inequality in the cultural and Furthermore, it is likely that creative industries, Manchester: Manchester University Press the stories highlighted in this Directors UK (2018) Who’s Calling the Shots? A Report on Gender Inequality Among Screen Directors research about the barriers Working in UK Television. Available online at https://d3gujhbyl1boep.cloudfront.net/ to career progression will uploads%2F1534498780256-1us01ik1t7s-53673fec300aa64609cd02b8619dca90%2FDirectors+UK+W ho%27s+Calling+the+Shots+August+2018+FINAL.pdf remain. accessed 17 September 2020 Di Stasio, Valentina and Anthony Heath (2019) Are Employers in Britain discriminating against ethnic minorities? Available online at http://csi.nuff.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Are-employers-in- Emma Butt is a sound Britain-discriminating-against-ethnic-minorities_final.pdf accessed 17 September 2020 editor who lives in London. European Women’s Audiovisual Network (2014) Women Directors: Who’s calling the shots? Available online at http://www.ewawomen.com/film-industry-articles/women-directors-who-s-calling-the-shots/ accessed 17 September 2020 Khan, Omar and Faiza Shaheen (2017) Minority Report: Race and Class in Post-Brexit Britain, Runnymede Trust. Available online at https://www.runnymedetrust.org/uploads/publications/pdfs/Race%20and%20 Representology Class%20Post-Brexit%20Perspectives%20report%20v5.pdf accessed 17 September 2020 takeaways Nwonka, Clive James (2020) Race and Ethnicity in the UK Film Industry: an analysis of the BFI Diversity Bringing greater standards, LSE, Available online at http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/105675/1/Race_and_Ethnicity_in_the_UK_ diversity to post- Film_Industry_An_Analysis_of_the_BFI_Diversiy_Standards_Report_SPREAD_PRINT_VERSION.pdf accessed 22 September 2020 production sound • Introduce more opportunities for training, mentoring and cross-genre work experience at PIMID Grants both entry level and Practitioners Investigating Media Industry Diversity mid-career. The Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity is offering 5 grants of up to • Challenge the £3K each in the current financial year to support short turnaround research. “who you know” The purpose of the PIMID research grants is to better inform policy and recruitment culture. practice that will address diversity deficits across different sectors of the • New entrant schemes media industry. should welcome The PIMID grants are open to media practitioners with a minimum of 5 years professional people of all ages. experience who wish to look more closely at the challenges and opportunities in their • Broadcasters should own sector. Each successful applicant will be teamed with an academic mentor and the insist on diversity research will need to be completed by May 31st 2021. targets for post- We would expect the research to take 4 weeks full time or 8-12 weeks part time. The production as a findings would be considered for publication in the journal Representology. condition of all new To apply, please email Professor Diane Kemp, Director of the Centre commissions. ([email protected]) with a brief outline of: • Credits matter – offer 1. The central question you would like to address and evidence of why it is important shadowing and now training opportunities 2. The aim and methodology of your proposed research that result in tangible 3. Your current role, your qualifications and experience relevant to the proposal credits. 4. How you hope your research might inform wider and more effective participation in • Emulate the particular roles and sectors of the media industry methodology of tried 5. Two professional referees who may be contacted in relation to your application and tested diversity The closing date for applications is January 29th 2021. initiatives such as the Your application will be considered by the Board of the Sir Lenny Henry Centre and you Continuing Drama can expect a response within 3 weeks of the closing date. Directors’ Scheme.

21 REPRESENTOLOGY THE JOURNAL OF MEDIA AND DIVERSITY The future of diversity regulation in the UK broadcast industry - models and ownership

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By Dr Peter L. Block

Should Ofcom continue to regulate diversity in the UK broadcast industry? In light of growing criticism of Ofcom as a diversity regulator, the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity commissioned Dr Peter Block, a former CEO of the Broadcast Equality & Training Regulator (BETR), to examine Ofcom’s history and effectiveness in improving workforce diversity and to consider what alternative models might work better in the future.

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This research paper was Abstract Introduction prompted by Professor The legislative This research, Improvement in the diversity David Olusoga’s MacTaggart framework to lecture (Olusoga 2020) commissioned by the of the UK broadcast industry workforce to reflect the delivered to the Edinburgh monitor Sir Lenny Henry Centre communities it serves has Television Festival in 2020. diversity for Media Diversity, been an unwritten target His criticism of Ofcom examines the matter of across the sector key for provided the inspiration for The Communications Act this research and its terms of 2003 requires Ofcom: diversity regulation in almost 20 years. It was a matter enshrined in law with reference: …to take the steps it the UK broadcast the Communications Act When our industry has considers appropriate to industry. The findings 2003, later embodied by the made big structural promote equality of are captured in six establishment of the changes in the past its opportunity between men models of diversity Broadcast Training & Skills success or failure has and women, people of Regulator (BTSR) in 2005 different racial groups and clustered under the been measured and and renamed as the accessed by our industry for disabled people, in three themes of: Ofcom Broadcast Training & Skills regulator - Ofcom. But relation to employment relinquishing the Regulator (BETR) in 2009. when it comes to diversity and training by the obligation; Ofcom The BETR was dissolved by Ofcom has a history of television and radio Ofcom in 2010. In 2016 the broadcasters it regulates continuing to manage giving the broadcasters a matter of workforce diversity clean bill of health, or at (Ofcom 2019b). the process or Ofcom was explicitly written into the worst a cursory note that To that end, UK licensed devolving the matter to renewal of the BBC Charter they could do better, but television and radio (DCMS 2016: 7). As part of with no consequences an independent agency. broadcasters must, as a the Charter renewal, Ofcom attached or even This paper explains the condition of their licences, became the external suggestions as to what make arrangements for rationale for arriving at regulator of the BBC on all better would look like. aspects of its work, promoting equal these models and what Just as there is a historic including matters of diversity opportunities and, in making this means for the lack of trust towards the (Ofcom 2020a). and reviewing those future of diversity broadcasters, Ofcom, I am arrangements, must have regulation in the UK sad to say, lacks credibility regard to any relevant and trust among many broadcast industry. guidance published by Black and Asian Ofcom. programme makers. If The expectation was that by Ofcom is not able or not monitoring and collating willing to hold the industry workforce data on gender, accountable on diversity race and disability from the and inclusion, or able to licence holders with more use its power to set than 20 staff it would shine a minimum standards, then light on the lack of diversity Despite a long list of initiatives, the DCMS should set up a within the industry. It was new body willing to do so projects and incentives devised anticipated that reporting on (ibid). to improve the diversity of the this matter would stimulate Despite a long list of change to improve the UK creative industries, the initiatives, projects and situation. Ofcom initially incentives devised to reported on the workforce workforce still fails to reflect the improve the diversity of the data gathered from the diversity of the wider population. UK creative industries, the broadcasters. In 2005 workforce still fails to reflect Ofcom handed the matter the diversity of the wider over to the BTSR to monitor population. As Professor the training and skills David Olusoga’s lecture component. In 2009 the indicates there is the BTSR, renamed BETR when perception that Ofcom has the BTSR picked up the not been able to successfully remit of monitoring equal opportunities. It was closed Key words: diversity, regulate the broadcasters down by Ofcom in 2010 as a Ofcom, regulation, when it comes to diversity. consequence of the broadcast industry, incoming government. obligation

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The model the BETR applied combined quantitative data on require codes of practice to the workforce along with a maturity model that captured Terminology be agreed by all parties and qualitative data. A maturity model evaluates progress on a and definitions the sanctions – from hierarchy of statements mapped to a set of attributes. In this remedial actions, fines and case the model mapped 22 attributes of diversity inclusion, of regulation in the final analysis removal training and skills. This approach provided a snapshot of the of the right to conduct The last piece of scene progress broadcasters were making to improve the diversity business. setting concerns matters of of their workforce. It also captured their training and staff terminology, definitions and Regulatory models in both development programmes which underpinned their efforts to theory that relate to theory and practice indicate improve the diversity of that workforce (BETR 2010 & BTSR regulation in general and that a co-regulatory or 2006). diversity regulation in self-regulatory model can With the incoming Cameron government of 2010, Ofcom particular. Dacko and Hart result in greater stakeholder closed down the BETR with the expectation that the relevant produced a helpful treatise engagement. However, the clauses of the Communications Act 2003 would be revoked. on media regulation (Dacko ‘challengers’ to the status Ofcom took no action on the matter of diversity or training & Hart 2005: 2-17). At the quo do need some within the UK television and radio industry until 2016. Under time Martin Hart was an convincing that the process pressure from a number of stakeholders Ofcom was obliged employee of Ofcom and their of implied light touch to set up some form of diversity monitoring and regulation. In analysis resonates well with regulation delivers results. 2016 Ofcom restarted its annual monitoring of diversity in the this current work. They BECTU was quite clear in its television and radio industries and to date has published suggest that there are four opposition to co-regulation three annual diversity monitoring reports (Ofcom 2017a, archetypal models of during the Ofcom 2017b, 2018, 2019a). The fourth report that amalgamated UK regulation. These are: consultation on the matter licensed television and radio broadcasters into a single Regulation: ‘a state (BECTU 2005). The demise document was published in November 2020. Despite this intervention in a private of the BETR was applauded renewed focus by the regulator on diversity in the industry sphere of activity to realize by some as it represented there have been many critical voices, such as Sir Lenny public purposes’ (Francis too much of the light touch Henry (Fullerton 2017) and Marcus Ryder, demanding that 1993), ‘…having the regulation. The measure of Ofcom should be more robust on this matter. More recently components of legislation, any regulatory system is that Professor David Olusoga in his 2020 McTaggart lecture enforcement, and it delivers on its vision and argued that Ofcom needs to do more or allow another adjudication—deciding targets. Any new or revised organisation to pick up the mantle to hold the industry to whether a violation has system requires time to bed account. taken place and imposing an in and gain acceptance. Key appropriate sanction’ to acceptance will be the The stakeholders and the (Campbell 1998: 711); oversight by a management Statutory regulation: ‘… board to whom the policy network mandated or restricted by operational team reports, government rules, enforced This research interviewed 11 stakeholders and their insights consisting of trusted industry through legal penalties’ and comments informed the recommended models for voices. Ofcom indicates that (Boddewyn 1992); Co- diversity regulation presented in this paper. For the purposes the current approach regulation: ‘…self-regulatory of this research those interviewed or contacted for an opinion launched in 2016 to schemes that are backed up were classified as incumbents, challengers and independent monitoring diversity is a by some statutory force’ was voices. The incumbents represented Ofcom and the Cultural five-year plan. Unfortunately, the model for the BTSR / Diversity Network (CDN), the challengers were drawn from this is not published as a BETR and self-regulation: the Campaign for Broadcasting Equality, the BAME TV Task strategic plan. A model that ‘…the voluntary control of Force, the Coalition for change, the TV Collective along with predominantly relies on data business conduct and Professor David Olusoga. The independent sources included gathering from which performance by a business representatives from the Employment and Human Rights recommendations are itself’ (ibid). Commission (EHRC), the BETR / BTSR, the European developed appears on the Platform of Regulatory Authorities (EPRA) and CAMEo a The options ranging from face of it a passive reactive media research group at Leicester University. These self-regulation to regulation process. interviews provided a picture of the diversity policy indicate a hierarchy of Whatever form diversity communities within the UK broadcast industry. The interviews transfer of the levers of regulation takes, the also contributed an understanding of the stance taken by the control from internal to Department for Business, different interest groups. Although three individuals external management. All Energy and Industrial representing stakeholder organisations declined or did not four models require the trust Strategy (DBEIS) states that respond to a request for a call, it made no material impact on of the stakeholders of any any regulation should be: the recommendations presented in this paper.1 organisation charged with transparent, accountable, overseeing the process. All proportionate, consistent parties have to sign up to and targeted – only at cases the process and the models

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where action is needed • Ofcom dataset drawn from its 2020 annual report that (DBEIS 2020). An approach combined diversity data from television and radio that is acceptable by all broadcasters with more that 100 full time UK based staff stakeholders needs to be (Ofcom 2020b) managed and delivered by a • Project Diamond – the ‘three cuts’ plus the more detailed skilled team applying analysis released during this research (CDN 2018, 2019, justifiable interventions that 2020) are based on trust, • DCMS economic estimates for the Creative Industries up independence and effective to 2018 along with the use of an economic estimates tool sanctions. It should not be on the DCMS website (DCMS 2019 & 2020) just another ‘cost to do business’ data gathering • BFI Employment in the film industry requests of the ONS exercise. Good regulation and collated in its reports (BFI 2019) should go beyond the notion • ScreenSkills, Government Equalities Office and academic of the ‘stick’ but provide a research sources supportive engagement with • Various ONS Freedom of Information (FOI) data requests those being regulated. from the Greater London Authority and other independent The first step in this research researchers, of which, the data tables remain in the public was to review the literature domain on the ONS site, and finally, that has examined workforce • Searches using Nomis (Nomis online), the ONS service diversity in the broadcast that provides current UK labour market statistics industry and the data models that describe the The CI data as presented by the agencies cited above gives size and composition of the rise to issues that make it easy to misunderstand, and sector. according to the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), possibly misuse the data (OSR 2018). There is a degree of ambiguity over the composition of the workforce within the Creative creative industries as it comprises those deemed to have a Industries (CI) creative job and those who are non-creative. data matters With the exception of the ONS, the Ofcom dataset should be the most reliable source within the television industry. The matter of confidence in However, changes in the datasets over the period 2016 -20, the industry’s data requires and the format and style of presentation makes it difficult for particular attention. even the informed reader to set each Ofcom report in context Definitive data about the with its predecessor. It is argued that there is on the face of it broadcast workforce is a lack of transparency on the data and the actions taken by essential to enable any Ofcom to engage and challenge individual broadcasters. An meaningful analysis of the integrated database is needed for the independent researcher industry (Block 2020). and analyst to access. Furthermore, there is little to suggest Robust, reliable, transparent that any changes in gender balance or BAME diversity are as and consistent data is a consequence of any industry wide interventions and not needed to monitor changes due to individual broadcasters’ efforts to change their in the industry workforce. practices and their support for an individual’s development. For this review a high-level The data suggests that the television industry is at best just scan of key data sources tracking the changes across the wider industrial base. was conducted along with In its reports Ofcom take as its datum line the national figure papers that have referenced of 12% BAME in the UK workforce. In the creative industries the data. It included: (particularly in London) this is closer to 20%. This review of • The Ofcom dataset the industry data gives rise to three recommendations for 2016/17 to 2019 drawn improved reporting. There need to be clearly delineated data from its three annual models for the creative industries which avoid the ambiguities reports and methodology of the current framework. Defining and reporting on an documents on diversity in audio-visual (AV) sector could be a step in the right direction. both television and radio Secondly, Ofcom in partnership with the ONS should produce (Ofcom 2019c) an annual definitive industry benchmark dataset for the AV sector overall along with specific data on the Film, TV and Radio workforces. Other reports make similar calls. but further research is required. Thirdly, all research should validate labour market data on the creative industries by triangulating third party findings with ONS data.

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Collective and Women in regulators indicate that this The academic Film & Television (WFTV) fall Regulation in is a national matter and not literature into that category. Transform the European their role (ERGA 2018). There was defined as sector are a few exceptions with Much has been written practice to remove barriers Community the UK and Ofcom a case in about the creative industries to more equal participation and a global point. The Comisión workforce; particularly about is exemplified by the BFI Nacional de los Mercados y those working in the film and Diversity standards, perspective la Competencia (CNMC) in television industries. This Diamond and the work of Spain is required to ‘adopt By way of comparison, an research examined 42 Ofcom to monitor the sector. all necessary measures so analysis of EU media studies and reports from The CAMEo that audio-visual service regulatory bodies was 2005 to 2020 that offer recommendations inform the providers comply with the conducted along with a insights into the UK regulatory options put legal framework’. CNMC review of relevant broadcast industry. It covers forward in this research. publishes an annual report. international Public Service academic research that is PSBs across the EU report The academic literature Broadcast (PSB) companies. sponsored and independent, more ‘stringent requirements indicates that the industry is Within the EU Ofcom is the independent research to improve gender data rich but information only media regulator with an groups and think tanks, representation’ (Jones 2018: poor. There has been a great explicit remit to address sector-based organisations, 19). EU regulators and other emphasis on monitoring and diversity and training. On the international comparisons gathering quantitative data matter of diversity, the The global perspective is plus third-party research that measures but limited focus European Platform of exemplified by the Australian cite the media sector along on practical interventions Regulatory Authorities Broadcasting Corporation with other sectors. and qualitative research. (EPRA) and the European (ABC) and Canadian Some academic studies Regulators Group for Broadcasting Corporation For over 15 years, various have referred to this situation Audiovisual Media Services (CBC). These are both academic research groups as an empty shell (Block (ERGA) try to avoid any noteworthy because ABC have examined the matter of 2017). There is a danger of direct overlap. For European provides a clear presentation inclusion and diversity in the insufficient information to regulators, the focus is on of data and targets, while creative industries. The enable change. The focus on gender both on and off CBC makes it easy to find all CAMEo Evidence Review monitoring the industry screen. France in particular data tables and view (CAMEo 2018) collated 80 addresses the what but not monitors the representation progress against plan. research studies on diversity enough about the why and of women. that had examined film, how to change it. This is television, animation, video evidenced by the number of games and visual effects initiatives, pledges, There is a danger of insufficient (VFX) industries published guidebooks and projects set between 2012 and 2016. 34 up by the industry to information to enable change. were academic articles, 40 address the issues of the were industry reports and six lack of diversity. As the The focus on monitoring the were a mix of books, book CAMEo Review notes ‘The industry addresses the what but chapters, and other sources. UK Screen Sector devotes By coincidence, the CAMEo significant resources to not enough about the why and review identified 42 reproducing at best documents that focused on unproven intervention how to change it. the television industry of strategies’ (CAMEo 2018: 7). which interventions to However, the broad sweep The matter of ethnic diversity In analysing diversity increase diversity were of findings and has much to do with the initiatives both home and mentioned by 26 studies. recommendations from the terms of reference for abroad the conclusion has to The CAMEo Review noted academic community have broadcasting regulators and be that the industry devotes two forms of interventions changed little over the their perceived ‘significant resources to discussed in the literature: to period from the earliest competences. The majority unproven strategies’ that in empower or transform. reports up to now (Randle & of media regulators in the ‘majority of cases little Empower was defined Wing-Fai 2018). enhancing an individual’s Europe are responsible for real measurement of the capacity to enter and issues of on-screen effectiveness of these progress within existing representation but not for initiatives’ is apparent (ibid industry pathways. In this off-screen diversity issues 24). research the efforts of the TV (Jones 2018). 19 out of 31

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In the Parker Review Update …the BTSR represents an Independent it was noted that the target audacious attempt by the research of ‘One by 2021’ – one Broadcasting industry to BAME member on a keep its advantage. It is A great deal has been FTSE100 or 250 board was audacious because it is a written on the issue of unlikely to be met (Parker co-regulatory body, diversity and inclusion (D&I) 2020). The FT report from designed to bring together across all the dimensions of 2019, Striving for Inclusion, training and development workforce inequality and ranks the top 700 European expertise from within and employment sectors in the companies. This places Sky outside the industry, and UK – public and private. This as the highest ranked media designed to work with the paper shows that the company at 113, the BBC at industry in raising its broadcast industry is no 403 and Channel 4 at 409 training and development exception and has the (Boulton 2019). A reader game (BTSR 2006). attention of academics, think might be forgiven for 2005 – 2010: The Broadcast tanks and industry insiders. concluding that this is not a Training & Skills Regulator While the moral imperative great testament to change, (BTSR) and the Broadcast for tackling D&I is well made, given the public Equality & Training the UK broadcast industry of pronouncements and Regulator (BETR) television and radio, along implied efforts by the two with its fellow traveller the PSB organisations. The ambition of the co- film industry, still struggles to regulatory approach was to increase workforce diversity. build a partnership model The history of focusing on development diversity and improvement. The BTSR The diversity hub on the Ofcom set up a media national regulation in training award, aligned the site is a passive repository of the UK broadcasters’ returns with the ‘Investors in People’ documents with minimal sign- broadcast programme and held an posting. There is no evidence of industry annual conference at BAFTA. The objective of this its use or of feedback from 2003 – 2005: Complying approach was to use the with the Communications data gathered as an impetus users. Act 2003 to stimulate change. Another Initially Ofcom gathered data aim was to share best practice and support The Chartered Institute of and reported in general broadcasters who were Personnel & Development terms on the composition of struggling to make a (CIPD) states ‘Given all this the broadcasters. difference. A mentoring attention, it is perhaps Broadcasters were scheme was set up based surprising that we find little specifically required to report on a portfolio of case discussion of evidence on their training and studies. Initially the BTSR ‘what works’ in diversity. Or development priorities and focused on training & skills more precisely, what programmes. No-one was (T&S) and in 2009 reported strategies and practices happy with the situation. It on workforce diversity. The seem to be the best bet for did not deliver any value to final report from the renamed increasing workplace the broadcasters and was BETR was published in diversity and inclusion’ not a process to stimulate 2010. (CIPD 2019). change in the industry. 2010 – 2016: Ofcom took Green Park Leadership Following consultation with no action to monitor or 10,000 notes the accidental the industry, the proposal for issue guidance to D&I improvement through a co-regulator embodied in broadcasters company listing changes the Broadcast Training and and concludes that business Skills Regulator (BTSR) was During this period, the leaders need to: ‘tone down accepted by the Ofcom requirement to take action meaningless rhetoric’ (Green Content Board. It was over diversity was set aside Park 2018 & 2019). endorsed by the Main board: by Ofcom in the expectation the matter would be revoked by the 2010 Cameron Government. The literature review for this project attests

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that Ofcom along with most Ofcom also aimed to The ONS data indicates that the creative industries in London EU media regulators examine the steps have almost 20% of their workforce drawn from the BAME considered equal broadcasters were taking to community and this is a more realistic measure. The Ofcom opportunities (EO) and monitor and improve annual data request removed ‘board/non-execs (NEDs)’ from training & skills (T&S) a diversity. The first report was the job level categories in 2018, 2019 and 2020. It is argued national issue. However, published in 2017. by Ofcom there is insufficient (robust) quantitative data to campaigns by some of the report on. stakeholders interviewed for Diversity Ofcom makes the case that non-executive directors (NEDs) this study were making it are not ‘employed’ by the organisation. This should be difficult for Ofcom to regulation challenged – or be made a condition to be a NED that the continue to ignore the matter today composition in aggregate form is made public. Independent (Chapman 2014). reports such as McGregor-Smith’s Race in the Workplace Turning to the current In 2015 Ofcom was obliged highlight that change at the top is vital (McGregor-Smith situation, in 2020 there are to act as the duty to offer 2017). The summary section of the 2020 report notes that three key reporting systems; guidance on workforce ‘Broadcasters (TV and Radio combined) appear to be Diamond, the BFI diversity diversity was not removed employing a greater proportion of women (48%) minority standards and Ofcom’s from the Communications ethnic people (14%) and disabled people (7%) in the UK than diversity monitoring annual Act 2003 post the BETR they did last year’ (Ofcom 2020b 3). This is a nebulous report. This paper focuses closure. The joint project assertion and hard to validate from the data offered to the on Ofcom’s approach. It is with the EHRC Thinking reader. There is no clarity on how Project Diamond informs argued as a matter of outside the Box publication, Ofcom’s efforts – Ofcom’s 2019 report mis-quotes double opinion that an examination revised in 2019, was disability (sic) – not double diversity. There is no detail on how of Ofcom’s current considered (certainly by the broadcasters’ diversity interventions are assessed and regulatory framework (2016 EHRC) a ‘first step’ in the validated. This research questions what quantitative - 2019) reveals a lack of process of engaging with the measures are used to assess these qualitative interventions. transparency. Although the issue of diversity in the The Ofcom report draws our attention to a diversity advisory additional data provided by sector (EHRC 2019). panel who were consulted by Sharon White (Ofcom CEO till Ofcom to support its 2020 2019), and their membership and role are not published. No 2016 - 2020: Ofcom (re) report through the on-line reference is made to this panel in the 2020 report. launches its diversity tool (Ofcom 2020c) is very monitoring framework helpful, the matter remains a The recommendations of Ofcom’s diversity report 2019 do The intention by Ofcom was challenge to unpack. In 2020 not appear to have been explicitly discussed at the Ofcom to collect a range of only, those broadcasters Content Board (160 1/10/19) which reported that it had information regarding the with over 100 staff were ‘updated and discussed a wide range of topics’ (Ofcom diversity of people employed assessed due to the 2019e). In addition, nothing regarding diversity was carried by broadcasters: pandemic and the forward from the Content Board in February 2020 to the Main understandable pressures on Board that met in September 2020. The refreshed diversity Ofcom is to launch an staff at the smaller hub on the Ofcom site is a passive repository of documents annual monitoring scheme companies to submit data to with minimal sign-posting. There is no evidence of its use or designed to hold Ofcom. of feedback from users. broadcasters to account on diversity. The move The complexity of sizing the Ofcom argues that the monitoring and the improved dataset was announced by Sharon workforce in the UK are having an impact. This research suggests that any White, the regulator’s broadcast industry has been change has tracked the wider industrial landscape reported CEO, speaking in London already highlighted. This elsewhere – the cause and effect not due to Ofcom’s at a debate on diversity raises a number of issues intervention. An improved or more complete dataset is not organised by Ofcom and regarding Ofcom’s data necessarily an indicator of change but a greater response Sky. White said: “We will model. It uses the national from the industry. The improvement by four percentage be looking at diversity Labour Market Intelligence points(pp) from 2016 to 2019 still leaves 16% unknown or not data across the (LMI) figure of 12% BAME as disclosed, and this still raises questions about the confidence broadcasters we regulate a performance baseline level in the dataset. An inspection of the data drawn from this helping us to get the most (ONS 2018). Ofcom notes subset of the UK broadcast industry workforce for the 2020 comprehensive picture yet that the London workforce report still shows 12% not collected not disclosed data gap of how well each has a minority ethnic group in the television industry, with 6% for radio. Although the broadcaster is doing. This (MEG) of 35% and 31% in Ofcom 2020 report notes the lack of progress and is an important step Manchester, the two cities underrepresentation of those drawn from minority ethnic towards greater where ‘most broadcasters groups (MEG) to senior management (8%); it does not transparency and greater are based’. highlight the significant data gap of 18% not collected, not accountability” (Clarke reported within this senior management cohort. 2016).

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Furthermore, given that this notice of the possible Employment and Human (B) Ofcom manages report is from companies imposition of a statutory Rights Commission 3. Ofcom ‘light touch’ with 100 or more staff, it sanction for breaching its (EHRC) to lead as the Diversity & Inclusion would be expected that requirement to report on the counterfactual model. In (D&I) these companies have diversity of its workforce in this option regulation is This approach maintains effective workforce HR 2017 and 2018 (Ofcom provided by the EHRC the ‘as is’ model where systems for data gathering. 2019f 19). based on the public duty Ofcom retains the light This matter requires more requirement that the BBC touch D&I regulatory investigation by Ofcom. and the other PSBs Findings and function of the annual implicitly have to comply Ofcom has focused on its monitoring process. regulatory with. The EHRC could obligation to monitor However, it needs to be intervene on the basis diversity but not training & options more rigorous in following that the PSBs have a skills. There are numerous up on its annual reports public duty and employ reports to indicate that to do Data models and to be more robust in between them the the first, you need the There need to be clearly requiring compliance from majority of employees in second. This is a lost delineated data models for the licence holders with the sector. It could also opportunity to encourage, the creative industries its recommendations and look at the supply chain support, and if needed, hold workforce. The models reporting on the matter. of Independent to account the licence should avoid the ambiguities A significant aspect of production companies holders. of the current framework. any monitoring system is (The ‘Indies’) and non- Defining and reporting on an the skillset of the Evaluation is a key enabler qualifying suppliers to the audiovisual sector would be regulatory team. Ofcom to effect change. A matter broadcasters. It removes a step in the right direction. could continue to gather that Ofcom recognises in its the ambiguity of Ofcom in partnership with the data but devolve the latest report: regulatory ownership, as the ONS should produce qualitative evaluation of previously stated an This year, we asked annual definitive industry the broadcasters’ efforts obligation unique to the broadcasters to describe benchmark datasets for to an independent UK. A team at EHRC how they evaluated their Film, TV, Radio and AV. All assessment by D&I and could take a watching most successful initiatives research should validate Training & Skills brief over the UK and actions. We are labour market data on the specialists. This external Broadcast industry and disappointed that creative industries and team could provide the be more robust in generally broadcasters did sub-sectors by triangulating supportive function to following up on the not provide a detailed third party findings with ONS assist organisations in expectations set in the response to this question, data. their development of Thinking Out of the Box beyond noting outcomes policy to improve diversity publication. against targets. This is a The future of diversity and inclusion. barrier to demonstrating regulation 2. The whistleblower 4. Ofcom diversity the transparency and The options set out below Although not directly regulation with a focus accountability which our fall under three themes; (A) related to this study, on leadership and supply diversity monitoring and Ofcom relinquishes, (B) interviewees in the chain reporting aims to increase Ofcom manages or (C) challenger group made it (Ofcom 2020b 26). This is as model 3 for Ofcom devolves. None are clear that many media data monitoring with the mutually exclusive and workers not only feel There is a need for Ofcom to addition of gathering elements within each could discriminated against but hold broadcasters to information on training form part of a final disenfranchised and account on the evaluation of and skills along the lines propositio. unsupported. This is more their diversity and inclusion of the work conducted by (A) Ofcom relinquishes the keenly felt if they are not programmes. Ofcom asserts the BTSR. Once again, an obligation members of BECTU. that it will ‘Take enforcement independent validation Alongside the EHRC role action against those 1. The national diversity and inspection body is the need for a media broadcasters who did not model should be appointed by respond to our request for workers ombudsman to There is a case to be Ofcom to review and information’ (ibid). According protect the whistleblower. made that despite the validate the published to the document linked to This would be set up as Communications Act reports by broadcasters the Ofcom 2020 report It an independent arbitrator 2003 and the matter of and to follow up on its would seem that only one on matters above and diversity being written into recommendations to the company has been put on beyond the EHRC remit. the BBC Charter that this broadcasters. The focus is not for Ofcom to could be on ‘great places regulate. However, it is a to work’ using a matter for the performance framework similar to the Teaching

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Excellence Framework companies that have an It does not require a large team to manage and deliver diversity (TEF), there are other Ofcom licence. With the regulation in the UK broadcast industry. What is needed is a models to reference. The fragmentation of the supportive board and an advisory panel that can bring key factor is that it is a sector there is a case to expertise to support an effective administrative team. In measure specific to the be made that it should addition, all models need sufficient funds to call upon the organisation. The number gather evidence from all services of qualified contractors at particular periods in the of poor performers should licence holders and all reporting cycle. This would include: a data analyst to be published. Data on suppliers who employ 20 interrogate and present the data from the broadcasters whilst board composition, NEDs or more UK based staff cross referencing it with data from the ONS; a small team of and senior management (circa 43 companies) or D&I specialists who can inspect, validate and assist the efforts to be published in the are subsidiaries of of the broadcasters to meet the specific and general Ofcom report would go international groups. It recommendations made by the regulator, and workshop some way to address the would also gather data on facilitators to run developmental workshops possibly in concerns of some the freelancers employed partnership with ScreenSkills and CDN. stakeholders and hold the across the sector. With the exception of the first two regulatory models, with broadcasters to account. 6. The digital media Ofcom handing over the remit to a third party and the ‘as is’ Reports across all sectors regulator model, the requirement to staff and resource a regulator is highlight the need for broadly the same at about £150,000 per year. Under the diverse leadership and In a radical shift from the co-regulatory model of the BETR the funding was provided by that changes at the top of demarcation between the the broadcasters in proportion to their size. The smaller organisations are an broadcast industry and organisations, particularly small radio stations, were not indicator of a wider film this option would required to contribute. transformation. establish a single regulator that incorporates all efforts (C) Ofcom devolves to date from Ofcom, BFI, Addressing outstanding issues, 5. Co-regulation redux PACT, and CDN. Bar the - beyond compliance incumbents, stakeholders questions and further research This option is about the expressed the view that Whatever the model of diversity regulation to emerge from development of a the efforts to date to this current debate, it does need to be framed by a clear set diversity regulator as a address the lack of of requirements, tasks and targets. Even if it remains an partnership between diversity in the sector are internal entity within Ofcom it needs to be clearly broadcasters, Ofcom and in silos. This approach differentiated from other departments at Ofcom. It needs to EHRC. It will apply an recognises the paradox of operate as a free-standing regulator. fragmentation of the amalgam of quantitative There is a need for Ofcom to demonstrate how it has industry while at the same and qualitative measures followed up on its recommendations in its diversity reports to time having concentration to fully evaluate the date and develop a quantitative evaluation tool. It is not clear of powers. It is an broadcasters. Research why Ofcom dropped gathering data on training and skills, aspirational model for the shows that monitoring is which would have indicated the action taken by broadcasters sector to develop over the not sufficient to stimulate to develop their workforce, including explicit actions over next two to three years. and encourage change. diversity and inclusion. It has already been stated that a Evaluation is the key to self-evaluation maturity model can provide an effective encouraging and Indicative cost quantitative tool to gather qualitative data on an supporting change. This organisation’s progress in improving D&I. approach underpinned models the BETR model with a It is not usual to provide a Although this research has proposed six regulatory National Training Award, cost model in a study of this frameworks, there are many matters of scope and powers alignment with Investors nature. However, this project that require further discussion. For example, should the in People and co- is all about the practical regulator set targets with each broadcaster? mentoring based on a realities of delivering an This also raises the issue about defining diversity within the portfolio of case studies. effective diversity regulator. sector. There is a need for further research on this matter. There should be a The staffing and However, as an interim measure more could be added to the focused push at the management of this Ofcom document Guidance: Diversity in Broadcasting leadership of the industry regulatory function are key to (Ofcom 2019d). to be exemplars who its success. The impression demonstrate change. This gathered in this research is On data gathering, there is a need to have further research to would be an independent that the current arrangements establish an agreed data model for the sector that can be body established by for diversity regulation as used by all interested parties. For the regulator, should data Ofcom to deliver on its managed by Ofcom are not on production supply companies, contractors and freelancers remit. It would cover all given sufficient resources. be gathered as part of the annual data gathering exercise? who broadcast, supply

and work to those

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BTSR (2006) People Closing remarks Notes Development reports 2005, submitted to BTSR in: Bock, 1 The complete list is available There is a view across the UK television and radio industries Peter, ed., London: Broadcast in the full report on the Sir that Ofcom has not been effective in delivering on its diversity Training and Skills Regulator Lenny Henry Centre for (BTSR) remit. Whilst the greater transparency of the 2020 report is to Media Diversity website: be welcomed many issues remain unclear, particularly how https://bcuassets.blob.core. CAMEo (2018) Workforce Ofcom intends to hold the broadcasters to account. There is windows.net/docs/ Diversity in the UK Screen a need for Ofcom to engage in the D&I agenda proactively the-future-of-diversity- Sector: Evidence Review, regulation-in-uk-broadcast- and strategically with transparent reporting and engagement Leicester: CAMEo Research industry-lhc- Institute with the sector; to go beyond monitoring. It needs to set out final-132514701634666207. clear ambitions for the industry, with KPIs for itself and the pdf Campbell, Angela, J (1998) broadcasters. It needs to allocate sufficient resources, Self-regulation and the media, Federal Communications Law processes, and systems to encourage change in the industry. Journal, Vol. 51, No. 3, Article 11, This could be achieved through qualitative developmental References pp. 711-772 tools and research. The combination of a D&I maturity model BECTU (2005) Response from Chapman, Alexandra (2014) that records progress coupled with targeted evaluation of the Broadcasting Entertainment Ofcom blasted over diversity, interventions at the company and sector level would provide Cinematograph & Theatre Union Broadcast, 12 June. Available a more rounded picture of the industry and stimulate change. to Ofcom’s proposals for online at https://www. This regulatory function should go beyond Ofcom licence co-regulation of equal broadcastnow.co.uk/ofcom- blasted-over-diversity/5073057. holders if it is going to address the many concerns voiced by opportunities, BECTU. Also available online at https://www. article, accessed 25 November stakeholders such as Professor David Olusoga and Sir Lenny ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/ 2020 Henry. pdf_file/0025/32785/bectu.pdf, CIPD (2019) Gifford, Jonny et al, accessed 25 November 2020 Diversity management that BETR (2010) Equal Opportunities works: an evidence-based view, Report 2009, in: Block, Peter, London: Chartered Institute of ed., BTSR Reports, London: Personnel and Development. Broadcast Equality & Training Available online at https://www. Dr Peter Block is an independent media researcher, Regulator cipd.co.uk/Images/7926- diversity-and-inclusion-report- academic and consultant with a special interest in BFI (2019) BFI Film Education, revised_tcm18-65334.pdf, Industry and Employment 2018, government skills policies and the career development of accessed 25 November 2020 creative media workers. London: British Film Institute. Also available online at https:// CDN (2017) Williams, Deborah www2.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org. ed., Diamond - The first cut, uk/files/downloads/bfi-film- London: Creative Diversity education-and-industry- Network. Available online at employment-2018-12-12.pdf, http://creativediversitynetwork. accessed 25 November 2020 com/diversity-in-practice/ resources/diamond-the-first- Block, Peter (2017) The empty cut-pdf/, accessed 25 November shell of EO policies in media 2020 firms, emma 2017, Porto: emma CDN (2018) Williams, Deborah Block, Peter (2020) How people ed., Diamond - the second cut, successfully get in and get on in London: Creative Diversity the UK broadcast television Network. Available online at industry: implications for skills http://creativediversitynetwork. policymakers, PhD, University of com/wp-content/ Westminster uploads/2018/12/ Boddewyn, Jean, J (1992) Global TheDiamondReport_ perspectives on advertising TheSecondCut_2018-FINAL. Representology takeaways self-regulation: Principles and pdf, accessed 25 November practices in thirty-eight countries, 2020 What does a fit media regulator do to improve Westport CT, USA: Quorum CDN (2019) Williams, Deborah Books workforce diversity? ed., Diamond - the third cut, • Defines diversity and identifies what types of Boulton, Leyla (2019) Striving for London: Cultural Diversity under-representation need to be addressed. inclusion: top European Network. Available online at companies ranked, Financial http://creativediversitynetwork. • Ensures reliable diversity data collection is Times, 20 November. Available com/wp-content/ standardised across the media industry. online at: https://www.ft.com/ uploads/2020/02/CDN_ content/bd1b4158-09a7-11ea- Diamond_25Feb.pdf, accessed • Sets targets that will effectively address diversity bb52-34c8d9dc6d84, accessed 25 November 2020 deficits across different jobs and sectors. 25 November 2020 • Investigates and holds accountable those media organisations who fail to comply. • Is itself transparent and publicly accountable.

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CDN (2020) Williams, Deborah EHRC (2019) Thinking outside Jones, Jessica (2018) Achieving ONS (2018) Labour Market ed., Race and Ethnic Diversity: a the box: supporting the television greater diversity in broadcasting Report Workforce jobs by deep dive into Diamond data, industry to increase diversity, - special focus on gender; industry 2018, London: Office for London: Creative Diversity London: The Equality and Human Benefits and best practice National statistics. Available Network. Available online at Rights Commission and Ofcom. approaches, Comparative online at https://www.ons.gov. https://creativediversitynetwork. Available online at: https://www. background paper, presented 7th uk/ com/wp-content/ equalityhumanrights.com/sites/ EPRA Meeting Luxembourg, employmentandlabourmarket/ uploads/2020/10/RED-Full- default/files/thinking-outside- 23-25 M, Luxembourg: European peopleinwork/ Report-121020.pdf, accessed 25 the-box-increasing-diversity- Platform of Regulatory employmentandemployeetypes/ November 2020 television-broadcasting- Authorities. Available online at bulletins/uklabourmarket/ industry.pdf, accessed 25 https://cdn.epra.org/ october2018, accessed 25 Clarke, Steve (2016) Ofcom to November 2020 attachments/files/3356/original/ November 2020 launch annual diversity EPRA-Gender-Report-FINAL. monitoring scheme, Royal ERGA (2018) Study on Industry- OSR (2018) Assessment of pdf?1537262554, accessed 25 Television Society, 2 November. led Good Practices related to compliance with the Code of November 2020 Available online at https://rts. Gender Diversity in the European Practice for Official Statistics org.uk/article/ofcom-launch- Audiovisual Sector, Brussels: McGregor-Smith, Ruby (2017) DCMS Sectors Economic annual-diversity-monitoring- European Regulators Group for Race in the workplace, London: Estimates Assessment Report scheme, accessed 25 November Audiovisual Media Services. Department for Business, Energy 340, London: Office for Statistics 2020 Available online at https:// & Industrial Strategy. Available Regulation. Available online at erga-online.eu/wp-content/ online at https://assets. https://osr.statisticsauthority. Dacko, Scott, G & Hart, Martin uploads/2020/01/ERGA_2019_ publishing.service.gov.uk/ gov.uk/wp-content/ (2005) Critically Examining SG4_Report.pdf, accessed 25 government/uploads/system/ uploads/2018/12/Assessment_ Theory and Practice: Implications November 2020 uploads/attachment_data/ Report_340_DCMS_Sectors_ for Coregulation and file/594336/race-in-workplace- Economic_Estimates-2.pdf, Coregulating Broadcast Francis, John G. (1993) The mcgregor-smith-review.pdf, accessed 25 November 2020 Advertising in the United politics of regulation: a accessed 25 November 2020 Kingdom, International Journal comparative perspective, Oxford: Olusoga, David (2020) David on Media Management, Vol. 7, Wiley Blackwell Nomis, Official Labour Market Olusoga: his Edinburgh television No. 1-2, pp 2-15. Statistics, Office for National festival speech in full, Fullerton, Hugh (2017) Lenny Statistics at https://www. MacTaggart Lecture, Guardian, DBEIS (2020) Better Regulation Henry says Ofcom is creating nomisweb.co.uk/ 24 August. Available online at Framework Interim guidance, ‘fake diversity’ by focusing on https://www.theguardian.com/ London: Department for actors and not those behind the Ofcom (2017a) Diversity and media/2020/aug/24/david- Business, Energy and Industrial camera, Radio Times, 19 July. equal opportunities in television, olusoga-his-edinburgh- https://www. Strategy. Available online at Available online at London: Ofcom. All of the Ofcom television-festival-speech-in- https://assets.publishing. radiotimes.com/news/2017-07- reports cited are available online full, accessed 25 November service.gov.uk/government/ 19/lenny-henry-says-ofcom-is- via a search at https://www. 2020 uploads/system/uploads/ creating-fake-diversity-by- ofcom.org.uk/research-and- attachment_data/file/872342/ focusing-on-actors-and-not- data/search, accessed 25 Parker, John (2020) Ethnic better-regulation-guidance.pdf, those-behind-the-camera/, November 2020 Diversity Enriching Business accessed 25 November accessed 25 November 2020 Leadership: An update report Ofcom (2017b) Diversity and from The Parker Review, London: DCMS (2016) A BBC for the Green Park (2018) Phillips, Trevor equal opportunities in television The Parker Review Committee. future: a broadcaster of et al, LEADERSHIP 10,000 2018, – Total television industry 2017, Available online at https://assets. distinction, London: Department London: Green Park. Available London: Ofcom ey.com/content/dam/ey-sites/ for Culture, Media and Sport. online at https://www.green- Ofcom (2018) Diversity and equal ey-com/en_uk/news/2020/02/ Available online at https://assets. park.co.uk/filedownload. opportunities in television 2018, ey-parker-review-2020-report- publishing.service.gov.uk/ php?a=72-5ccc18f30e5fc, London: Ofcom final.pdf, accessed 25 November government/uploads/system/ accessed 25 November 2020 2020 uploads/attachment_data/ Ofcom (2019a) Diversity and Green Park (2019) Phillips, Trevor file/524863/DCMS_A_BBC_for_ equal opportunities in radio: Randle, Keith, Wing-Fai, Leung, et al, LEADERSHIP 10,000 2019, the_future_linked_rev1.pdf, Monitoring report on the UK Kurian, Juno (2008) Creating London: Green Park. Available accessed 25 November 2020 radio industry, London: Ofcom. Difference: Overcoming Barriers online at https://www.green- to Diversity in UK Film and DCMS (2019) DCMS Sectors park.co.uk/filedownload. Ofcom (2019b) Diversity and Television Employment, Hatfield: Economic Estimates 2018: php?a=1616-5de6827bb9c8e, equal opportunities in television University of Hertfordshire. Employment, London: accessed 25 November 2020 2019, London: Ofcom. Available online at https://uhra. Department for Digital, Culture, Henry, Lenny (2008) The Road To herts.ac.uk/bitstream/ Media and Sport. Available Ofcom (2019c) Diversity and Diversity Is Closed…Please Seek handle/2299/4575/904076. online at https://www.gov.uk/ equal opportunities in television pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y, government/publications/ Alternate Route, A speech given 2019 methodology, London: accessed 25 November 2020 dcms-sectors-economic- by Sir Lenny Henry to the Royal Ofcom estimates-2019-employment/ Television Society, 7 February. http:// Ofcom (2019e) Ofcom Content dcms-sectors-economic- Available online at zeroheadroom.com/2014/01/24/ Board Minutes 160(19), London: estimates-2019-employment, road-diversity-lenny-henry- Ofcom accessed 25 November 2020 speech-2008/ , accessed 25 Ofcom (2019d) Guidance: DCMS (2020) DCMS Economic November 2020 Diversity in Broadcasting, Estimates Tool, London: London: Ofcom Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Available online at https://statistics.culture.gov.uk/ data-tools/economic-estimates, accessed 25 November 2020

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Looking back on his time heading the Imagine that! Imagine that Burke – a stalwart in radio happening with Jay-Z. – and his show, Rice and BBC radio programme Black London in Imagine getting to the doors Peas. of Gossips3 and quietly My partnership with Sheryl the early 1990s, Dr David Dunkley convincing the bouncer that worked well and the the man in the brightly- Gyimah considers how the lack of programme flourished. coloured garments is Fela Celebrity guests such as archives affects the understanding of Kuti, a world superstar. singer and actress Eartha Jarrett, who would go on to Black culture and experiences. Kitt, film-maker Melvin Van work with Kofi Annan as a Peebles, and novelist Alice director of the African conversation. Fela talks Walker were all too happy to When the taxi door opens, Progress Panel, reminds me about taking over a house in come onto the programme. a lithe man, shorter than we all hopped into my Honda Ghana with his 27 wives We interviewed young I’d imagined, wearing tight Prelude. He vividly recalls the when he was broke and how fashion designer Ozwald trousers, an unbuttoned evening’s events with Fela. each tenant fled because of Boateng who had just been brightly coloured shirt and his antics. He debunks a The story mainly comes from featured in the Independent a purple faux fur collar story that he belittled the archive of Black London, newspaper for staging an cape neck warmer, bounds Nigeria’s government by a radio show on BBC Greater extraordinary fashion shoot in out. I look to his feet. ‘He’s defacing his Mercedes-Benz, London Radio (GLR) serving the Ukraine; a former music London’s Black listeners. It researcher by the name of wearing Charlie Wote,’ I the preferred car for ministers. ‘I never owned and was 1991, John Major had Kanya King, who spoke murmur, ‘and it’s London refused to buy one,’ he says. succeeded Thatcher, a passionately about her plans weather, chilly!’ And then this from the recession was about to take to set up the Music of Black hold of the UK and Britain Origin (Mobo) awards; ‘Hello Fela.’ His reply is maestro, a bombshell: ‘Oh would soon leave the ERM. journalists turned publishers ebullient in his gravelly voice: Afrobeat. It was a gimmick, a The UK’s creative media, Steve Pope and Dotun ‘Where are we going man?’ I gimmick, man! At that time I particularly youth, had been Adebayo of X Press, who had lead the way. We’re due to go was fighting wars, man. going through a purple patch: just brought out a book on air in Studio 2 when There was soul music in The Big Breakfast, The Word, called Yardies that a senior Nigeria’s most famous and Nigeria and I had to fight so I Def II Reportage, and pirate Met officer was requesting all inspiring artist proceeds to give my own music a name radio in Kiss, LWR and police read; and a versatile light up. It’s not a cigarette too, Afrobeat. Just a Horizon were the zeitgeist. acting/comedy team and it’s almost the length of gimmick! And now I’ve Rap, Acid Jazz, and Soul consisting of Brian Bovell, my forearm. Pleading, I coax passed that stage and am were carving the airwaves. Eddie Nestor, Robbie Gee, him not to otherwise I’ll get playing deeper music, more 2 Roger Griffiths and Gary the sack. into Africa. It’s Africa music.’ At GLR, new management McDonald – the Posse – who We record the best part of an was seeking a younger On air Fela Kuti is electric. took over Studio 2 with skits hour with Fela but, because audience which valued a Max Bankole Jarrett, a and their trademark sign of the programme’s format, pacy speech and current Liberian-born BBC World off,‘No Justice, No Peace’. affairs format with less music. Service for Africa producer can only broadcast five Hence Rough Guides to the The Voice newspaper called and presenter, is with me in minutes. At the end of the World journalist Sheryl the programme ‘informative, the studio. Max and I look show, one of the world’s Simms and I, a former BBC interesting and lively’ as it set out for each other, passing most revered performers Reportage reporter, were out to attract a broad on interviews. We’re all asks firstly when we can get invited to a meeting to launch audience both Black and howling with laughter in what something to eat and a new show. This new slot white. A rapper, Me Phi Me, is a no-holds-barred secondly where we’re going clubbing. replaced the brilliant Syde who was riding at the height

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of his fame, wowed us by creating a jingle on the spot using and authority on the BBC, when there’s so much more our names. He called the show ‘excellent’. ‘Er, thank you,’ we whose critical work includes from what I see. It’s really spluttered on air. And then, that was it! Our time with the show the book Radio in the Global important that we see lasted 18 months, before new talent on a rotating chair was Age. Hendy says the lack of ourselves and other people brought in, which included David Upshal and Dotun Adebayo. archive for programmes like of colour who have trod the There’s no indexing of those 18 months on the net. No Black London is ‘part of a path before us. It’s a truth mention, that I can find, in popular academic texts or media historic bias towards seeking.’ programming literature. For the only speech-based programme attention to centres of power on the BBC catering for Black people, it’s as if it did not exist. in BBC, rather than places (wrongly!) seen as marginal’.9 Before Black Why archive? Black London circa 1991-93 London That was until last month when, during lockdown, I is by no means alone in this Alex Pascall arrived in Britain rediscovered in my garage recordings of the programme on archive anomaly. On Radio from Grenada in 1959. His cassette and quarter-inch reel. One reads ‘Bernie Grant 4’s flagship Today early career was as a election debate’. As I’m writing this, I’m two hours away from a programme on 28 October musician, and he went on to presentation with an archive specialist to the Fédération 2020, presenter Martha manage the Notting Hill Internationale des Archives de Télévision and Save our Archive Kearney cued in a report carnival. In 1974 he created – organisations involved in retrieving archive. At their online saying: ‘Of all the interesting the BBC radio show Black Conference 2020 we’re pitching against Albania Media, people that have worked at Londoners. In a September Zimbabwe and RTI (Radio et Télévision Ivoirienne).4 We’re the BBC one deserves wider 2020 profile for the Guardian hopeful, but win or lose the obvious question needs answering: recognition, Una Marson titled ‘Alex Pascall: the So what? Who cares about a programme from 30 years ago? – the first Black woman broadcaster who gave a broadcaster at the BBC.’10 voice to Black Britain – and is Celebrated cultural theorist Stuart Hall provides a tangible The ensuing profile by Radio now taking on the BBC’, framework. ‘The most important thing an archive can do,’ he 1 and 6 Music’s Gemma Pascall told interviewer says, ‘is to ask or allow us to interrogate those moments of Cairney featured rare archive Joseph Harker that BBC transition because they are often also the moment of high extracts of Marson’s voice. bosses didn’t believe there creativity. We cannot see from our privileged position where The little you hear, coupled was an audience for the those ruptures are most likely to occur or in what direction they with Cairney’s narrative, programme, so at first it only 5 are likely to lead.’ paints an extraordinarily vivid aired once a month. Four It’s long acknowledged how media shapes people’s view of the picture of this pioneer. years later it was on every 6 world yet Ayesha Taylor-Camara, currently a PhD student at ‘I came across her three or day. Pascall, a versatile the University of Nottingham, says that her research has four years ago’,11 Cairney performer, interviewed shown how mainstream media has paid scant regard to tells me. ‘It was her poetry A-listers such as Bob Marley publicly available Black archives, treating them and their that struck me really because and Muhammad Ali and 7 audiences as ‘insignificant’. Alongside her PhD research, when you hear her she captured race relations at the she’s launched the online exhibition In Safe Hands – The doesn’t necessarily sound time in his 1976 reports from 8 Voices of Black Britain Project which features Black radio like all the things she is on the Notting Hill Carnival. pioneers from the 1920s to the present. ‘I wanted this project paper. When you hear her There are smatterings of to highlight and celebrate the contributions Black people have she doesn’t necessarily archive online that give you a made to the media and creative industries in Britain, while sound like a Black woman sense of Pascall’s velvety simultaneously commenting on how their work gets left out of with her RP accent. But it’s smooth presenting style and this history,’ she says. her poetry where the truth a show he says he largely spent his own money Taylor-Camara features a broad swathe of pioneers and she’s really speaks, with her sense funding.12 He’s currently turned out a three-part podcast, the first of which includes of ostracisation, and at the seeking redress from the historian of Black Britons Stephen Bourne and oboist and same time her yearning and BBC. music educator Uchenna Ngwe speaking on musical heritage. belief of nature and love that I Taylor-Camara asks me about Black London and reflects on see as very Jamaican.’ ‘We trust as much as we hear 13 my response that, although we had an editor, we generally had Cairney is writing a book as we do what we see,’ carte blanche in what we produced and presented on the about exemplary women says Bernard P Achampong, show. As a medium, radio in Britain is particularly interesting, such as Marson. I ask her founder of the innovative she says, ‘because the BBC had a complete monopoly over what impact Marson and indie Unedited and a board the airwaves for 50 years’. The onset of commercial and pirate archive has on her and the member of Audio UK. radio ended that, which has provided new contextual layers to media as a whole. ‘It’s a Achampong, citing the be explored. ‘There is also something about listening to “old” cliché saying but it’s a good concept of ‘Sankofa’ which in audio that almost allows you to time travel,’ she says. saying: You can’t be what the Twi language of Ghana ‘Something that newspapers, TV and other forms of media you don’t see. I become equates to ‘Go and retrieve don’t do as well.’ alarmed when I see how the from the past’, sees radio’s heritage as emblematic of the ‘It’s a socio-political issue,’ says Professor David Hendy, a modern media sets the oral traditions of how Black former BBC journalist and widely respected media historian narrative for people of colour communities learn about

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news and storytelling. recognition. Kwaten’s band Afrobeat’s creativity has Dr David Dunkley Gyimah is ‘There’s something in our D-Influence was one of a transitioned into a mega senior lecturer at Cardiff ownership of that oral handful of acts signed to US industry and a new crop of University’s School of tradition and what we’ve major East West Records in artists, not least Seun and his Journalism, Media and reinvented,’ he says, ‘that which the band were given older brother Femi, who Culture and co-founder of has a lot more premium, a full creative license. ‘We were continue to push its form, all Representology. higher premium than maybe so confident, in the face of gimmicks aside. Archive in a for other communities.’ craziness too,’ he chuckles. sense is living history. It The band held out for months revitalises a sense of the Achampong sees a link for the right record deal. Then past, while we live in the between the dearth of what they got the call, which present. he refers to as the ‘intelligent shocks him even now. Black voices of the past’, such as Darcus Howe, raising ‘We were supporting Michael suspicion among the wider Jackson, whatever we populace, and as a result thought of the guy. We were Representology takeaways those conversations playing in front of 100,000 Archive plays a critical role in cultural memory invariably happen through the people every day and then and also how the future of media could be inertness in comedy. ‘It’s coming back and doing a shaped important to reclaim this show at WKD which held 200 • The richness of Black people’s experience currently space,’ he says. Importantly people. That’s quite too, he adds that archive interesting as well, the hidden in archives deserves a wider airing. provides a situatedness to determination.’ • The Black pioneers of radio should be given greater re-create stories from the recognition. Kwaten cites another reason past and also provide a for the impact the recordings • Intelligent Black voices are under-represented in sense of providence for talent have on him. Band member British history. Archives can ensure that such now successful. ‘Once we Steve Marston, who’s on the voices are not marginalised nor silenced. have these stories, we’re able tape, passed away a decade to link them back to things ago and there are no that have gone on before and recordings of this type of how they’ll happen again. If interaction with him and band we’re aware of what References members. happened before, we’re more 1. Flip-flops empowered.’ And what about value 2. Fela Kuti BBC Interview, David Dunkley producer, SoundCloud, generally for listeners I available at: https://soundcloud.com/david-dg/fela-kuti-bbc- My conversation with delicately ask. ‘Tremendous interview [Accessed: 1 November 2020] Achampong inspires an value,’ Kwaten reflects. The 3. A night club in central London experiment. Kwame Kwaten broadcast takes him back to 4. IASA - FIAT/IFTA Conference, Save your archive session 2, and his band are on the Available at: https://2020iasafiatiftaconference.sched.com/ club culture of the 90s, such retrieved archives from my event/7f88e1271e1d615e4c7b4704f461d76e [Accessed: 1 as Fresh and Funky and garage – and he is now one November 2020] playing on Kiss FM. That’s of the UK’s most innovative 5. Stuart Hall, ‘Constituting an archive’, Third Text, 2001, Available ‘proper UK Black memory’, at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/ musicians and music he says, assured that there’s abs/10.1080/09528820108576903 [Accessed: 1 November 2020] executives, managing Shola relatively little documentation 6. See Professor Stuart Hall’s deconstruction of television in It Ain’t Ama and Laura Mvula with Half Racist Mum, BBC Open Door, available at: https://vimeo. of the 90s, compared with writing and production com/channels/1597828/203825966 [Accessed: 1 November the 80s and 70s. ‘We were all credits including Jay-Z, Mick 2020] in the moment. The ethics at Jagger, Tom Jones and Seal. 7. Ayesha Taylor-Camara, Black Pioneers in British Radio Broadcast- the time was, “put your ing: personal communication, 26 October 2020 With the help of a friend, camera away man, just 8. Spotify, ‘The Voice of Black Britain’ October 2020, Available at we’re brought together on a dance at a rave”.’ Kwaten https://open.spotify.com/episode/01jfDkiUBhIroyxTO9hpvl phone call on a Sunday has requested the audio [Accessed: 1 November 2020] morning and I play him the which he intends to 9. Professor David Hendy, Twitter: personal communication, 31 segment of his interview October 2020 reproduce with photos from down the phone.14 10. Martha Kearney, BBC Radio 4, Today, 28 October 2020 that time. ‘Unbelievable! Wow, wow, 11. David Dunkley Gyimah, interview Gemma Cairney, Telephone wow! It’s amazing!’ is all A week after my evening with communication, 3 November 2020 12. gvrm2011, Alex Pascall OBE, Master Classes in Entertainment Kwaten can say for the first Fela, I was at Brixton geography & Culture. YouTube, 1 July 2011, available at: https:// few seconds after the Academy. One of many www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwjIXW37OO8 [Accessed: 1 playback. highlights, saw the tiny suited November 2020] figure of Seun Kuti (Fela’s 13. David Dunkley Gyimah, interview Bernard P. Achampong, He finds it illuminating how young son) take to the stage telephone communication, 27 October 2020 UK artists had to ‘overprove’ and, to a call and response, 14. David Dunkley Gyimah, interview Kwame Kwaten, telephone themselves back then to get energise the crowd. Today communication, 31 October 2020

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Strangers in a strange land

Paralympian Will Norman suggests that disability representation in the media is not the goal, but only a first step towards truly meaningful inclusion.

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The media landscape in Nowhere is this more true The release of a new film Beyond the UK is broader than perhaps than in version of Roald Dahl’s The representations of disability, Witches recently caused a representation ever before, but is it any which seem to have stir among people living with deeper? The digitisation changed little despite the limb loss, who felt that the I have three children, so I of our media has led to blizzard of opportunities representation of the spend a lot of time watching CBeebies. Children’s media an explosion of afforded by new witches’ three-fingered technologies. To paraphrase hands reinforced a stigma has a crucial role to play in channels, stations, Shane Warne’s famous linking their disabilities to shaping how young people streams and platforms, comment about Monty dark and untrustworthy begin to think about diversity and yet this Panesar not adapting to the characters. While I am in no and difference. CBeebies boasts several shows that diversification of modes conditions at hand: the position as a blind person to media hasn’t told 30 stories critique the feelings of those are orientated around of delivery does not about disability, just the who found this offensive, I disability, including Magic seem to have led to a same story 30 times. do think that the scale of the Hands, Something Special, response was exaggerated Melody and Pablo. These consequent But those who decry as much by the lack of latter two are particularly diversification of the representations of disability alternative stories as by the interesting. Melody was in the media, including me, stories our media are flaws in the Robert Zemeckis created in collaboration with make one crucial mistake. prepared to tell. film itself. Surely portraying the RNIB, and features a All too often we complain witches as having three visually impaired actor that the one story that is told fingers is not at all the same playing Melody, while Pablo is wrong. We complain that thing as saying all people not only addresses the lived the media reduces our with three fingers are experience of autistic disabilities to a hopelessly witches. What makes it feel children, it does so using an simplistic set of stereotypes, that way is the distinct lack autistic voice cast and in which it surely does, and of alternative narratives to direct consultation with that these stories are provide perspective and autistic young people who therefore pernicious, which balance. This story becomes help to generate the they surely aren’t. What’s a monster because it is storylines. Both are strong pernicious is that these are unchallenged, not because it examples of going beyond the only stories that get told. is inherently monstrous. mere representation of It’s not about right or wrong, disabled characters – often either/or – it’s about more. Similarly, a common by non-disabled actors, complaint among disabled embracing, as they do, ideas media commentators is that and talent drawn from within our disabilities are reduced the very communities they We complain that the media to a handful of tired old seek to represent. tropes: the villain (Darth reduces our disabilities to a Vader, Captain Hook), the This is a welcome step, but victim (Tiny Tim), the it is only one step. There hopelessly simplistic set of superhero (Daredevil). But need to be many more, and stereotypes, which it surely we mistakenly then assert much faster. In fact, this that this is maleficent. It’s linear plod needs to be does, and that these stories are not the portrayal of swept away altogether by a stereotypes that is in itself powerful torrent of new therefore pernicious, which they harmful, it’s the fact that ideas and diverse thinking. surely aren’t. What’s pernicious these are all we’ve got. When, for example, will we Having a disability does not, move away from disability is that these are the only stories after all, exempt you from represented by a single villainy or heroism. The crime disabled character, and see that get told. It’s not about right is in reducing the vast more portrayals of disabled or wrong, either/or – it’s about glittering tower of lived families and even entire experience to these few communities? All too often it more. stories. still feels like a tick box exercise. The net effect is that disability appears isolated in our media, a discrete, stand-alone option, it’s disconcerting presence safely contained within strict limits, like a tiger at the zoo.

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And then there’s the question of silos. While Melody and Change may be Mere inclusion is not enough Pablo are interesting devices, they are self-contained units discomforting for those who to resolve this segregation. within an otherwise normalised schedule. Again, to criticise have done very well out of All inclusion does is let you this is not to say it is in itself wrong. There is a place for these the existing system, and the in to this world, it can’t, by kinds of discrete treatments of a single topic, but in order for task is doubtless a difficult itself, make you feel like you them to be viewed as beacons rather than silos, they need to one, but the rewards are belong. You can play a part, be part of a broader and more integrated picture. When will there for all, not just the but this world is not for you. we see a blind Go Jetter, or a deaf Octonaut? disabled population. The challenge for the media Increased diversity, real What we see on our screens and hear on our radios is only, of is to set diversity free, diversity not the limited kind course, the final product, it is not the whole system. The embrace difference, and we see imprisoned within barriers that restrict disabled people’s access to the media, open itself to possibilities it silos and bolt-on schemes, and thus restrict the media’s ability to represent disability hitherto couldn’t have will enrich the entire industry fully, begin in childhood. imagined. Such a carnival of and breathe new life in to creativity has the power to My visually impaired son may tune in to Melody to see if it what sometimes seems like blow through all forms of speaks to him, but the amount of content that is audio- a stagnating realm trapped media, breathing new life described for his enjoyment as a visually impaired viewer is within a hall of mirrors all of into everything we see on limited. Then there are all the apps and web-content that go its own making. our screens and hear on our along with broadcast media these days. It’s nice to watch Maybe the perpetuation of speakers. Ultimately it may Melody, but if the presenters in the CBeebies House are the status quo across the even set our media free from waxing lyrical about a great new app that he as a visually media landscape for many the cycle of rinse and repeat impaired child can’t access with a screenreader, then he long years, give or take the on which it currently seems faces the painful feeling of being put back out in the cold just odd experiment at the stuck. as soon as he thought he’d been welcomed in to the warm. fringes, is why our TV And this is far from the only way in which the current media channels now seem to have environment thwarts the ambitions of the next generation. To little to show us other than a tell the huge variety of nuanced and diverse stories we need never-ending cycle of The to tell we are going to need disabled writers to write them, Big Bang Theory and disabled actors to portray them, disabled directors to present Murder, She Wrote. them, and disabled editors to commission them. Ultimately what we’re talking Here too the cry is ‘More’. Disabled people have long about here is a form of advocated that there should be ‘nothing about us without us’, oppression, possibly Will Norman played blind whether in public policy, health, education, or culture. It is a unconscious, certainly very cricket for seven years betrayal for the majority of storylines about disability to be civilised. Limited before switching to football penned by non-disabled writers and portrayed by non- representation, restricted 5-a-side in 2008 and going disabled actors. As a society we are still far more tolerant of access and an alienating on to represent England this than we would be of, say, a white actor using makeup to culture, work in concert to and Great Britain over 25 portray a Black character. create a world where those times in international with disabilities can still competitions, including two As well as more disabled characters on-screen, we need struggle to feel welcome. Paralympics. more disabled people behind the scenes. Only then will the amount of content that authentically addresses the question of disability with integrity and a rich, deeply nuanced understanding increase massively. Without an increase in the numbers of disabled people working at all levels of our media industries, we will continue to endure the profoundly Representology takeaways distressing experience of seeing the story of our lives told, often ham-fistedly, by others. Going beyond increased disability representation towards richer disability representation Setting diversity free • We need to go past the idea that there is a right or Several broadcasters, including the BBC and Channel 4, have wrong way to represent disability - we need more well-intended projects aimed at increased recruitment from perspectives. the disabled population, but again, these only address the • Stereotypes are not in themselves harmful - it is the problem at its final stages. The roots go much deeper. Young fact that disability representation is often limited to people who face prejudice, discrimination or exclusion in their these stereotypes. formative years are much less likely to grow up with • We can move away from disability in media aspirations of joining a world that they perceive as having shunned them. So they walk away, and with them goes their represented by a single disabled character - let us passion and their insight. If the media industry thinks it can see more portrayals of disabled families and even afford to keep losing people before they’ve even got started, entire communities. I fear it’s very much mistaken.

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42 ISSUE 01 WINTER 2020 Widening perspectives in political journalism

Leah Cowan examines the lack of diversity in British political journalism, why it matters, and the multiple challenges faced by ‘outsiders’ looking to get a foothold

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The stories to which we The way we present intersection of oppressions devote column inches information can never be based on race, sexuality and unbiased; within the copy we gender identity are neither shape the collective file, we make decisions ‘impartial’ nor remotely up imagination. As feminist about protagonists and for debate. antagonists, beginnings and academic Donna There is a tacit assumption in endings, and rights and Haraway writes: ‘It Davie’s edict that Black and wrongs. The media, often trans journalists, for matters what stories we inevitably, dance to the beat example, do not have tell to tell other stories of political agendas and personal stakes in their own public appetite. The topics with; it matters what lives, but can somehow split which receive scrutiny and a concepts we think to the self, holding their identity platform feed into political at arm’s length as ‘policy think other concepts agendas which spin votes 1 issues’ while the journalistic with.’ and shape policy. If we mind observes and recognise this, we should be comments. This framing tells cognisant of how our journalists who are not white, fingerprints leave straight, and cis that the impressions on the clay of burning issue of their very our journalistic work. From existence must be packed this viewpoint, the fact that away and put on the shelf in the UK media is 94% white order for them to do the work and incredibly monocultural of objective reporting. The is of deep concern. The 94% impact of this adherence to of journalists who are white, narrow-perspective then, set the standard for journalism is keenly felt. The what is deemed worth slow decline of traditional reporting on, and in political reporting and print media – journalism, for what counts national newspaper sales as ‘political’. have fallen by nearly In a bid to prove that the two-thirds4 over the last two BBC’s output is impartial, its decades – runs congruent to director general Tim Davie the narrow spectrum of introduced new rules for perspectives which the staff2 which, it was industry welcomes. Less understood, would effectively money for specialist, careful, ban them from attending time-consuming reporting Black Lives Matter means that stories that are demonstrations and Pride already marginalised get marches in support of LGBT pushed out of the main rights and justice. In picture. response to backlash, this As Malcolm Dean wrote for announcement was further the Guardian in 2011: ‘Papers clarified3 as only applying to have shrunk, specialist senior reporters, who are reporters have been slashed expected to ‘take care when and profits have disappeared. making decisions about As a result there will be fewer participating in events’ and well-informed journalists to ‘not to take a personal public analyse and present the position ... on public policy increasing amount of data. issues’. Either way, this Fewer specialists also means milquetoast clutch at fewer awkward questions ‘impartiality’ marks a huge asked in ministerial briefings. betrayal of workers across Less grit in the democratic the BBC at all levels who are oyster means fewer policy themselves queer, trans and pearls.’5 people of colour, and whose lives as people living at the

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2016 which in reality became Migrants – a battle for the heart and soul Structural factors a confected of Britain, and a fight to the The dearth of accurate, humanising reporting on these death to pull up the complex issues can be in part attributed to the fact that the crisis drawbridge and curb people who are best-placed to speak on them are for the migration. In this context, A key example of this is the most part unable to break into the media industry. At entry based on frequency of broad brushstroke and level in particular, the industry relies on unpaid and low-paid Google searches9 and polls sensationalised media labour, and often requires workers to check their own lived of the key issues10 reporting around the ‘migrant informing experiences at the door. My own experiences of trying to crisis’ which peaked in 2015. voters’ decision-making, enter the media industry are not uncommon among my peers: High numbers of people fled immigration became a in my early 20s I was offered an internship at the Guardian as conflicts that Britain had lightning rod issue which part of their positive action scheme, and upon discovering performed a key role in swayed the referendum vote. that the placement was unpaid, I turned it down. The email catalysing, which resulted in It’s worth considering how thread which followed (an exchange between two editors, increased fatalities in the these events might have who were older men) reads like satire. One wrote, of my Mediterranean Sea and played out differently with rejection of the offer, ‘that’s young people for you’. The other directly led to the hardening sensitive, nuanced reporting replied: ‘I think it wd [sic] be extremely shortsighted of Leah to of Britain’s borders. delivered by people with a turn down the chance to spend time at the Guardian ... Does Governments seemingly lived experience or informed she know what the positive action scheme is? Has she seen dodged accountability for the perspective on migration. our brochure? But it’s her call.’ 2,500-5,000 people a year6 We can draw a connecting were reported dead or line between media reports, missing after attempting to and the decision (albeit make the crossing, alongside marginal) to push forward . . . in my early 20s I was offered a 100% spike in racist with Brexit, because the an internship at the Guardian as attacks7 on people of colour more the media talks about in the UK in the run-up to borders and migration, part of their positive action Brexit. Despite pockets of whatever the message (and sensitive reporting, a media in tabloid newspapers, often scheme, and upon discovering industry which is largely the message is sensational that the placement was unpaid, monocultural, as well as and incredibly hostile to slashing reporters and migrant communities), the I turned it down. The email budgets to stay afloat, public is left with a sense struggled to bring humanity that the borders are thread which followed . . . reads to the public conversation vulnerable. In an article like satire. emerging around this issue. exploring the paradox of border security, social Research conducted by sciences professor Bastian journalist Liz Gerard revealed I had seen the brochure, and it was indeed my call. The Vollmer explains: ‘Borders that between 2010 and 2016, existence of an unpaid positive action scheme for people of are open but secure – a the Daily Express made colour pointed to a glaring misunderstanding – that the lack of difficult message to bring immigration its leading story ‘diversity’ in newsrooms was about Black people needing to across an audience that is 179 times, or approximately just be in the room by any means necessary. My first struggling with an twice a month for six years encounter with the media industry left a bitter taste; I felt that environment increasingly straight. The Daily Mail came a positive action scheme which seemingly lacked dictated by confusion and a close second, splashing understanding of the barriers and structures that prevents us ambiguity’.11 with a story about This message is from being there in the first place was ticking boxes and filling immigration 122 times in the especially difficult to convey quotas, not doing the work of radical reconfiguration. The 8 if the media industry doing same time period. The reality is that in the UK, communities of colour lag behind the conveying is so far 12 frequent repetition of these white people when it comes to wealth accumulation. This removed from the realities of messages gave the wholly means that we are simply less likely to have the funds its intricacies. unfounded impression that available to us to do a week’s unpaid internship, with no Britain was under threat. A concrete prospect of employment at the end. fallout of this approach, it could be inferred, was the referendum on Britain’s membership to the EU in

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It appears that the situation expected to cannibalise our doesn’t improve as The impartiality experiences, and to lay bare journalists rise up the fallacy our trauma in exchange for pecking order, unless they being permitted to write or toe the line and absorb and The idea of a presenter being speak at all.17 imitate the dominant white able to make only impartial The issues undergirding the culture of newsrooms, or observations on an incident glaring whiteness and become impartial on their is comparable to the same-ness of newsrooms own lives. In July 2019, anthropological practice of are those which are faced presenter Naga Munchetty (mostly wealthy white men) across many industries. It is was reprimanded for making distanced essential that routes into breaching BBC guidelines for observations on situations ‘in journalism are made commenting on racist tweets the field’. This framing within accessible and desirable. sent by Donald Trump. In anthropology has been Entry level jobs must be response to his online vitriol critiqued in-depth by a host secure, contracted, and paid suggesting that four US of researchers, including at a living wage, and union congresswomen should ‘go feminist anthropologist organising must be back’ to where they came Tomomi Yamaguchi, whose recognised and encouraged. from, Munchetty noted that 2007 study argued that the More critical and more ‘Every time I have been told, binary places of ‘home’ and difficult to enact, is for some as a woman of colour, to go being ‘in the field’ were in well-paid positions to give back to where I came from, increasingly fluid 15 up power. Only top-to- that was embedded in categories. It might be bottom reconfiguration of racism’. The BBC responded more useful to accept, with mainstream media to Munchetty’s comments, transparency, that the ability organisations can ensure stating that her words had for a journalist to step back that a multiplicity of gone ‘beyond what the and interpret an unfolding perspectives and guidelines allow for’.13 news story with an impartial eye is a fallacy. experiences are informing Backlash against the BBC’s journalistic work at all levels reprimand resulted in then However, another danger – from agenda-setting and director general Tony Hall faced by people of colour commissioning, to writing, reversing the decision to and other marginalised editing, presenting and uphold the complaint against groups entering the media beyond. Without this, any Munchetty’s comments, industry is the imperative ‘diversity’ or positive action reiterating that the presenter that we only talk about race. scheme is merely window is an ‘exceptional’ journalist. As former gal-dem editor dressing; time and time again In an interview with Vogue in Heather Barrett said in an the affect gets a rebrand but February 2020, when interview in 2017, ‘Women of the substance stays the questioned on whether the colour basically get same. It remains to be seen BBC was institutionally commissioned to write about whether media organisations racist, Munchetty dryly race, to write about their can be courageous enough remarked: ‘Find me a large experiences of oppression to centre our voices through organisation, and find me an and things like that, and it’s a meaningful structural 16 employee from a minority very limited box’. In step change. group who feels they are with being forced to able to bring their true self to chameleon ourselves into the work today. I don’t think white, monocultural, elite you’ll be able to.’14 landscape of mainstream media, we can also be expected to mine our own lives for content; we are ‘experts by experience’ rather than skilled enough to report on any topic. Award- winning essayist and writer Roxane Gay explains on the Another Round podcast that Black women are often

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References 1. Haraway, Donna (2019) introduction to The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction by Ursula K Le Guin, London, UK: Ignota Books 2. Waterson, Jim (2020) BBC ‘no bias’ rules prevent staff joining LGBT pride marches, Guardian, 29 October. Available online at https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/oct/29/bbc-no-bias- rules-prevent-staff-joining-lgbt-pride-protests, accessed 30 November 2020 3. Duffy, Nick (2020) BBC director general Tim Davie says it’s ‘not controversial to be transgender’ while clarifying rules on staff attending Pride, Pink News, 5 November. Available online at https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/11/05/bbc-director-gener- al-tim-davie-pride-staff-ban-controversial-lgbt-transgender- rules/, accessed 30 November 2020 4. Mayhew, Freddy (2020) UK national newspaper sales slump by two-thirds in 20 years amid digital disruption, Press Gazette, 26 February. Available online at https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/ uk-national-newspaper-sales-slump-by-two-thirds-in-20-years- amid-digital-disruption/, accessed 30 November 2020 5. Dean, Malcolm (2011) How journalists have shaped social policy, Guardian, 8 November. Available online at https://www. theguardian.com/society/joepublic/2011/nov/08/social-poli- cy-specialist-journalists, accessed 30 November 2020 6. UNHCR operational portal, Mediterranean situation. Available online at https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/mediterranean, accessed 30 November 2020 7. Sharman, Jon and Ian Jones (2017) Hate crimes rise by up to 100 per cent across England and Wales, figures reveal, Independent, 15 February. Available online at https://www.independent.co.uk/ news/uk/home-news/brexit-vote-hate-crime-rise-100-cent- england-wales-police-figures-new-racism-eu-a7580516.html, accessed 30 November 2020 8. Gerard, Liz (2016) The Press and immigration: reporting the news or fanning the flames of hatred?, SubScribe, 3 September. Available online at http://www.sub-scribe.co.uk/2016/09/ the-press-and-immigration-reporting.html, accessed 30 November 2020 9. Duncan, Pamela (2016) Immigration is key issue with EU referendum voters, according to Google, Guardian, 15 June. Available online at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/ jun/15/eu-referendum-immigration-key-issue-with-vot- ers-google, accessed 30 November 2020 10. Ipsos MORI (2016) Immigration is now the top issue for voters in the EU referendum, 16 June. Available online at https://www. ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/immigration-now-top-issue-vot- Leah Cowan is a former politics editor for gal-dem, an ers-eu-referendum, accessed 30 November 2020 online magazine run by women and non-binary people of 11. Vollmer, Bastian (2019) The paradox of border security – an colour. Her first book,Border Nation: A Story of Migration, example from the UK, Political Geography Vol. 71, pp 1-9 will be published in spring 2021. 12. Khan, Omar (2020) The Colour of Money: How racial inequalities obstruct a fair and resilient economy, London, UK: Runnymede Trust. Available online at https://www.runnymedetrust.org/ uploads/publications/pdfs/2020%20reports/The%20Col- our%20of%20Money%20Report.pdf 13. BBC News (2020) Naga Munchetty ‘breached BBC rules’ with Representology takeaways Trump comments. Available online at https://www.bbc.co.uk/ news/entertainment-arts-49825570, accessed 30 November Structural barriers stop people from diverse 2020 backgrounds working in political journalism 14. Hattersley, Giles (2020) BBC Breakfast Presenter Naga Munchet- • News outlets need a multiplicity of perspectives ty On Race, Rage & Rocking The Boat, Vogue, 1 February. Available online at https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/ and experiences across all roles to improve the naga-munchetty-bbc-breakfast-interview, accessed 30 accuracy, depth and reach of their journalism. November 2020 • We all need to question dominant media narratives 15. Yamaguchi, Tomomi (2007) Impartial observation and partial participation: feminist ethnography in politically charged Japan, and how impartiality is defined today. Critical Asian Studies, Vol. 39, Issue 4, pp 583-608 • Only a radical overhaul of newsrooms can https:// 16. Video for gal-dem, 26 February 2017. Available online at dismantle the structural barriers to people from fb.watch/26nYr53feM/, accessed 30 November 2020 17. Another Round, Episode 13, 14 June 2016. Available online at under-represented groups getting paid work and https://play.acast.com/s/anotherround/episode-13-another- career opportunities. round-live-with-roxane-gay-encore

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Freelancing in the media

I spent two days of that From leading online training sessions to joke writing, there tumultuous, news-filled is no such thing as an average workday for media freelancer week writing jokes about what’s going on in the world Suchandrika Chakrabarti for Radio 4’s The Now Show. In a writers’ room In the week of the US elections, there was a breakthrough in the search pulled together by a Zoom for the Covid vaccine, Brexit negotiations continued, and a former Daily call, we laughed at the volume of stories we had to Mirror Chicken may have missed out on promotion thanks to an work with, and how the intervention by the Prime Minister’s fiancée. tone shifted so abruptly from one news item to the next.

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Growing up in the 1990s, None of these certainties don’t dare to direct at their of ‘fake news’ would finish writing comedy was a job I have turned out to be true. editors; and ask why digital them off. didn’t know it was possible The 90s ended up being is, generally, such a step A digital journalist’s day is to have. Even when my dad completely unrepresentative down from the ways of very different, and involves would suggest I watch Have of the decades that would working on a newspaper. writing about seven to ten I Got News For You with him, follow. While the term stories per shift. Shifts are it didn’t click. Comedy was ‘journalist’ has covered my generally 7am-3pm or just our thing that we role for much of my career, Gone are 3-11pm – swapping from enjoyed together. When he the job itself is subject to the days mornings to evenings each insisted that I read the constant change. In my last In the last few decades of week – so they’re fairly foreign pages of the staff position, as editorial the 20th century, the golden anti-social. Most of the Guardian as well as the rest, trainer at Reach Plc, I age of papers, newsrooms stories will be rewrites of before I went to get the delivered training across the only really got lively by news from other sources, school bus in the morning, I company, which meant at 10am, with the first big with some scope for original got the idea from him that the Daily Mirror as well as editorial meeting at 11am. A reporting, but rarely enough being a good newspaper travelling the country to second shift would come in time. Then there’s sourcing journalist was something to other newsrooms. late afternoon to work until pictures, thinking up social aim for. Additionally, I did shifts on the newspaper went headlines, making sure almost every desk at Mirror Now, though, writing topical off-stone, to the printers, by there’s a search-friendly Online. Digital journalism comedy is just one of a about 10pm. It could be headline too, all the while changes quickly, and it’s couple of jobs I had to juggle 11pm or later if there was fielding GChat messages easy to feel rusty on all the this week. Alongside huge breaking news. There from editors and the social various systems and comedy – an industry I might be days when a media team, and keeping workflows. I had to be on decided to get into in journalist did not produce a one hand hovering over the top of all of these jobs, ready January 2020 – I’m also a to train everyone from a media trainer and a freelance news shifter to a social journalist. Copywriting’s media editor to a personal So my life as a freelancer would there in the mix too. Of finance writer. course, I’m working on a have to involve balancing novel. One morning in 2017, I was different kinds of jobs, and updating a room full of All my jobs have two things people on how to use in common: storytelling, and branching out from pure Facebook to ‘sell’ their my overheating laptop. stories effectively, for journalism. Without the internet, I’m not maximum audience sure how I would have made engagement. One reporter phone to set up an interview any money during the surreal story for print at all, because tentatively put his hand up. for the next article. If news pandemic year of 2020. In they were working on He was very sorry to tell me breaks, there will be a fact, I don’t know how to something big, or were out that Facebook had changed cascade of articles, perhaps work or live without the interviewing, or investigating. its algorithm earlier that a liveblog, and maybe even internet at all, anymore. The Tabloid section editors might morning, and so… a very lucky person sent out analogue era is truly over. have a couple of thousand everything on my slide was to get video. pounds thrown at them of a In the 90s, I learned a few wrong. In a digital age, weekend to generate At about 7am on an things about the world of media training is a provocative stories. One otherwise normal weekday in work that I thought would conversation, not a example, told to me on my May 2016, the Head of Video never change. Firstly, that I broadcast. I had to be podcast Freelance Pod,1 at Mirror Online called me to would one day have a prepared to be wrong as well involved an editor asking see if I could get down to a one-word job title, like my as right on any given one of her reporters to sinkhole in Charlton, near parents (mum: teacher, dad: element of digital pretend to be a cool, where I lived in Greenwich, doctor). Secondly, that work storytelling. south east London, to take would happen outside of the cutting-edge Young British The training room is also a some video. This particular house, although it could spill Artist (aka the YBAs), even confessional. Whether a sinkhole had made the front over into life a bit, in the hiring gallery space. That trainer is in-house or a page of the Evening form of home visits or was the power of consultant brought in, we are Standard the night before, as marking and class trips. newspapers, and that was seen as neutral, and our it had opened up underneath Thirdly, that writing as a the luxury of time and money workshops are safe spaces. a car, which had half-fallen career would provide the that they could have, Journalists can ask the into it. I arrived at a scene kind of financially stable pre-internet. Imagine a questions that they feel silly that was mostly taped-off for adult life that my parents had newspaper pulling a stunt asking of their workmates; safety reasons. Many already figured out before like that now – even if the let off the steam that they journalists had beaten me having me. budget was there, the cries

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there. A lot of them brought I meant to stay in that job for I entered a new world where performance and personality impressive broadcast kit two years before going mattered as much as the content, which isn’t always so true from their newsrooms. I was freelance, but I made it to with writing. I didn’t realise that I had started building my going to use my phone. three before redundancy personal brand. After speaking at a few conferences, one or came for me. After finding it two fans of the podcast would come up and chat to me as One journalist walked past hard to walk away from a though they knew me, which showed me the power of audio, me, saying that he was salary, in April 2018 I found and convinced me that I should do more with it. I was asked going to head into the myself with a generous a number of times if I’d tried stand-up, and a long-buried graveyard of the church by payout and a laptop. It was dream started to look more and more like something I ought the sinkhole, and get better finally time to become a to dig up. shots from there. I did the freelancer. same, stepping up onto a We live in a world now where the means of publishing are small brick wall to take available to anyone with a decent wifi connection. More and pictures and video inside the The freelance more people look to journalists to teach them how to use hole. I could glimpse what leap digital storytelling tools. This means that marginalised groups was keeping the car half-out can circumvent the traditional gatekeepers to get themselves of the sinkhole – a large pipe I had no illusions that writing seen and heard. Lack of diversity in newsrooms and writer’s it was balanced on – and I consumer journalism could rooms and other rooms that shape how we see ourselves and could also see the bring in enough income to the world, is hugely problematic. It requires urgent solutions. shimmering golden colour sustain my life in London. Training helps open up an otherwise opaque world to aspiring inside, the surprisingly Print is generally more creatives of all backgrounds. beautiful shade of the clay lucrative than digital, but I’ve given up on having a simple one-word job title like my soil under the streets of print titles are fast parents did. Instead, I have freedom beyond their wildest Charlton. I leaned over the disappearing. So my life as a expectations: the freedom to create, but also to fail. Is life graveyard fence and dangled freelancer would have to better as a freelancer? I do prefer having the ability to mix up my phone as low as possible involve balancing different careers, and choose the job I take on. I haven’t managed a to get as much footage as I kinds of jobs, and branching great work-life balance, but then my professional writing is could. out from pure journalism. bound up in my personal life – just count the number of times The training role really Other journalists spotted us I’ve used the pronoun ‘I’ in this essay. helped my transition into and started making their way freelancing. As soon as I’d When I write topical comedy now, my late father’s love of into the graveyard, so the left my job, I had requests journalism and politics comes to mind, and all those times he police intervened and come my way, and they’ve insisted that I watch Have I Got News For You with him. It’s bundled us all out, warning never completely stopped. only recently that I’ve realised that he might have liked to do that the flooding that had The early part of the my job; but he lived in the wrong time. caused the sinkhole also pandemic this year was caused regular problems in In the last decades of the 20th century, the question of why tough, as we all adjusted to the churchyard. We could there was no one who looked like him in newsrooms and Zoom, but since then, a lot end up finding ourselves writer’s rooms and all those other rooms where our of people have decided that ankle-deep in a sodden perception of reality gets made, simply wasn’t asked. We’ve learning media skills – grave. That was enough to lost generations of talent as a result. We can’t let that especially podcasting – is a get me to leave, struggling continue. good use of their enforced with the 3G that everyone indoor time. else was using to send my References pictures and video into the Alongside training, making a successful podcast in my 1. Freelance Pod, 11 August 2019. Available online at office. https://play.acast.com/s/freelancepod/ last role at the Daily Mirror, b2b606a66a1a430d9d9edcb4d2314b35 It was thrilling to actually do Black Mirror Cracked, played some reporting, and to try to a large part in changing my beat the other journalists by career. The pod netted getting my exclusive Representology takeaways 20,000 downloads in its first multimedia in first. I’d week (with seven episodes), While providing greater flexibility, freelancing in accepted that this kind of and 150,000 over the six the media offers few certainties and little thing wouldn’t really feature months I worked on it before financial security. To better support freelancers, in this job when I took on the I was made redundant (I the industry should ask itself: role as trainer, but that was worked on the first 30 still one of the best mornings • Can you help make the working conditions for episodes). Those numbers of my three years at Reach freelancers more secure? led to me speaking about Plc. Imagine how deskbound the podcast at several • Do you share access to information, courses, new digital journalists across the events over the summer technology and practice with freelance staff? nation feel. after I’d left it behind at the • Is there mentoring or other support available to Mirror. help freelancers shape their ‘brand’?

51 REPRESENTOLOGY THE JOURNAL OF MEDIA AND DIVERSITY THE FINANCIAL TIMES: NEW INITIATIVES TO ENGAGE WOMEN READERS

esewa Hennessy, the Financial Times’ digital editor for audience engagement, describes the newspaper’s past struggles and current successes with understanding its women readers, K exploring the benefits of digital tools as well as their limitations. 52 ISSUE 01

The early, unofficial The hope – back when this are already signed up but Close monitoring of ‘over- prototypes of the was still controversial (hence significantly less engaged indexing’ stories (in practice, the kitchen-whispering) – than men. In focus groups that’s me staring at a Financial Times’ women was that data, however conducted a few years ago dashboard of data every subscribers’ elementary, would call when data first confirmed the morning), more so than engagement projects attention to the disparity in a disparity, a majority of broader categories such as were inauspicious. They way that simply saying that women explained that they topics, has proved integral to there was a clear imbalance found the tone off-putting. If how the projects work. It started with women hadn’t. The hunch at the the FT were a person, they allows us to spot trends and whispering in office outset was that very ‘male’ said, it would be a man.2 So share the information across kitchens about the coverage would be reflected we set a goal of changing the editorial and commercial urgent need for a more in the make-up of the women subscribers’ parts of the business, audience; and that a more perceptions — in the long informing departments from balanced output; with balanced output would help run increasing their events to marketing. rudimentary broaden the subscriber base. engagement and in turn Crucially it also allows us to spreadsheets comparing Five years on, the FT has a building their loyalty. understand not just what has the number of women company-wide goal of Internally, we want to learn over-indexed but also to increasing women more about what women predict with confidence what and men featured in subscribers’ engagement subscribers consume and to will. It gives a fairly accurate bylines and skylines; championed by editor Roula encourage culture change to feel for hard-to-quantify and a legendary edition Khalaf;1 a growing cluster of help us better meet their elements such as tone, too. well established newsroom demands. of the opinion page on Within the FT, focusing on projects and processes how individual stories fare which three of the four aimed at doing just that, means we can swiftly pick up writers were white men which I lead; and a steady Collecting the on the distinctive ways rise in engagement. called David (the fourth data women engage with new was a white man called The first official women’s The initiatives share a few topics that dominate the Michael). engagement experiment was common features. First, headlines, such as launched in the newsroom in they’re all founded on coronavirus, the death of 2017: Project XX (named models developed by our George Floyd and Black after the chromosome), data science specialists that, Lives Matter, and US where one story a day likely since 2016, have informed us president-elect Joe Biden to be read by an above about what women and vice-president-elect average percentage of our subscribers read. The Kamala Harris. This has female subscribers was audience engagement team practical value: for example, promoted high on the home uses this information to it helps us ensure headlines page. Supportive senior develop and implement on these topics include editors, including Khalaf, initiatives, tailored to FT keywords that reflect the then deputy editor, made it newsroom culture, that help aspects women are reading permanent after a trial our journalists meet these about. showing clear engagement readers’ demands. Over the longer term, it helps benefits. Our initiatives now Our understanding of women us correct long standing range from dedicated subscribers’ distinctive misconceptions (‘women promotion channels and reading patterns is made up don’t read about “core FT” targeted products that help of several complementary subjects’; ‘men don’t read ensure relevant content metrics. More significant about “soft” subjects’). We reaches the target audience, than high traffic (although, as can spot unexpected to editorial workflow systems with groundbreaking patterns (the obscure and AI tools. investigations into allegations corners of financial These initiatives, in all their of sexual misconduct in regulation that consistently disparate forms, broadly business like the Presidents over-index) and pinpoint share the same simple goals. Club scandal,3 that is always newer ones (environmental, They’re about increasing the welcome) is the percentage social and governance engagement of our women of women’s page views for investing; the gig economy). subscribers, currently about an average FT story. This It highlights the demand for 25% of the total – primarily gives us a benchmark stories long dismissed as by encouraging changes to against which to measure the ‘niche’ (workplace both content and newsroom popularity of topics, sections discrimination and diversity, culture that will help the FT and, importantly, stories for managing childcare, feel more relevant to a this smaller section of the femtech, the menopause) section of the audience who audience. – and that the idea of

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‘niche’ is itself a myth (over-indexing stories are always read than a spreadsheet you fill in by more men than women, including those on the beauty by hand after poring over industry and, yes, the menopause). All told, this creates a quotes, pictures and bylines more realistic picture of our audience as a whole. in your own stories. What next? As we learn more Interpreting the patterns about our target audiences, focus on new ones, and this Externally, understanding these patterns helps us to change year in particular respond to audience perceptions by promoting more of our relevant big news events, the strategy content. Alongside Project XX, dedicated promotion channels continues to evolve. We are include Long Story Short, a weekly round-up email of the FT’s investigating the longer-term biggest stories and best reads. It’s curated by women effects of the coronavirus journalists featuring stories popular with women in a format pandemic on women’s that women told us they liked. Neither the home page slot nor reading habits. We’ve the newsletter is overtly branded ‘women’s content’ – women focused specifically on told us in customer research they didn’t want that – but they American women during the both receive above-average engagement from women. election as part of a US Understanding these patterns means that, as well as changing growth strategy. And since perceptions through promotion, we can produce more the killing of George Floyd, relevant content. It broadens the range of commissioning plans to move beyond options for editors and writers, for example. Information on gender as we broaden our what engages women is also included in the specifications of audience have gained new editorial products, such as Climate Capital, a platform momentum. I’m looking at showcasing the FT’s coverage of climate change, business, what we can transfer from markets and politics. the women’s projects to help build a more ethnically All these initiatives bring together expertise from across the diverse audience – business. Take November’s virtual Motherhood, Money and expanding the 50:50 Making Career Moves talk. It’s our second event in Project,4 for example, and partnership with Black Ballad, a British media platform promoting through specific featuring journalism for and by Black women. The project platforms, like Instragram involves the FT’s live events specialists and the personal – while acknowledging that it finance and podcast sections, as well as the audience will inevitably require a engagement team. significantly different To encourage our fellow journalists to take part in these approach. projects, we emphasise how they help increase their And what about those who audiences – in particular, the fact that more representative don’t wish to participate in output can make your work more relevant to a wider such projects for whatever audience. FT analysis shows women are more likely to read reason? Experience says stories featuring women. time and energy is more So, for example, many FT teams have volunteered to join the efficiently spent working with BBC-led 50:50 project, tracking the balance of women and those who do. Others will men writers, experts and other contributors in their output. often join eventually – when The long-term aim is for each desk to reach a roughly equal critical mass is reached and/ monthly ratio. Asking busy journalists to spend extra time or when the benefits of filling in spreadsheets for little direct benefit is not the easiest participating clearly outweigh sell. Yet many in editorial and beyond have already signed up those of not doing so – and – very often because they believe in the principle but also they’re always welcome. At because it can help them reach more readers. the FT, as it turns out, there are enough people willing to It may also seem counterintuitive to ask colleagues to count take part to make it work. imbalances by hand when, like a lot of newsroom processes – including several of our FT experiments – this could be automated. Automation has proved useful in providing a macro-level picture of imbalances in output but we’ve also encountered limitations, including in-built bias. The 50:50 project has led a shift back to a more manual approach, closer to the kitchen-whisperers’ basic spreadsheet. This appears more effective as a way to raise journalists’ awareness of imbalances and encourage culture change. It’s easier to ignore a Slack channel quietly pumping out data

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References 1. Williams, Zoe (2020) ‘Capitalism needs a reset’: the first female editor of the Financial Times is a level-headed radical, Vogue, 5 June. Available online at https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and- lifestyle/article/roula-khalaf-interview, accessed 30 November 2020. 2. Hazard Owen, Laura (2018) ‘If the Financial Times were a person, it would be a man.’ Here’s how the paper is trying to change that, NiemanLab, 3 April. Available online at https:// www.niemanlab.org/2018/04/if-the-financial-times-were-a- person-it-would-be-a-man-heres-how-the-paper-is-trying- to-change-that/, accessed 30 November 2020. 3. Marriage, Madison (2018) Men Only: Inside the charity fundraiser where hostesses are put on show, Financial Times, 23 January. Available online at https://www.ft.com/content/075d679e-0033- 11e8-9650-9c0ad2d7c5b5, accessed 30 November 2020. 4. BBC Media Centre (2020) The BBC’s pioneering 50:50 Project expanded to include ethnicity and disability, 22 October, press release. Available online at https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/ latestnews/2020/5050-project-expended-to-include-ethnicity- and-disability, accessed 30 November 2020.

Kesewa Hennessy is the Financial Times’ digital editor for audience engagement.

Representology takeaways Engaging with women readers begins with good data • Don’t ask permission, just start collecting data. Tracking by-lines and who is quoted in articles are good ways to get an initial indication of gender imbalances. • Build momentum for change: harness the demand for more representative output that is likely to arise naturally in younger, more female and perhaps eventually, more racially diverse newsrooms. • Find a few supportive senior editors willing to champion the cause. • To build women readers’ engagement, establish data models, set measurable company goals and lobby for dedicated newsroom resources, including for new roles. • Focus on demonstrating, through data and research, the quantifiable costs of not evolving and the business benefits of making your newsroom’s output more representative.

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56 ISSUE 01

‘It ain’t half racist, mum’

The half-hour show – made The BBC would Introduction by K Biswas in association with the subsequently apologise for Campaign Against Racism the broadcast, believing the In March 1979, BBC Two broadcast in the Media – was fronted show to have been by cultural theorist “injurious” to the ‘It Ain’t Half Racist, Mum’. Produced Professor Stuart Hall and “professional integrity” of for the BBC’s Open Door series, which actor Maggie Steed. Shot such corporation like an everyday BBC heavyweights as Robin Day gave marginalised groups access to newscast, the two anchors and Ludovic Kennedy the airwaves, it is notable for directly are sat at a desk speaking featured in the programme. directly to camera, their We include an edited challenging the corporation itself, words intercut with footage transcript of the television taking aim at the racism and from popular 1970s essay here not as a television – highlighting the historical artefact but to ask stereotyping present in its comedy racial slurs concerning whether contemporary and current affairs programmin. Britain’s minority discourse about race in the communities present in media has sufficiently family sitcoms, and moved forward in the primetime current affairs intervening four decades. programmes giving platforms to nativist voices like Enoch Powell as experts in discussions around migration.

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Continuity announcer: Maggie Steed: // Stuart Hall: You’re watching BBC2 and Hello. You may not have Clip from It Ain’t Half Hot, So, stereotypes do affect now, Open Door, a realised it, but you’ve just Mum, with dialogue including people’s lives. The trouble is programme in which the been warned about this ‘the most awful Black in that that you can laugh at the BBC hands over airtime to programme. When the BBC village’ and ‘Get on with that joke and accept the members of the public to use says a programme like this is punkah-ing you prize-eating stereotype at the same time. under their own editorial outside their control, what berk’. After all, the media don’t only control. Tonight, a they are telling you is that give us information about the programme made by they don’t think it’s balanced, // world we live in. They also Campaign Against Racism in neutral, or fair. We hope to shape our attitudes towards the Media. show you that many of the Stuart Hall: it. And jokes can strengthen programmes which are under A typical scene from a our prejudices even while we the editorial control of the well-known comedy series. are laughing at them. BBC, and ITV, are It’s probably also fairly themselves biased and typical of what relationships // unbalanced – especially in were like between many Edinburgh the coverage they give to white people and Asians Clip from Television Festival Q&A Britain’s Black community. during the days of the British Not only is a lot of this Empire. Lazy, skiving natives Humphrey Barclay (Head of coverage not neutral, it locked in a deceitful battle of comedy, London Weekend actually reinforces racism. wits against Lord Reith’s Television): genteel elements of society. Mind In the beginning, there was I don’t think that series [ Your Language Lord Reith, the first director ] is socially // general of the BBC. damaging. I hope it isn’t. Otherwise, we really oughtn’t Clip from It Ain’t Half Hot, to be doing it. But I think that // Mum, in which officers agree what people get out of that is not to give a pay rise to the Clip from Lord Reith Looks a lot of enjoyment. I don’t lazy ‘punkah wallah’ for fear Back with Malcolm think it’s at the expense of of affecting ‘the whole Muggeridge the characters. I think there structure of Indian society’. Malcolm Muggeridge: is a multi-racial community // working in that classroom, at The interesting point, in some level, which is terms of social history, is that enjoyable. Which may make this particular accent, which Stuart Hall: people who are not members the BBC produced, You may think it’s a good of any of those racial somehow identified the BBC thing the British are able to minorities friendlier towards with a certain section of laugh at their own past, but the races they see portrayed society and certain social the British Empire was no there, without saying – when trends, so that, to this day, joke for those on the they meet an Indian in the the BBC is thought of as the receiving end. It’s because of street – ‘Oh, he always talks organ of the – as it were – the poverty the empire left like that and he’s funny genteel and respectable behind that so many Asians because he wears a turban. elements in society. and West Indians accepted invitations to come here after // Lord Reith: the war for work. So, it’s a bit Is there anything wrong with of a turn-up for the books Stuart Hall: that? that one of the commonest Well, in the cosy atmosphere // jokes about Asians in of Edinburgh, the television television comedy today is professionals may think that they work too hard. ethnic humour about Blacks who work too hard, scrounge // off the dole and live two Clips from Mind Your families in a room, is just Language and The Rag entertainment. The fact Trade in which immigrant remains that, in Britain today, characters refer to working this is what most white several jobs, being on the people believe about Blacks. dole, and not knowing what The fact that television is unions are. always making jokes about it makes them feel justified in // despising Black people.

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The comedy makes it okay, natural, acceptable. If you think politician hard at work in his Stuart Hall: this is an exaggeration, look at the way exactly the same front room, and he has a I suppose, strictly speaking, attitudes dominate the outlook of serious television story to tell our reporter. this is the famous BBC documentary makers when they deal with what they like to balance and impartiality in call ‘racial problems’. For instance, when Philip Tibenham and // action. Current affairs the Tonight team went down to darkest Blackburn, they made programmes aren’t Clip from Tonight a joke about Blacks and overcrowding the starting point of supposed to express a their investigation. John Kingsley Read: viewpoint. They have to be I’ve got many, many impartial. And when the // complaints about immigrants allegations in that Blackburn taking the toilets out and programme got too Clip from Tonight actually parcelling up their outrageous, the reporter did Philip Tibenham: Predictably, the Asian population has excreta, et cetera, and tell us there wasn’t a shred of drifted into its own ghetto, sprawling on either side of a long sticking it in the back alleys. evidence to support them. road called Whalley Range. The standing local joke is for bus // But formal balance is one drivers to announce it as the Khyber Pass. But part of the thing, and the impression problem in Blackburn is that some immigrants are on the that strong images make is Maggie Steed: move. This used to be a solid immigrant area, but it’s been another. This isn’t an Here, the freedom of the air demolished under a slum clearance programme. That’s meant accusation against a is the freedom to allow that some Asians have spilt over into adjacent white, working- particular reporter. It’s a unsubstantiated racist class areas, and there are those who don’t like it one bit. question of how the media, slander to pour out from the as a whole, work; and of how // screen, over the audience. television works on the Now Mr Read has the audience. In those last Stuart Hall: reporter’s ear. It’s an intimate extracts we had vicious This Tonight report and Mind Your Language both start from little scene. The attention allegations against Blacks the same assumption: the problem isn’t the hostility which he’s getting from the reporter made it a confidential and Asians face when they move out of the ghetto, but the fact lends what he is saying authoritative way, and that they are ‘spilling out’ into adjacent white working-class credibility. When last did you denials tentatively made later neighbourhoods. Blackburn’s problem is that immigrants are see a Black person on by a reporter stumbling up a on the move. television getting this backstreet in Blackburn. undivided attention? Still, as Which do you think made the every good BBC reporter // stronger, more memorable, knows, when racist Tonight impact? Even Philip Clip from allegations become too Tibenham had to admit: Philip Tibenham: strong, even they have to counter them. In political terms, it led to something quite startling for // Blackburn. At the recent local elections in St Thomas’s ward – normally regarded as totally safe for Labour – John Kingsley // Clip from Tonight Read, chairman of the ultra-right-wing National Party, came Clip from Tonight Philip Tibenham: top of the poll. The fact is that the Kingsley Philip Tibenham: Stuart Hall voiceover: Read version has already Now, there are lots of Here comes the John Wayne of racism, striding out of the gone into the mythology of disturbing things about this west. Blackburn. Hundreds, maybe whole Blackburn situation. thousands, of people actually Philip Tibenham: For example, we asked the believe that it’s true. For a man who didn’t form his party until earlier this year, local council if they’d Kingsley Read’s achievement has been remarkable, and no investigate the allegations of // one questions that the success has been based on his open smashed toilets, and pipes distaste for the coloured immigrants and his demands for their blocked by offal. And, after a Maggie Steed: immediate repatriation thorough search, the health Yes, thanks to such stories, // department came back with not thousands but millions the answer that there is not a now believe it – and shred of evidence to support Maggie Steed: television helped to make either of the stories. those myths believable. When did building up a successful racist party become, in the BBC’s language of neutrality, ‘a remarkable achievement’? // Can you imagine a report describing the rise of the Black Panthers as a remarkable achievement? Still, the cameras don’t leave us in much doubt where Blackburn and Mr Read are concerned. Here he is again, shown as a respectable

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Stuart Hall: Maggie Steed: Maggie Steed: And somehow the myths keep creeping back into the Blacks may outnumber This is a programme where programmes. TV reinforces those myths simply by using them whites by three-to-one, but the Black majority, who are as a colourful lead into the next race story – just ‘good, strong the BBC seem to have said to be the problem, are television’. In the next extract, our guide is not a racist trouble finding them, since invisible; and the whites, who politician but an expert, who wrote what is a supposedly none on the estate are are having the problem, hold impartial report for the police about young Blacks and crime in interviewed. The microphone the camera. No one Birmingham. The expert, inevitably white, is an important is given to a white resident, questioned whether you only figure in television documentary because he isn’t seen to take and again the reporter lends find run-down condition and sides. He has the authority of ‘a man who knows’. The next a sympathetic, professional social problems on housing documentary is from the award-winning Shades of Grey ear. estates where Blacks are in – listen to the way the expert’s piece to camera moves from the majority. It isn’t only what one stereotype to another. // the media say, it’s what they don’t say but take for Clip from Race – The Way // granted. We Live Now Stuart Hall: Clip from Shades of Grey Bob Butterick: Whenever Whenever John Brown: Out it comes, and afterwards programmes are made about Imagine young West Indians, perhaps born in the early 60s, people just use it as a dust Blacks, the starting point is come on to the labour market just at the worst time – a time of hole. always numbers. And there high unemployment, particularly for young people. Then they Richard Lindley: is nothing that factual get perhaps involved with the police, in some act of minor How do you know it’s Black television loves so much as a delinquency. The police come round. The parents themselves children doing this? good solid number, unless get het up, reject their children, and this act of rejection is very it’s a comparison between Bob Butterick: common, in many ways. So, leaving their parents, they go and two numbers and a bit of Because I look out the door. shack up with others of their kind, in squats or in communes. zappy graphic work. On the one hand, searching for purpose, searching for // identity. On the other hand, perhaps involved more and more // in criminality, acts of violence against the old and defenceless. Maggie Steed: It’s a terrifying scenario. Clip from Race – A Question Would you call that of Numbers // convincing evidence? Was it substantiated by any of the Charles Wheeler: Stuart Hall: Black residents on the Because dealing with large It is indeed, but what’s really terrifying is the way the scene is estate? It would have been figures is notoriously being set. This is the archetypal picture. Black communities nice to know their view. muddling, we’ve devised a seen exclusively in terms of crime, unemployment, family Instead, we’re given a guided way of illustrating numbers. breakdown, and problems. The problems are always tour of the lift-shaft and more We’re taking Wembley explained by white experts. stories of excreta. White stadium as a symbol to represent 100,000 people. Maggie Steed: citizens though, are given the freedom to air their Now, how big is Britain’s In fact, racism is a white problem. But, from Blackburn to prejudices. non-white population? Birmingham to Brent, wherever the television eye turns, it sees According to government // the same story. figures, 1,800,000. That’s the Clip from Race – The Way reality. // We Live Now // Clip from Race – The Way We Live Now Richard Lindley: Richard Lindley: What’s it like to live here? Maggie Steed: Brent isn’t notorious for racial trouble like Notting Hill, for Unnamed Resident 1: So, now it’s not just streets instance, though it is probably the Blackest borough in Britain. Absolute hell. full, or rooms full, of Blacks. Of every ten babies born here, four are non-white. Bob They are counting them in Butterick lives on the huge Stonebridge estate. Here, white Unnamed Resident 2: stadiums. What other social families are outnumbered three-to-one by Blacks. What is it Bloody awful. group would the media dare that really upsets you about this estate? Richard Lindley: to count in that way? Jews, Catholics? How many Bob Butterick: Are whites going? Wembley stadiums of Well, it’s the vandalism, the noise. You come out of your street // Australians, Canadians, or door, you ask them to be quiet in a nice way, and they just white Rhodesians do you look at you: ‘Go in, you white trash.’ think there are in Britain // today? Of course, a number is a fact, and current affairs

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television loves a fact – Maggie Steed: because you can’t quarrel So, that’s real neutrality for with it. It must be true. Can you. But what’s his story? you remember, as a matter of He’s a population statistician. No one questioned whether you fact, how many Wembley only find run-down condition stadiums the Blacks and // Asians filled up? and social problems on housing Clip from Race – A Question // of Numbers estates where Blacks are in the Professor William Brass: Clip from Race – A Question majority. It isn’t only what the of Numbers The fertility consequences can be seen much more media say, it’s what they don’t Charles Wheeler: clearly if we have a look at Now, for the public the completed family sizes. say but take for granted. perception. Of those in our // sample willing to make an estimate, two-thirds thought Stuart Hall: language of the racists about Maggie Steed: there were more non-whites But the main reason the Britain being swamped by Now, after a decade of in the country than there fertility expert’s on the people of an alien culture. saturation coverage like that, actually are. As many as programme is because he And, if numbers is the Powell and his views have 14% overestimated wildly knows how fast people problem, then repatriation been made respectable by and thought the number of breed. He lends an air of must be the answer. television. It’s not just that, non-whites has reached 10 authority to the numbers Stuart Hall: whenever the media debates million or more. game and, where Blacks are Whetheryou like it or not, race, they turn to Powell. The // concerned, the only problem that’s a racist logic. That’s fact is that the debate starts is: how many of them are what the emotive language from Powell’s racist chain of there going to be? Stuart Hall: of British racism feeds on: reasoning.. Perhaps we get our numbers immigrants equal Blacks, // wrong because we get a equals too many of them, // steady diet of documentaries Race – A Question equals send them back. This Clip from Clip from Race – A Question from Blackburn, Birmingham of Numbers chain of reasoning has of Numbers and Brent on the so-called Charles Wheeler: dominated the so-called immigration problem. Of immigration debate at least Enoch Powell: Which leaves the major course, as soon as you say since 1968, when Mr Powell We’ll either have gone, or question of Asian fertility. numbers, it doesn’t matter first stated the so-called we’ll slip out from under how you wrap it up. There is Professor William Brass: facts and drew the somehow. only one lesson to be drawn: The Asians are the significant deductions about Black Charles Wheeler: the numbers are growing, factor in the future change. people in Britain. Here he is, A harsh prediction from there are too many of them. // being interviewed with great Enoch Powell. Is he right or Here’s something better than reverence by that well-known wrong? And is it a matter of a number: a number plus an Canadian immigrant, Maggie Steed: figures? Tonight, we’re going expert. Professor Robert McKenzie. Let’s give the media the to examine the number of non-white... // benefit of the doubt. Just // suppose the aim of that // Clip from Race – A Question programme was to debunk Clip from Race – A Question of Numbers the myth about Black of Numbers Maggie Steed: Charles Wheeler: numbers. In fact, if you Professor Robert Powell is now the media’s always only talk about To do this, we’ve McKenzie: superstar on race, and Blacks in relation to commissioned a special Mr Powell, we’re here in the everybody defers to his numbers, the audience assessment by a man who room in which you made opinion as if it were gospel cannot help but think that has no political axe to grind, your most famous speech, truth. He defines the terms. that must be the problem. who is not involved with race probably, on immigration in He sets the agenda. He’s The possibility that the relations, or with the 1968. Now, the campaign to helped to ensure that the problem might lie with white government. restrict immigration had been question is the question of society is never considered. under way from the mid- immigration. // There is only an inch or two 50s... of film between those absurdly scientific Wembley // stadiums and the emotive

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// Clip from Tonight interview Stuart Hall: with Martin Webster Clip from The Question of When last did you hear a television interviewer say: ‘Mr Fidel Immigration debate, Ludovic Kennedy: Castro, I understand you have a message for the British featuring Enoch Powell, and You have a plan, which people’? This isn’t giving the racists enough rope to hang described in Stuart Hall’s you’ve already mentioned to themselves with. It’s allowing them to get away with murder, voice-over as ‘the big me – this comes out of your and all the time in the name of balance and good journalism. prestige media production on policy document – of In the name of balance, the stronger racism becomes, the race relations. For its 90 advising ‘the repatriation’ – more airtime it gets. minutes, it was obsessed by and I’m quoting now – ‘by Maggie Steed: the questions of numbers the most humane means And, in the name of balance – whatever that term may mean and repatriation.’ possible, of those coloured – you’d expect them to give equal treatment to the antiracists. // immigrants already here, So, take a look at these extracts from one of the few reports together with their about the Anti-Nazi League, Britain’s biggest anti-racist descendants and Stuart Hall: umbrella organisation. dependents.’ How many // As soon as you start defining people is that? Black issues in terms of Clip from Tonight – Anti-Nazi League Report numbers and repatriation, // you play straight into the Sally Hardcastle: hands of extremist racist Maggie Steed: Using all the tricks of the advertising trade, the message of groups with their solution of There was no challenge there the league is: ‘Anti-racism is good for you, it’s got laughs, it’s forced repatriation. And, in on what forcible repatriation got style, you can even set it to music.’ The league claims a recent months, the media’s actually means. How far membership of 30,000 and within that a complex network of given increasing airtime to away is this from a balanced small groups, actively selling its message. But do they really these racist groups. This is a discussion on whether to exist except on days like this, at free concerts? For example, change in BBC policy from repatriate people by air or by it’s difficult to actually meet a skateboarder against racism, or the days of Sir Hugh Greene. sea? That interview to find really dedicated followers who haven’t just added one He said the BBC couldn’t be continued in the same cosy more protest slogan to a very long list. For the school kids neutral between racism and vein with Webster, of the alone, it’s the first slogan they’ve adopted. anti-racism. The present National Front, reminiscing // chairman of the BBC, Sir unchallenged about his Nazi Michael Swann, thinks past. This next interview otherwise: hardly exposes the rhetoric Voice-over: of racism any better. David Duke, of the Ku Klux Klan – ‘I believe it is vital to display wanted by the Home Office Racism has never been put in a the rhetoric of the National and the police as an illegal Front ... Who knows, entrant – is actually in a critical context by the media in exposure may even television studio. persuade them to alter their this country. When it comes to tune.‘ // fighting racism, the media are Stuart Hall: What he’s really Tonight saying is that extreme racists Clip from part of the problem. They have become part of balance Denis Tuohy: perpetuate myths and – an acceptable point of view You are reported as having a within the spectrum of message for the people of stereotypes about Black people. political opinions. Can you Britain. What is your imagine the media displaying message to the people of the rhetoric of, say, Black Britain, essentially? revolutionaries, on the David Duke: Stuart Hall: grounds that exposure may So, fighting racism is seen as a con trick, using gimmicks to even persuade them to I think one of the main things seduce naive schoolkids who don’t really understand what change their tune? Well, is that they are not alone – racism is about. According to the Tonight film, the Anti-Nazi displaying the rhetoric of the that there are white people League is a cunning, manipulative organisation, little better National Front has now all over the globe that than the racist forces they oppose. Here’s the final message become a respectable studio sympathise with them. of this programme about people who are fighting racism. chat between two white // equals, allowing the racists to spell out their propaganda to millions.

//

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// Maggie Steed voice-over: Voice-over: Clip from Tonight – Anti-Nazi As a matter of record, Sally ‘We are not prepared to League Report Hardcastle apart, a growing release news film to fulfil an number of media workers are avowedly partial purpose Sally Hardcastle: opposed to the National unless we are totally But how effective has the Front getting free airtime. reassured about the context league really been? At a time And the report was wrong and form in which it is to be when electoral support for about the campaign, which is used.’ the National Front has not to keep the National Stuart Hall: declined, violent racial hatred Front off the air, but against Our concern in this is increasing. There are daily the kind of uncritical programme is that the assaults on Asians in coverage we’ve seen earlier. London’s East End and, just unavowedly, but a few days ago in Bradford, a Sally Hardcastle: dangerously, partial attitudes shotgun attack on an Asian The executive of the National of the BBC should not be restaurant. The badges and Union of Journalists has placed above suspicion. carnivals of the league have come out strongly against Racism has never been put made no impact on the the ‘Pull the Plugs’ in a critical context by the growing problem of hidden campaign, calling it media in this country. When prejudice which prefers censorship. it comes to fighting racism, another kind of badge. // the media are part of the problem. They perpetuate // myths and stereotypes about Stuart Hall: Black people. They lie by Stuart Hall: Well, let’s talk about omission, distortion and This film’s story works to censorship. The BBC have selection. They give racists make the Anti-Nazi League effectively tried to censor the inflated importance and ineffective. And, even with programme we’re making respectability. In this racism on the increase, there today. The corporation’s half-hour programme we is little coverage of any other news department has denied haven’t even touched on anti-racist organisations – us access to any of their foreign coverage, the the ones run by Blacks for material. Independent whiter-than-white coverage themselves, for example. Television News and many of the police, the commercial companies have Maggie Steed: employment of Blacks in been similarly obstructive. television, Black culture, or We’d like to show you one Why this interference? Here’s news bias in press and TV. more piece of humbug from what the BBC’s head of We believe these issues the BBC’s film about the news, Alan Protheroe, said should be raised in Anti-Nazi League. about the issue at a mainstream television committee meeting of news programmes, but will they // and current affairs editors. be? Clip from Tonight – Anti-Nazi Voice-over: League Report ‘Why should an organisation, Sally Hardcastle: the Campaign Against Racism in the Media, which But the league does boast a might well accuse myself support we know it doesn’t and my staff of racism, be have. Its most controversial given privileged treatment?’ campaign is to get the National Front banned from Stuart Hall: Why indeed? Representology takeaways television screens, and the But is it a privilege to try and Challenging media output can help to enrich league claims widespread deal, in half an hour, with media diversity support amongst literally thousands of hours broadcasting staff. of television broadcast each • Revisiting past attempts to analyse media diversity year? And who is really can help us better address the same issue today. privileged when the news is • Questioning who is given a media platform and how above criticism? Here’s the their comments can be countered has justification of the ban given contemporary resonance. us by the BBC’s chairman, • It is vital that media organisations continue to Sir Michael Swann: broadcast or publish challenges to their own output.

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64 ISSUE 01 WINTER 2020 book review

by Joshua Virasami

Kimberly McIntosh finds a lot to recommend in this practical guide to protest and campaigning written by a seasoned Black Lives Matter, Extinction Rebellion and Occupy activist.

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2020 is the year that This is the field in which the ‘There are no new ideas, just advocates pressured the politics engulfed us – all book, How To Change It: new ways of giving those people with power. In the Make a Difference by Joshua ideas we cherish breath and chapter ‘Form a Strategy’, of us – and not only Virasami finds itself landing, power in our own living,’ Virasami uses practical those whose lives have as one of a series of 12 American writer and poet exercises to push two key always had a political pocket-sized, practical Audre Lorde told an messages: that successful edge. For people whose guides published by audience at Harvard movements are intentional Stormzy’s Merky books University in 1982. In How to and well-planned, but we’re economic precarity has imprint. Virasami encourages Change it, the importance of all capable of creating that hemmed them in, whose readers to campaign learning from the past is strategy for change if we skin colour has marked strategically. Across three central to its thesis. The have the right tools. them out, who have sections, he calls on us to book is at its strongest when ‘educate, organise, agitate’: it links historical movements been disabled by their to educate ourselves on the and the tactics they Learning from environment rather than structural causes of injustice, employed to current ones. ‘It failure to map our allies, targets and is mass organising that won their impairments – the Without strategy, tactics fall opposition, and then to many nations’ independence sharp end of laws, flat. But mistakes are where deploy the tactics needed to from European imperialism in learning happens and How policies and public win. Each section comes the first half of the twentieth to Change it is willing to use attitudes have long- with a curated playlist to century, just as it is examples of where complement the content and organising that won universal caused pain and injury. movements didn’t get it right. contextualise the arguments suffrage and the eight-hour But this year, a Virasami uses the follies of they make. working day,’ Virasami groups he was part of, such pandemic came and writes. Lessons from the US Virasami was, and is, part of as Occupy London and the was experienced by Civil Rights movement and a number of left-wing groups London Black the Awami Workers Party in everyone, although it including Occupy London, Revolutionaries, as Pakistan become the hasn’t affected everyone Black Lives Matter UK, and cautionary examples of how underpinnings of the London the London Renters’ Union. promising collectives can equally. Renters’ Union’s strategy. As a result, this book is fizzle out when direct action unashamedly left-wing and wears its politics openly. That’s not to say it doesn’t ‘When we rage, it’s because have range. Virasami uses a diverse set of topics, tactics something we love is being lost. and places, including the Potential is being lost. campaign to end the Sun’s Page Three, Gina Miller’s Opportunity for joy, for Brexit legal challenge, and the 2011 revolution in happiness, is being lost. [But] Rojava, Northern Syria, to we always need to remember illustrate his points. The research is thorough, with what we love, and to celebrate footnotes and call-out boxes used generously to explain that, as well as the rage.’ theories, ideologies and lesser-known figures. But the Change on the scale of say, is seen as the end instead of movements and thinkers that US civil rights can feel the means. This raises an anchor his arguments – like exceptional and thus interesting question: what Frantz Fanon, Paolo Freire, unattainable. How to Change does successful direct action Rosa Luxemburg and it looks beyond the famous look like? In ‘Get Protesting’, Antonio Gramsci – were speeches and mass a Black Lives Matter protest Marxist theorists. This could demonstrations, takes a at London City airport is be seen as political bias. In bird’s eye view and invites used as an example of a actuality, it’s an indication readers to ask: How did that successful action. In and indictment of how little all come together? Ordinary September 2016, nine white space competing ideologies people made it happen. And allies of BLM UK blocked the have given to the global fight a strategic confluence of runway in protest at ‘airport for intersectional justice. approaches got it done – expansion, climate crisis, the leaders organised in their hostile environment and communities to mobilise environmental racism’. The people en masse whilst action garnered much media

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attention, and ‘[we] were writes in chapter 8, ‘Get suddenly an unavoidable Teaching’. He argues this topic of conversation on education does not have to radio shows and TV be formal. Film, television programmes around the and music can all articulate country,’ Virasami writes. It the realities of injustice and was well-received at the time its causes. Steve McQueen’s by environmental activists1 BBC miniseries Small Axe, and followers of BLM UK on love letters to Black social media, but not by resilience and triumph and racial justice campaigner power of collective struggle, Stafford Scott nor the Black could serve as such an holidaymakers interviewed example. by the Guardian whose trips Inequity and injustice has were disrupted. It got the increased in salience. issues discussed, but did it Covid-19 has made the advance the aims of the mutuality of our lives clear: movement? That depends we are only as strong as the on your aims and intended health and wellbeing of our audience. This tension that most vulnerable neighbours. exists between passive allies Concern for poverty and isn’t explored. inequality in Britain has, Nevertheless, representing according to Ipsos MORI, your supporters and starting never been higher.2 In June, a high profile conversation in Black Lives Matter protests their name matters. Because resurged across the United having the inequity you face States and Europe, making affirmed, having the the efficacy of mass language to describe it and movements clear. And the the theory to explain it, is a slapdash response of many Kimberly McIntosh is References key access point for universities to the pandemic a journalist and policy 1. Grierson, Jamie et al (2016) researcher on poverty organising. Throughout the has energised students, who Nine Black Lives Matter book, Virasami successfully are using direct action and and race. protesters arrested after City uses examples from his even rent strikes to protest airport travel chaos, How To Change It by personal life to illustrate how their living and working Guardian, 6 September. Joshua Virasami is out now https:// politics happens to people. conditions. The time for new Available online at on Merky Books. www.theguardian.com/ He’s been paid £3.77 an hour visions is now. How to uk-news/2016/sep/06/ by a company where the Change it is a useful guide nine-black-lives-matter- CEO made £585,000 a year. for those new to activism protesters-arrested-amid- He’s been racially profiled in who are interested in city-airport-travel-chaos, school and in shops, stared channelling their anger and accessed on 30 November 2020 at in the British countryside, discontent into something 2. Ipsos MORI Research and stopped and searched meaningful. Highlights, 20 November by the police. These all have ‘Rage needs to be twinned 2020. Available online at historic, structural causes https://www.ipsos.com/ with love,’ Virasami told and knowing this can be ipsos-mori/en-uk/ipsos- broadcaster Dotty Charles empowering. How to Change mori-research-highlights- while discussing the book. 20-november-2020 it sees consciousness raising ‘When we rage, it’s because via political education as vital something we love is being for movement building and lost. Potential is being lost. societal transformation. Opportunity for joy, for ‘A political education … happiness, is being lost. [But] enables the majority of us to we always need to remember read the world for what it is, what we love, and to and call bullshit,’ Virasami celebrate that, as well as the rage.’ In a year that has been bleak for many, let’s use rage to fight for a world filled with potential and joy.

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By Dr Erica Gillingham

I’ll make it hot like all the summer I’m going to wear a face mask, so afternoons spent by the river I’ll make it ice cream patterned. at our favourite swimming hole, I’ll make it as bold as can be, before piling into the back of the truck one that screams ‘lick’ & ‘fun’. to stop by Dotty’s for a sweet treat after, I’ll make it blue & yellow the whole family taking up the picnic table. & orange & pink – all the flavours of bubble gum I’ll make it bright & sparkling, like all times we marked out celebrations: ice cream, the kind I ordered as a kid my brother’s graduation, at Lorde’s Ice Cream Parlour the news of an engagement, before I ate my mom’s instead. a casual stroll with my missus through Soho on a Tuesday evening, before our world turned like an upside-down ice cream cone & love alone could not protect us.

Dr Erica Gillingham is a queer poet, writer, and bookseller with a PhD in Young Adult Literature.

69 REPRESENTOLOGY THE JOURNAL OF MEDIA AND DIVERSITY REPRESENTOLOGY RECOMMENDS

70 ISSUE 01 WINTER 2020 To round off our inaugural issue, journalist, broadcaster and senior lecturer Marverine Duffy picks five things to read, watch or listen to when you are feeling inspired to learn more. Read Watch Listen The Good Immigrant, edited Steve McQueen’s highly anticipated Unchained. Brenda Birungi, also by Nikesh Shukla. Although four years Small Axe collection of five films known as Lady Unchained, is a poet old this collection of essays is still hit our screens in Autumn 2020. Set in and presenter for the Prison Radio relevant (Unbound, 2016). the late 60s through to the mid-80s Association. She was nominated in the Loud Black Girls: 20 Black amongst the West Indian communities Best New Voice category in the 2020 Women Writers Ask: of London, the films are a celebration of Audio Production Awards. The PRA Black joy, beauty, love, friendship, made this documentary for Radio 4 What’s Next? Yomi Adegoke and family, music and food. Watch on BBC which unlocks untold stories of women Elizabeth Uviebinené, authors of the iPlayer. in prison, contains research from acclaimed Slay in Your Lane: The Black Women In Prison and is punctuated by Girl Bible, invite the next generation of Mission: Accessible. Brenda’s powerful poetry. Listen on Black women in Britain – authors, Comedian Rosie Jones is on a mission BBC Sounds journalists, actors, activists and artists to help disabled people plan fun-filled – to explore what it means to them to adventures. With her comedian pals in BBC Asian Network is bringing back exist in these turbulent times. With a tow, Jones visits places across the UK the hilarious podcast, But Where foreword by Bernardine Evaristo, the 20 to compile a guide to the accessible Are You Really From…? essays offer funny, touching and British vacation. Watch on All 4 or There’s the whole of series 1 to enjoy ultimately insightful perspectives on the YouTube. as well. Hosts Eshaan Akbar, Nim question of ‘What’s Next?’ (Fourth Odedra and Sunil Patel discover just CripTales: Launching the series Estate, 2020) how ‘Desi’ their guest are, through celebratingthe 25th anniversary of the funny and revealing stories. Listen on The Digital Lives of Black Disability Discrimination Act, director BBC Sounds Women in Britain is a new book and disabled actor Mat Fraser said: by Francesca Sobande from Cardiff ‘Disabled voices have been shut out of Chinese Chippy Girl is a University. Based on interviews and mainstream TV drama for too long and podcast about growing up British born archival research, it explores accounts this is a chance to showcase some of Chinese. Dive into some superb of 20th-century activism and television the wonderful, inventive, funny, episodes discussing growing up. Listen representations, to experiences of dramatic, sexy and sobering potential on Spotify or your usual podcast app. YouTube and Twitter. Sobande’s available.’ Watch on BBC iPlayer. Dope Black Dads and analysis traverses tensions between Why just read about Charlene White’s Dope Black Mums podcast. digital culture’s communal, counter- attempt to tackle racism in children’s Marvyn Harrison has created a beautiful cultural and commercial qualities. programming (see page 10) without thing. What he and his network do in (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020) watching the very show itself: IRL terms of bypassing gatekeepers and ‘Representations of with Team Charlene on ITV creating their own content is indicative British Chinese identities Hub. of how Black, Asian and minority ethnic and British television Rap Trip: Underground people are carving out spaces for their drama: mapping the field’ own authentic representation. Listen to Scenes Uncovered is a BBC is a 2019 article by Simone Knox from Dope Black Dads and Dope Black series looking at where rap music the University of Reading. Informed by Mums on Spotify or your usual podcast flourishes outside of London. There are an understanding of the complexity of app. episodes on ‘The rise of Asian Rap’, the term ‘British Chinese’, it draws on a ‘Liverpool Rap, Drill and Trap’, and ‘The Matilda Ibini, who describes database that deploys a range of New Wave of Irish Rap’. Watch on herself as a bionic playwright, wrote research, including archive research at iPlayer. one of the CripTales for the BBC, and in the BFI Reuben Library, to map the episode 9 of the Disability Arts Online presence of British Chinese actors in and Graeae podcast she is interviewed British television drama since 1945. about her work and storytelling. Listen (Journal of British Cinema and on Spotify or your usual podcast app. Television Vol. 16, Issue 2, 2019. Available online at euppublishing.com). Afropean – Notes from Black Europe by Johny Pitts. The television presenter, writer and photographer travels through Europe, exploring the experiences of the African Marverine Duffy is on the editorial diaspora. Winner of the 2020 Jhalak board of Representology. Prize. (Penguin, 2020)

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Professor Phillip Plowden Birmingham City University analysing diversity and articles and research from Vice-Chancellor is committed to equality, representation across all both. In the launch edition, Birmingham City University diversity and inclusion, and forms of media. In March for example, there’s an we are delighted to be this year, BCU in original piece of research working with our wonderful collaboration with our conducted by a professional Chancellor Sir Lenny Henry, Chancellor launched the Sir sound editor, mentored by and our friends at Cardiff Lenny Henry Centre for an academic at our University in launching Media Diversity. university. Representology. 2020 has The Centre believes that BCU and Cardiff are taught us a lot, not least that accurate representation of all passionately committed to achieving and celebrating sections of society in all making Representology racial equality is long layers of the UK media is available to a wide overdue. vital for the health of the readership, so the emphasis As Lenny often says about industry. This is crucial in is jointly on accuracy and his own career: “You can’t ensuring a functioning accessibility. Written in plain be what you can’t see.” It’s a democracy and enabling language, and free to hugely valuable principle in critical human rights issues, download, we want to open holding our own such as freedom of up this conversation to those performance up to the light expression, to be truly who are best placed to – both in terms of our own implemented. The Centre inform real change. organisation, but also the aims to critically analyse Universities are a vehicle to way in which we deploy our policies in the media industry enable transformation, and expertise. We were founded with a view to increasing as such, it is our duty and in 1843 as a School of diversity and inclusion, our passion to actively Design and that creative improving policy decisions promote social progress arts’ heritage remains central and spreading best practice. through learning, research, to our university. And with innovation and collaboration. Inspired by the ethos of the over 50% of our students Centre, Representology was drawn from Black and Asian born, giving a platform for backgrounds across our city discussions, research and and our region, addressing insights into representation racial imbalance in the arts and equality across the has to be a key priority for sector. The collaborative us. This fresh and exciting nature of the project journal was founded encapsulates the more following discussions holistic approach to tackling between BCU and Cardiff the problem of diversity in around the launch of a new the media. Information, research centre dedicated to answers and fresh thinking don’t belong solely to academia or the media industry. So the journal has

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Professor Colin Riordan As is the case in many areas The central guiding principle This is a groundbreaking Vice-Chancellor of society, the mainstream of embracing diversity in all project that will celebrate Cardiff University media often inadequately its forms and in everything and enrich the cultural represent the diversity of the the journal does is of the industry as a whole, and will society they purport to utmost consequence. In give a broader-based reflect. Power structures, universities, diversity brings platform to a wider range of financial models and creativity, new knowledge, voices and views than we appointments to influential new perspectives and have seen up to now. In this management and editorial ultimately new discoveries way Representology positions all can and do and fresh thinking. Diversity addresses a problem that militate against a is nothing less than the affects not only the media, representative media driving force of knowledge but all of us, at a time when industry. creation, and new change is urgently needed. knowledge counts for little if Representology aims to do it is not disseminated. something about that. Its Representology, then, guiding principles are an captures the essence of excellent model for all what is required to take writers to follow, not just society forward and make contributors to the new the world a better place. journal. In an era of profound public mistrust of public It’s an honour to be able to information — some of the partner with Birmingham mistrust well founded and City University in supporting some of it not — using and launching a new journal simple, accessible language that tackles such an to reach as wide an important topic. Bringing audience as possible and together a group of attracting writers of proven academics with a shared expertise who use facts and passion for diversity in the evidence to start a debate or media, Representology bring a fresh perspective is marks a welcome new more important than ever. departure which, it is be hoped, will find wider resonance throughout our academic disciplines.

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REPRESENTOLOGY EDITORIAL BOARD

EDITOR REPRESENTOLOGY CO-FOUNDERS

K Biswas Dr David Dunkley Diane Kemp Marcus Ryder Critic, Broadcaster, Gyimah Professor of Visiting Professor at and Chair of The Senior Lecturer, Broadcast Birmingham CIty Race Beat School of Journalism at University and Journalism, Media Birmingham City Executive Producer and Culture, Cardiff University and of New Media for University Director of the Sir Caixin Global Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity

EDITORIAL BOARD DESIGN

Aaqil Ahmed Mukti Jain Marverine Duffy Dr Paul Dwyer Carl Gombrich Barry Diamond Professor of Media, Campion Senior Lecturer and Director of Student Academic Lead and Senior Designer and University of Bolton Founder, Culture Director of Enterprise, Head of Learning, Brand Manager at Wise Productions, Undergraduate University of The London Cardiff University Chair, Sir Lenny Journalism Westminster Interdisciplinary Henry Centre for Courses, School Media Diversity, Birmingham City Former Guardian University THANKS Research Fellow, Michelle Alexis Nuffield College, Professor University of Oxford Stuart Allan Professor Tim Crook Kimon Daltas Ed Dingwall Thomas Hay Dr Anamik Saha

CREDITS Sir Lenny Henry An Duc Nguyen Page 4 original Actor, Activist and Associate Professor photographs University of Journalism, David Freeman/ Chancellor, Bournemouth Leaders’ List Birmingham City University Page 42 original University photograph Marcus Gallas/Shutterstock. com

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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Article ideas should be submitted to: Five Guiding Principles For Contributions [email protected] 1. Clear language Please include a two-line biography, including relevant Making content as widely accessible as possible, links to past published work. Academic pieces will be writing should be clear, concise and engaging. reviewed by relevant experts and assessed by the editorial board. 2. Expertise Contributors are expected to write on subjects for Representology seeks to publish pieces from both which they have proven expertise. academics and media practitioners, exploring complex issues in an accessible way. Before submitting anything 3. Supported by facts for consideration, be sure you are familiar with our Articles should be supported by verifiable facts and mission statement and guiding principles. research-based evidence.

Commissioned journalism pieces 4. Refresh debate should be between 500 and 2500 words Submissions should seek to enrich current debates Commissioned academic pieces or create new ones. should be between 4000 and 8000 words 5. Diversity of perspectives If we are interested in your pitch, we will contact you. Preference will be given to writers seeking to widen Our editorial team is small, and it may take up to a representation and outline new perspectives. month to receive a reply. Unfortunately, we are unable to reply to every submission. If you do not hear from us within a month, please assume that we have decided not to pursue your proposal this time. That does not mean we don’t want to hear from you again in the future.

Articles are read on the understanding that they are solely submitted to Representology. Published articles will receive a modest honorarium.

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