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Pictured right
Andrea at the Winston
Churchill Memorial,
Whitechapel, London
Andrea HO
To investigate practical strategies for improving
cultural diversity in Australian media - UK, Sweden
Pictured right Launch
of the BBC’s Diversity
Inclusion Strategy BBC
Broadcast House, London
Pictured below Sky News
Broadcaster Afua Hirc in
the newsroom, London
There has not been a time in recent history where diversity has
been more discussed more seriously - nor where mass media has
had so much at stake as a consequence of how they approach this
reality.
It’s also a time when under-represented audience groups no
longer have to put up and shut up: they can easily voice their
dissatisfaction with inadequate mass media, and disengage
entirely from mass media and turn to a plethora of alternatives.
Over a 6 week period I visited broadcasters and organisations,
learning about content and staff in the context of cultural
and other diversity in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Hull,
Stockholm and Malmö.
All organisations I visited were acting to improve cultural and
other diversity, to catch up to the diversity of the population. This
was considered both a moral imperative, and a sound business
strategy for reaching new audiences, to ensure revenue streams,
relevance and survival.
Pictured right The Mandela
Lectures are a project of the
BBC’s Black and Asian Forum
Media interest and public dialogue
around diversity began to grow in
Australia whilst on my Fellowship. I
deliver this report, with hope that it
will contribute to a genuine, lasting
change for the benefit of all.”
There was no single ideal way to improve cultural diversity,
but there were common themes and areas which recurred in
all broadcasters’ diversity activities addressing leadership,
targets, content, partnerships, outreach and image and time and
resources.
In the weeks I undertook the Fellowship the dialogue around
diversity exploded, with the #logiessowhite fracas breaking, and
statements by outgoing and incoming ABC Managing Directors
regarding the need to do better with cultural diversity.
Since returning to Australia I am already putting this information
to use at the ABC in my role as Diversity Lead for the 2016-2020
Radio Strategic Plan, and Chair of the Radio Diversity Action Group,
and working with Diversity Action Groups in other divisions.
Download Andrea’s full report from our website
churchilltrust.com.au/fellows/detail/4030/Andrea+Ho
Rewarding Australians Striving for Excellence
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