Media is lacking diversity in various forms

The on-going under-representation of Black and Minority Ethnics was discussed at by media experts at an event last week on corporate concentration of media ownership and democracy. 

Professor of Media and Communications at Goldsmith Natalie Fenton started with outlining shocking figures showing a developing concentration of publication ownership in the UK and worldwide at the event organised by People`s Parliament and hosted by Labour MP Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby). 

After being asked about the lack of Black voices in media Chair of the Media Reform Coalition and Professor of Media and Communications at Goldsmith University Des Freedman said:  “Media reflects prejudices of society.”

Furthermore he claimed in order to tackle the issue we need a shift in recruiting in media organisations. He continues: “System of training and recruitment is privileging certain social class.” The established praxis in media of doing unpaid work as an volunteer and intern, travelling on own cost to networking events, starting a career as a low-paid freelancer or assigning positions via a hidden work market close doors for people with a weaker financial background. 

James Bloodworth Left Foot Forward editor therefore claims: “70% of leading journalists today went to private schools.” Black and Minority Ethnics in the UK do not have a fair access to these top educational institutions. This continues on the university level.

Looking at the correlation between social-economic status and chances of getting a job in media we see that the problem of under-representation in media might be tough to solve. 

Professor Fenton suggests a rather uncomplicated solution in the fields of media and academia: “I am a big fan of quotas.” According to Fenton business and organisations who are failing to meet a certain level of BME representation should be asked to explain why and if failing to present good reasons also fined. She says: “Media needs a variety of voices.” 

Solutions to this “battle”, as Freedman calls it, should be discussed. BME voices also form and shape Britain consequently they should also form and shape the media. So Freedman his question is more pending than ever before: “Why should it not be a condition to reflect the world in which you live in?”

At yesterdays event their was a second question to be asked. Fenton stated that currently 70% of all newspapers are published by 3 media groups. 

Referring to online media consumption she summed up that there is a trend to more media diversity. Fenton explained to present MP`s, charities and individual citizens that currently 70% of all online browsing times on news sites are divided between only 3 media groups. 

She described same trends for Radio and spaces in social media. She describes this trend as “undemocratic” outlining severe issues for political development. “Certain voices simply don not exist in main stream media”, a regular visitor insisted. 

Fenton continues her analysis with a focus on social media as a new source of information. She claims that a shocking amount o 40% of Twitter content is today produced by robots and social media is also dominated by voices of established institutions, personalities or stars. She sees social media reinforcing and not breaking up social hierarchies of society.

All in all we see a lot of work ahead to make the media landscape more diverse in staff and opinion to make it more representative of the people they serve.

Lorenz Narku Laing