Abstract
Growing up in Hounslow, and then Slough, surrounded by other people of colour from all backgrounds, I never really felt like a “minority” – until, aged 17, I decided I wanted to be a journalist and did my first stint of work experience. I walked into the offices of a popular music magazine and found that I wasn’t just the only South Asian person, but the only person of colour.
I had to do the whole “this is how you pronounce my name” routine, before settling on a pronunciation that was relatively close but still not exactly as my parents had intended when they chose it for me. I did not have a colleague who immediately understood why it was so important that my Indian family were supportive of my chosen career path. I did not see myself represented in the newsroom. This continued throughout university and well into my career.
I am extremely fortunate to have always had lovely colleagues who respect me, my heritage, and all that I am – but that does not mean that I have always enjoyed being the only person of colour in teams that I’ve worked in. Being one of a few people of colour in a workplace creates a number of problems.
First of all, it makes us feel like a diversity hire, as though we are only there to fill a quota or tick some diversity boxes, rather than being hired for our talent. This, in turn, creates a feeling of imposter syndrome which can be difficult to shake. People of colour can face being pigeon-holed, too, asked only to write or create content on subjects linked to our race, or whatever it is that makes us “different”, when we are much more than what makes us minorities. We are also usually expected to cover subjects linked to our minority groups. Not asked, but expected.
Given that the industry is mostly white and middle-class, a lot of minority groups won’t have industry connections, which can hinder our progress. When I decided I wanted to be a journalist, I didn’t have a family friend I could talk to for advice or ask for work experience. I chose to do a degree because I did not know where to start. The expectation to be able to undertake unpaid work experience prices out a lot of people who simply cannot afford the travel and accommodation costs associated with living and working in London – where a significant portion of the industry is based.
The fact that a lot of us from minority backgrounds grew up not seeing ourselves represented in the industry creates a feeling that there isn’t a place for us, that we don’t belong. It can also create a workplace where we might not feel entirely comfortable. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to chat to someone who has had similar experiences to you, not having to explain your culture or how it impacts on your life.
With that in mind, the first step media organisations can take is to reevaluate how recruitment works, and how diversity schemes operate. If you find that you aren’t getting many minority applicants, think about advertising roles in a different way. A lot of diversity schemes are for junior roles, meaning senior and leadership teams are often not very diverse. If these schemes existed for roles with varying seniority levels, we might begin to see a shift in representation and how organisations run, which, in turn, might make workplaces safer and more accessible for minority groups, and help lessen some of that anxiety associated with being a “tick box” hire.
Some sort of payment for work experience might also help those with financial barriers to seek a place within the journalism world. Something as small as offering to cover expenses could be the difference between someone being able to get a foot in the door or writing off careers in journalism.
And finally, organisations need to be willing to actually do the work. Since the summer of 2020, countless organisations pledged to “do better”, and to make workplaces “more diverse”. However, according to the National Council for the Training of Journalists, 80 per cent of journalists come from advantaged backgrounds (up 8 per cent from 2016), and Press Gazette reported that the proportion of non-white journalists has not changed much in recent years, despite concerns over diversity in the industry.
All my complaining aside, I have been delighted to see free-to-access resources popping up, with staff dedicating hours to helping people from all backgrounds enter the industry. If you are open to giving even half an hour of your time to an aspiring journalist, you could be that person who helps someone get the advice they need to succeed in this industry. With more people willing to make a change, I am optimistic that we will begin to see the media landscape shift in a positive direction.
