Birmingham City University (BCU) has today launched the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity ‘virtually’ to hold the media industry accountable for diversity and inclusion.
Comedian and actor Sir Lenny Henry, who is also Chancellor of BCU, is one of the four founders of the centre. The other three launch committee founders include Marcus Ryder, Executive Producer of China’s leading financial newspaper Caixin; award-winning journalist and TV Presenter Marverine Cole; and BCU’s Professor of Broadcast Journalism, Diane Kemp – who is also Director of the centre.
BCU’s diversity centre aims to hold the media industry to account on issues such as minority ethnic representation, by bringing together existing data and best practice, as well as conducting its own research. “Through rigorous academic research, data analysis and first hand experience, the centre will explore the reasons for successes and failures alike, and publicise this information as widely as possible with the objective of media organisations, broadcasters, unions, trade bodies, regulators, employees and policy makers being able to use it to increase diversity throughout the industry,” explained Ryder.
PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS
Based and funded by BCU, the centre aims to look at every aspect of diversity. However, initially due to limited resources, “we will have to focus on specific aspects of diversity in specific years”, confirmed Ryder. “In the first year, we will be looking at BAME representation in broadcasting. However, we are open to talk to individuals and organisations with specific proposals that may fall outside any year’s specific focus. Also, irrespective of focusing on any specific element of diversity, we recognise the importance of intersectionality and how it is impossible to look at any one aspect of diversity in isolation.”
There are three major strands to the centre’s work. These include:
- Collecting all the work that is being done by other institutions from universities to broadcasters to trade unions, so people have easy access to it.
- Analysing all the statistics produced by various bodies and produce its own research, so the centre can track progress.
- Analysing policies to see which ones have worked and which ones haven’t, in order to promote good practice throughout the industry. Where appropriate the centre will also analyse the merits and disadvantages of policy suggestions by third parties.
Today’s launch is a ‘virtual’ one for obvious reasons, “but the work it needs to do is too important to put on hold,” stated Ryder. “During times of crisis we need diversity in our broadcasters and newsrooms more than ever. When the current COVID-19 outbreak is over, we will be holding a public event.”
For more details, click here or send a message to the centre’s Director here.
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