Racism is ‘commonplace’ in UK journalism with more senior Black staff needed across industry, report warns

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Racism is “commonplace” in the UK journalism industry, which needs more Black people in senior positions and more race correspondents to improve diversity of coverage, a new study has found. The project, funded by Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, is described as a “shocking expose” on the lack of progress on diversity in UK media where Black journalists account for just 0.2 per cent of the staff members compared with three per cent of their UK population, according to a recent breakdown. I am anxious about how I am perceived whether as loud or rowdy.” open image in gallery Marcus Ryder MBE, head of external consultancies at the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for media diversity at Birmingham City University, said: “News organisations across the UK cannot report accurately, impartially and objectively on the world until racism in their own newsrooms is addressed. “While this in-depth report should concern everyone working in the news industry, the findings have repercussions on how democracy in our society works, which stories are heard, and most importantly who holds power to account.” The report’s recommendations include calling for senior leadership to change the make-up of newsrooms to reflect improvements in diversity at entry level, as well as in wider UK society.