Building a Case

Just how well does mainstream television do in the diversity stakes?

To answer this, Channel 4 commissioned a survey in 2009, which provided a snapshot of peak time viewing, examining the on-screen representation of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, and age.

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C4 Cumberbatch pilot study.

The BBC, in partnership with the CDN, commissioned research into the attitudes of audiences on ‘Age’ and sought to uncover, within the context of a broader examination of age portrayal, to what extent audiences are concerned about the visibility of middle-aged and older women on screen. 

 

Report on the Attitude of Audiences on Age.

Stonewall works closely with national broadcasters, producers, and other media professionals to promote fair representation of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people across print and broadcast media.

The charity's research shows that significant challenges remain in making sure broadcasters reflect gay people's lives accurately on-air:

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Stonewall Research and Policy
Unseen on Screen
Living Together

Two years ago, the BBC published the most comprehensive audience research and public consultation conducted by a broadcaster on how lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people are portrayed on the BBC. At the end of last year, the BBC published its Research update, which fulfilled a commitment to keep the topic on the agenda, two years on from landmark research in 2010.

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Report on the Portrayal of LGB People.

Creative Skillset's research programme analyses representation. across the Creative Industries of people from minority groups, and seeks to understand and address underrepresentation.

The latest 2012 Employment Census of the creative media industries will be published on the website soon.

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Creative Skillset Census.

Whichever part of the industry we are in, we are all under continuing pressure to make a profit, to produce a better product, or to deliver more efficient services. Diversity can have a real and positive impact on this if you identify solid reasons for doing it. The legal or moral case for fair representation is more obvious, but there is an intrinsic business case that we all share across the industry. Reach out to diverse candidates, customers, or viewers and reap the benefits.

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Here are some areas to consider when building your business case:

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Measure the diversity of your workforce

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Workforce monitoring, benchmarking, and staff feedback surveys are the easiest ways to measure the diversity demographics of your workforce and help you build a case for diversity and inclusion.

Regular monitoring can identify areas for improvement, barriers to progression, and help you create solutions for change.

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Access the diverse talents of your colleagues

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This can help spot opportunities to improve products and services and access new content.
Attract and retain the best talent for your company. An inclusive workplace helps people be their best.

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Consider the diversity of your customers

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As part of your business case, consider how appealing or accessible your content, product, or service is to your potential market. Information from the 2011 UK Census and other research papers provides good insights into current and future trends.

Think about accessibility and inclusion in content, products, and services to reach new customers and retain existing ones. Use feedback and data to demonstrate how diversity can earn more customers.

Being able to show that your product/service can reach new audiences may help you win new business.

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Raise support from existing and future investors

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If you are a supplier, your buyer may be thinking about the points above. Demonstrating commitment to diversity can be a good way of encouraging investment in your company or in a particular project or programme.