Selina stokes a diversity debate that needs addressing

It will come as a surprise to few but a delight to many that Selina Scott is suing Five over ageism in its refusal to hire her for a maternity cover role and choice of younger presenters instead. It is a delight not because Five is worse than anyone else in this respect, but because it stokes a debate which urgently needs to be taken more seriously. Casual sexism, ageism and racism are the collective dirty secret of the vast majority of media institutions, and they represent as much of an industrial challenge as they do a moral one.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission's Report on Sex and Power, published last week, drew a depressing picture for women in the workplace. In general the progression of women at the highest level in the workplace is pitiful and the media are no exception: only 13.6% of national newspaper editors (including the Herald and Western Mail) are women; only 10% of media FTSE's 350 companies have women at the helm; and at the BBC, which has often been held as an exemplar of diversity, women make up less than 30% of most senior management positions. It puts into context Jeremy Paxman's deranged rant about the white male in television. Ethnic minority representation is even worse.

A couple of weeks ago Pat Younge, former BBC head of sports programmes and planning who left to work for Discovery in the US, caused a stir at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International TV Festival by saying that diversity targets should be like financial targets - you don't hit them, you get fired. I have to say that as board champion for diversity at Guardian News and Media I would currently be firing myself and most of the board for some missed targets. But Younge is right - because diversity targets are not just a feelgood add-on, they are vital to the health of any media business. The temptation to hire in one's own image for most managers is as irresistible as it is subliminal - which is why there are a lot of opinionated women working in digital management at the Guardian, and why we all need targets to remind us to look beyond the mirror.

On screen, any number of unconventional-looking ageing blokes (Jeremy Clarkson, Jonathan Ross, Chris Moyles, Alan Sugar, Adrian Chiles, Jeremy Paxman, Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan) are paid at a top rate for the talent they possess beyond their appearance. For women it is an altogether different story - appearance and age are clearly factors in choosing female presenters in a way that they aren't for men.

The media should be deeply concerned about this un-diversity - not because it represents moral turpitude on our part, but because it represents bloody awful business sense. What is happening to the UK population at the moment? It is ethnically diversifying, and it is ageing. It is also the case that it is, as of the 2001 Census, marginally more female than it is male. And we live longer - so older women, and non-white potential audiences are on the rise. In London, the major urban conurbation and key market for so many media brands, the population is around 37% ethnically diverse, yet this is nowhere near reflected in the management structures of media companies. Or indeed in their on-screen or in-paper representation.

How though, can you hope to address audiences for which you have no instinctive feel, and towards which you show casual discrimination? We are all in danger of becoming irrelevant to the changing demographics of our target audience at a time when holding any kind of audience is key to survival. If white men are so good at solving business problems - and given that they represent well over 80% of FTSE 100 directors we can speculate that this is a skill they must possess in measure - then I'm surprised they haven't grasped this one already.

Titles of Critical Investigation and Linked Production

Critical Investigation: An investigation into whether the media's seemingly 'heroic' portrayal of sports people during the Olympics seems to offer a more unified and utope notion of global cohesion. Or is it just constructed imagery?

Linked Production: A sports magazine cover and article based on the top 10 most influential football players in the last decade.

Ofcom plans spectrum use for Olympics 2007

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/nov/30/olympicsandthemedia.ofcom

Communications regulator Ofcom has today outlined plans for how to manage the use of radio spectrum to enable an estimated 20,000 journalists to cover the London 2012 Olympics.

Ofcom expects the London Olympics to attract around 20,000 accredited media workers, 10 million spectators and 15,000 competitors to the 35 venues hosting events across the UK.

The wide-ranging discussion document, which outlines Ofcom's approach to the use of key radio spectrum, covers all wireless communications for the 2012 games in the UK capital.

Ofcom is anticipating huge demand for radio spectrum including wireless radio links that officials and referees will use, video links for wireless cameras, handheld radios used by organisers and security personal and low-power local broadcasting services for commentary and interviews.

By 2012, mobile media and communications will be much further advanced and the UK's rolling programme of digital TV switchover is also due to be completed during the year.

The regulator, which organised and managed the spectrum requirements for the start of this year's Tour de France in London, is now seeking views on the spectrum requirements and plan.

"We can't see it, hear it or touch it but radio spectrum is absolutely essential to delivering the most technologically advanced Olympic Games ever," said the Ofcom chief executive, Ed Richards.

Ofcom aims to consult on a full spectrum plan following the Beijing Olympics in August next year.

Chris Hoy named BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2008

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/dec/14/chrishoy-cycling

Chris Hoy was crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year tonight in a result that surprised many who had expected Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington or formula one champion Lewis Hamilton to win. In the end they were third and second respectively.

Outside the Liverpool Echo Arena, a characterless barn on the banks of the Mersey, it was a cold, grey December evening. But inside 9,000 spectators who had become overnight experts on the keirin and the Yngling and a glittering parade of medal winners gathered to relive memories of a golden summer.

Hoy, 32, is the first cyclist to win the award since Tommy Simpson in 1965. "To win this in this year in particular, it's hard to explain what it means because I think British sport has enjoyed one of its best years in my lifetime," he said. "It's incredible. This really is the culmination of 12 years of hard work for me."

Hoy led the British gold rush in the Laoshan velodrome in the summer with wins in the team sprint, along with Jamie Staff and Jason Kenny, the keirin and the individual sprint.

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year award never fails to provoke debate, but in a year that boasted ­Britain's best Olympics since 1908 and the youngest ever formula one ­champion in Lewis Hamilton all talk focused on the impossibility of choosing a winner rather than the paucity of the shortlist. In those categories decided before last night's vote for the overall winner, Olympians dominated. In any other year, a British team winning the ­Champions League might have expected to pick up the team of the year prize.

But in a reflection of the buzz outside the arena, it was not Manchester ­United's well remunerated stars who were named team of the year but the British Olympic cycling team.

The dominance of the team that took home 14 medals from Beijing, including eight golds, was also reflected in nominations for four of their number for the main prize.

David Brailsford, the British cycling director of performance whose singleminded strategy drove the team to new heights at the Olympics and Paralympics, beat Sir Alex Ferguson and others to the coach of the year award.

Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter, won the overseas sports personality of the year trophy, just beating Michael Phelps, winner of an unprecedented eight gold medals in Beijing.

Sport magazine names BSkyB head as most powerful person in UK sport 2009

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/organgrinder/2009/oct/16/sport-magazine-top-50-jeremy-darroch

Sport Magazine has named Jeremy Darroch, chief executive of BSkyB, as the most powerful person in British sport, with a fair smattering of senior BBC and ITV executives also making the free weekly's top 50 list, which is out today.

Darroch is ranked ahead of luminaries such as Lord Coe, the chairman of the London 2012 Olympics organising committee, Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

"The satellite television behemoth polarises opinion," runs copy next to Darroch's entry. "With control over the financial security and coverage of so many sports, Darroch has more influence over British sport than anyone else."

Coming in at number 12, just two places behind David Beckham and four astray of formula one supremo Bernie Ecclestone, is the BBC's director of sport, Barbara Slater.

Simon Fuller, the man behind the Spice Girls and the ...Idol TV franchise, makes it in at number 19 courtesy of deals to represent rising tennis star Andy Murray, handling the PR for the England football team, and masterminding David Beckham's multi-million dollar move to LA Galaxy. Fuller also looks after formula one driver Jenson Button.

One place further back, at 20, is culture secretary Ben Bradshaw, with Adrian van Klaveren, controller of BBC Radio 5 Live, at 28. "Van Klaveren can pretty much take his pick of live sporting events on what we used to call the wireless... he's like an oversized child with the keys to the sweet shop," runs his entry.

And finally, in terms of media entries, ITV's Michael Jermey, director of ITV news, current affairs and sport, sneaks on to the list at 41 – sandwiched between Tiger Woods and Andrew Flintoff, no less. "Though not the controller, the key decisions are made by Jermey, a man with far more influence than budget," runs Sport's entry.

London media 'sideline ethnic minorities' 2007

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/sep/21/raceintheuk.raceandreligion

A report into London's media industry has found it to be dominated by "white middle class" people with business practices that make it hard for workers from ethnic minority communities to develop careers.

The report, supported by the Trades Union Congress, broadcasting union Bectu and industry skills council Skillset, found that while 24% of the London workforce is from ethnic minority communities, just 7.4% of workers in the audio-visual sector in the capital are from ethnic minorities.

London's media industry has a workforce of around 250,000 staff working for employers such as the BBC, Channel 4, BSkyB, Capital Radio, ITV, Channel Five, Discovery and MTV.

The study, undertaken by the Working Lives Research Institute at London Metropolitan University, found that "the industry tended to recruit from limited cultural circles, with a workforce largely characterised as white and from high-income backgrounds."

Overall, 61% of media workers surveyed said they thought there was some form of discrimination in the industry in London.

However, when this figure is broken down, 76% of black, minority and ethnic workers thought there was some form of discrimination, compared with 54% of white workers.

Of all respondents that thought there was discrimination in the London media sector, 30% said it was over issues of ethnicity and 26% said it was to do with gender.

Overall 41% of respondents said they had either witnessed or been a victim of some form of discrimination relating to promotion, pay or recruitment.

But black, minority and ethnic workers in media were twice as likely to be discriminated against as their white counterparts.

A breakdown of figures looking at those who had actually experienced discrimination specifically due to ethnicity found that 32% of black and ethnic minority workers said it had occurred to them - while just 1% of white workers said the same.

Interviews with respondents found that there while were "few references to direct forms of discrimination or racist abuse", "indirect discrimination, or cultural misrepresentations" based on ethnicity were "not uncommon" in the media industry.

"Old boys' networks" and nepotism as a means of getting a foot in the door were regarded as leading to recruitment from "limited cultural circles".

The single biggest barrier to getting a job in the media in London, cited by 66% of respondents, was that there was "too much competition".

Needing good contacts ranked second with 58%, inadequate training in colleges was cited third with 35%.

The TUC general secretary, Brendan Barber, said that "getting a foot in the door is often dependent on contacts within the industry, something that many youngsters from low income or ethnic minority backgrounds simply won't have".

"That, combined with the fact that many will have to work for nothing in their first jobs, means it's no small wonder that London's audio-visual industry currently looks the way it does," Mr Barber added.

Gerry Morrissey, the general secretary of Bectu, added: "Too many black and ethnic minority workers meet a glass door when it comes to accessing opportunities for employment, commissions and progression in our industry."

Trevor Phillips: downturn could hit diversity in the media 2008

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/16/raceandreligion.downturn

The economic downturn could hit women and ethnic minorities working in the media harder than their white male colleagues, the chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Trevor Phillips, said today.

Phillips, speaking at the first MediaGuardian Ethnic Media Summit, said that belt-tightening by companies often led to a shift away from catering to minorities.

He said that the prospect of a four- or five-year economic downturn could "reverse the limited advantages" that have been made relating to women and ethnic minorities in the media workplace.

Phillips said that the first group to potentially feel the impact would be women, as in a downturn they could be viewed as "too expensive, too difficult" in respect of workplace flexibility policies.

He said that history has shown that "belts squeeze disproportionately" in relationship to ethnic minority employees and that this could be socially destructive.

"All is not well, nor has it been for a while," he added. "The media industry promises itself it will get better next year or next decade."

"The faces on the screen may have changed complexion but there is still far too little diversity among those who call the shots," he said.

"Ethnic minorities remain dissatisfied with the offering of mainstream media."

"However, diversity is increasingly becoming a mainstream concern. White viewers now feel most uncomfortable in the absence of diversity of what they see, listen to and read because it doesn't reflect daily life."

He said that the "ugly fact" was that there had not been as much progress on diversity in the past three decades as the media industry might like to believe.

Phillips likened this to a "Dorian Gray effect" - referring to Oscar Wilde's novel about a beautiful youth who stays superficially young but has a hideous portrait that ages in the attic. "[The portrait] needs to be bought out of the attic and shown regularly," Phillips said.

He said that a central question in the next licence fee settlement for the BBC should be to look at whether the corporation was reflecting change in society quickly enough.

Rupert Murdoch doesn't think Barack Obama racist, says spokesman 2009

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/11/rupert-murdoch-barack-obama

Rupert Murdoch has been forced to deny he believes Barack Obama is a racist, after appearing to back the controversial Fox News presenter Glenn Beck's comments about the US president.

The chairman and chief executive of News Copporation said in an interview earlier this week that Obama had made "a very racist comment" and that Beck's views were "right".

"He does not at all, for a minute, think the president is a racist," a News Corp spokesman tikd the US website Politico.

In the interview with Sky News Australia, Murdoch was asked about the views expressed by contributors to Fox News, including Beck's view that Obama was a racist.

"He [Obama] did make a very racist comment about blacks and whites and so on, which he said in his campaign he would be completely above," Murdoch said.

"That was something which perhaps should not have been said about the president but if you actually look at what he [Beck] was talking about, he was right."

Beck caused uproar in July when he described Obama had "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture".

His remarks were made during a discussion of Obama's reaction to the arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr, an African-American Harvard academic.

Murdoch also said in the interview he thought the Obama presidency was going "badly", citing the defection of independent voters in recent elections in Virginia and New Jersey.

Media- Diversity and Reprsentation

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/joepublic/2008/dec/09/disability-assisted-suicide

During 2008, disability has had its fair share of airtime but, as a disabled woman, I'm left wondering where are my role models?

Throughout the summer there were two disabled people on our TV screens night after night thanks to Big Brother. I'm not sure appearing on reality TV is any benchmark of equality in media representation but rather it's a fair indication that disabled people are just as desperate for their 15 minutes of D list celeb status.

As summer came to an end, the Paralympics received unparalleled coverage. That's fine but when the majority of disability TV time is given over to these super athletes, doesn't it just serve to make the rest of us look lazy? Coincidently, two months later incapacity benefit was replaced by employment and support allowance. Perhaps that should be employment and sport.

The only other role model on offer to me these days seems to be the ill and/or disabled person who wants to end it all. I can't switch on my TV, open a paper or log onto the internet without being confronted by yet another story about yet another person who wants assisted suicide to be legalised in the UK. As the law stands, while it's legal to commit suicide in England, if you can't physically do the act yourself then it is illegal for someone to assist you.

My intention is not to use this blog to discuss the issue of assisted suicide, but instead the increasing media coverage afforded to the subject in recent months. It's not that I'm especially pro-life, religious or unsympathetic. It's just that I believe the reporting of assisted suicide is usually dangerously lacking in any in-depth debate, analysis and, most crucially, balance.

At the last count, 725 English people had signed up to Dignitas, the Swiss organisation that assists people to commit suicide. In contrast, there are well over 10 million disabled people in the UK. The vast amount of publicity given to the pro-euthanasia lobby, however, would seem to suggest that it's the majority of us who want to book a one-way ticket to Switzerland. This unapologetic bias only serves to misrepresent millions of disabled peoples' lives.

In our society, the prevailing view of illness and disability is that they're a tragedy and thus the decision to die is often seen as entirely rational, inevitable and even brave. Rarely is this status quo challenged but instead the majority of press reports reinforce it. We are forever hearing about the campaign to assist people to die with dignity, for example, but what about the equally compelling campaign to assist people to live with dignity? Balanced media coverage of this issue is not just essential, it's a matter of life and death.

That is why 2009 has to be the year when simplistic, superficial and one-sided reporting of assisted suicide is replaced with a diversity of stories featuring disabled people who don't necessarily want to meet Davina, go for gold or end it all. They're the kind of role models I've been waiting a lifetime to see.

Research on screen and off screen

On Screen: David Beckham goal from a free kick in a match between England vs Greece that sent England to the 2002 Fifa World Cup.


This gives the portrayal of athletes as heroes as they're able to achieve something inspirational for the audience. Furthermore that sportsmen are positive role models for society and form a unified society due to their ability to succeed when appearing unlikely. Also the power of the media to reflect this to society as they pass on the representation of athletes.

Off Screen: An article referring to the income of sportsmen.

http://www.progressiveu.org/142017-athletes-are-not-role-models

On the other hand, in the year 2004 only 46% of NFL players had a college degree [7]. In 2005 Michael Vick made $37.5 million [4], even though he dropped out of Virginia Tech after only three years to join the NFL [8]. He only lasted 6 years before being suspended for dog fighting and marijuana use. According to Jeff Benedict and Don Yaeger, the authors of “Pros and Cons: The Criminals Who Play in the NFL”, 21% of NFL players have been charged with at least one serious crime [1]. These include battery, rape, murder, and drug charges. Why are we paying violent criminals six-figure salaries to practice their craft in the guise of a sport as NFL player?

Even respectable athletes who are upstanding members of the community contribute little to society but entertainment to the masses, tax dollars to the government, and hopefully part of their salary to charity. For example, Tiger Woods pulled in a grand total of $90 million in 2006 [5], and donated $9.5 million (approximately 10.5% of his income) to charity organizations, including his own philanthropy the Tiger Woods Foundation [6]. That sounds great on the surface, but he still has more than $80 million in annual income left over. Even after taxes, that is more money than one family could ever need.

Relations between on screen and off screen

By judging the two texts, they give contrasting ideas of whether athletes are heroes. Therefore it could be argued that 'on the screen' there is a better representation of athletes as heroes. However these two examples are two from many, there could be examples of 'on the screen' where athletes are portrayed in a bad light and a positive represenation of athletes 'off the screen'. Consequently, the key aspect of the research is the media and how they choose to portray athletes, in this case the institution plays a significant role.

Issue/ Debate

Are athletes viewed positively?

The representations of athletes vary from different media institutions. They provide borh positive and negative views of athletes.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/6438478/Footballer-Marlon-King-groped-woman-and-broke-her-nose.html

This article on the actions of Marlon King provides a negative view on sportsmen. As it shows what can happen to people who are given wealth and how they behave. Furthermore it goes against the idea that athletes are viewed as 'heroes'. Also it can relate to economical and historical as in the past athletes were paid less than now. Therefore they found being a role model as more significant to athletes now.

Also this issue could be related to ethnicity. The question could be posed that because he is an ethnic minority it may be viewed more negatively by the media. This is because the media is owned by the white ruling class.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/3228728.stm

This article is based on England winning the Rugby World cup. This shows athletes in a positive way as it views them winning and succeeding. Therefore it portrays them as heroes because they're promoting ideological values such as achieving with hard work and merit. This means it is producing the correct values for society, meaning the media's represenation of atheltes as heroes allows them to influence society.

By producing the article in this way they allow readers to want to support the nation. Thus, it creates a unified society. This is in favour of the idea of athletes as heroes as it reiterates the sense of achievement. Also as it is from the BBC it is likely to be targeted at everyone so therefore creates a unified soceity as it appeals to everyone.

Marxism

Marxism is the theory which looks at the analysis of capitalism, a theory of social change and an athiest view of human liberation. This is from the work of Karl Marx and Frierich Engels. The identity of a social class derives from its relationship to the means of production ; Marx describes the social classes in capitalist societies.

Proletariat: “those individuals who sell their labour power, and who, in the capitalist mode of production, do not own the means of production“. The capitalist mode of production establishes the conditions enabling the bourgeoisie to exploit the proletariat because the workers’ labour generates a surplus value greater than the workers’ wages.

Bourgeoisie: those who “own the means of production” and buy labour power from the proletariat, thus exploiting the proletariat; they subdivide as bourgeoisie and the petit bourgeoisie. Petit bourgeoisie are those who employ labourers, but who also work, i.e. small business owners, peasant landlords, trade workers et al. Marxism predicts that the continual reinvention of the means of production eventually would destroy the petit bourgeoisie, degrading them from the middle class to the proletariat.

Class Consciousness denotes the awareness — of itself and the social world — that a social class possesses, and its capacity to rationally act in their best interests; hence, class consciousness is required before they can effect a successful revolution.

This relates to my study as it looks at how the media owned by the ruling class influence the working class. This allows them to maintain the status quo. Also the heroes maybe seen as the ruling class who dominate society. Therefore the people who look upto them are the working class. This demonstrates that the working class are the subordinates. Also that there is a division and class differences as there is a barrier between the two classes because of the media.

Critical Investigation

Critical Investigation: How has the 'heroic' portrayal of athletes in the media made Britain seem as a unified society?

Media Language: This concept will be significant in the study as factors such as how athletes are framed will be considered. Furthermore when research is undertaken media language will have to be looked at in order to see how 'heroic' portrayals of athletes are implemented in the media.

Institution: A question that would need to be answered is how influential institutions will be when these portrayals are made. In addition, will different institutions have similar portrayals of athletes? This would link to who the particular institution is targeting. As this may affect the representations of athletes.

Genre: The genre is sports related. This would be interesting to look at when considering aspects of the media affecting society. An event that would coincide with this is the Olympics. As this links with society being patriotic and how media texts allow society to be this way.

Representations: This concept would have to be looked at from both sides. Such as how athletes are portrayed as heroes and how they're not. Specific examples would have to be given to this. For instance athletes and sportsmen who take drugs would go in opposition of the 'heroic' portrayal. However an athlete achieving something inspirational would be referred to as 'heroic'.

Audience: The audience involved tends to be young children and teenagers who may look up to athletes. In terms of ethnicity and gender it would target everyone. This is because sport can appeal to a wide range of audiences. Therefore there is different perspectives at whether athletes are heroic.

Ideologies: This would refer to values related to sports. Athletes would be seen as role models so would be expected to behave in an appropriate way. Moreover it would reinforce the hegemony of the significance of success. This is because it would give the idea that hard work would pay off as you're victorious. This would relate to media as when success is achieved this would be referred to in media texts.

Narrative: Propp's theory would be looked at is it would give athletes the role as heroes. This would introduce the function that a referee or representative of enforcing the rules would play. How they may be portrayed in the media? The narrative would show how events enfold to introduce an athlete as a hero.

Social: This aspect would be key as the issue relates to society. It would refer to the effect that sports people have on society and how it makes people come together. The media would be seen as influential in this process by allowing the public to be aware of athletes.

Historical: Were athletes portrayed as 'heroic' in previous years? The investigation would have to consider the difference in representations of athletes from other eras. This would relate to the importance in the role of the media from years ago to now.

Economical: This aspect would be difficult to consider in the investigation. Although it could go against the idea of athletes as heroes. As it could point out athletes are more concerned about their financial well being rather than being seen as a 'hero'.

Political: Issues would regard, do media institutions consider their political allegiances when creating a portrayal for athletes? Furthermore whether politics affects audiences to unite when viewing media texts that portray athletes as 'heroes'.

This study fits into the contemporary media landscape because it looks at issues regarding how the media is affecting society currently, also how the portrayal of athletes has changed down the years.