Unions fight for a more representative media
The NUJ has campaigned for better representation of BME journalists in the media and its union charity, the George Viner Memorial Fund, also raises awareness of this issue. The fund, established in 1986, has contributed to the costs of journalism training of 180 BME students. The NUJ has recruited new members on the back of this awareness-raising work and the charity’s annual ceremony.
Speaking at this year’s award ceremony, Damien Gayle, a BME journalist for Mail Online and an NUJ member, said: “As black journalists, we are outsiders to the prevailing status quo and that is why it is important that we stick at it and take part in the struggle to change the status quo if we want to change the world.”
BECTU has also been campaigning on behalf of BME media professionals. In partnership with The Voice newspaper, it has been campaigning to maintain specialist black music and community programming, which the radio station Choice FM used to provide until it was unilaterally dropped in October 2013 by its owners Global Radio. BECTU made a formal complaint to Ofcom and it is still waiting for the regulator’s verdict. The union says that, while this was not a direct recruitment drive, it did demonstrate to the black community that the union was prepared to fight on black issues, for which it has gained a lot of recognition and goodwill.
BECTU’s longstanding Move on Up programme, which links BME professionals with industry executives, also continues to run. In 2012 the union organised a Move on Up event with the BBC at its newly expanded base in Salford, and over 100 BME professionals attended.
Case study from Equality Audit 2014: Improving representation and participation in trade unions
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