As part of an ongoing project to establish the main barriers to inclusivity and representation in UK newsrooms, the EJN hosted the first of a series of online panels on the subject on Tuesday 22 June. Watch the video recording now.
The event explored what broadcasters and journalists have learnt about covering racial inequality since the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests that swept the globe. Our panelists shared their insights into the roles and responsibilities journalists have in challenging stereotypes, using appropriate language, as well as giving context and resources that help audiences understand the issue.
The event was moderated by award-winning TV Presenter and journalist and EJN Trustee, Keme Nzerem, and our panel included:
Marverine Cole is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and academic. She’s worked as a presenter for Sky News, Channel 5, ITV and the BBC. She’s Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Journalism courses at Birmingham City University. .
Ian Burrell is an award-winning journalist with 25 years of experience on the staff of The Independent as Assistant Editor and Media Editor. He writes a weekly column for the i paper on the media sector, and also works for Bloomberg Media, The Insider and The Drum.
Lebo Diseko is a correspondent for the BBC. While posted as North America correspondent she covered the Derek Chauvin trial from Minneapolis and was live when the verdict was read out. She was the only BBC correspondent inside the Capitol buildings during the January 6th riot, reporting live whilst on lockdown in the complex. Lebo was born in South Africa, the daughter of anti-apartheid activists who were in political exile in the U.K.
Nazia Parveen is a Community Affairs correspondent at the Guardian. The newly created role focuses on reporting on the social, political and economic experiences of the UK’s diverse communities, with a particular focus on black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. Nazia joined the paper in 2016 as North of England correspondent, prior to that she was the Daily Mail’s North West correspondent. She was recently named Journalist of the Year at the Asian Media Awards.
This panel was produced as part of an Ethical Journalism Network project funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation which addresses the issue of structural racism in UK newsrooms and aims to support journalists and organisations who are seeking to improve and advance their roles in dealing with endemic issues of racism in the media industry.
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