Guide Launched To Help Sports Media Tackle Diversity Issues
IT’S TIME FOR ACTION: Opening panel at D Word conference offer ideas to address lack of diversity in the sports media
The first ever guide to addressing the lack of diversity in the sports media has been launched by the Black Collective Of Media In Sport (BCOMS) – a network of sports journalists from African and Caribbean communities.
Funded by FARE, European football’s anti-discrimination and social inclusion network, the D Word guide offers the sports media ideas and action points to help tackle worryingly low levels of diversity across all areas of the industry.
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE D WORD GUIDE HERE – The D Word Guide
It also highlights the black community’s experience in the sports media in 2014, where only one presenter and one editor were involved in coverage of the major sports events last summer across mainstream national television channels. Meanwhile in the written press – no black football writer from the national press went to the World Cup.
The guide – which covers all areas of diversity – also underlines the fact that there has never been a black sports editor at a newspaper, nor has there been a black sports columnist that has not been a professional athlete at the highest level.
The contributions to the guide are taken from a national conference held in London last year – where heads of sports channels, editors, producers, writers and representatives from across the sports media came together to debate and discuss how best to address the lack of diversity in the industry.
BCOMS founder and sports journalist, Leon Mann, said: “The black community continues to make a significant impact in sport on the field, track and in the ring, but away from the action the levels of diversity are dire. The same can be said for other groups who contributed to this guide.
“The sports media has got better at covering issues of under-representation, but it has needed to have a look at itself in the mirror for sometime. The D Word conference presented that opportunity. Now we hope the D Word guide can help to drive change. The situation as it is, is uncomfortable to say the least and must be addressed.”
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