The BBC has unveiled its latest statistics regarding disability and ethnicity representation in a new impact report.
The data is taken from the corporation’s 50:50 Project, an initiative which “uses a methodology that is rooted in data, creativity, practicality and passion to fundamentally shift representation within the media.”
The 50:50 Project’s 2022 impact report shows that following 18 months of monitoring, BBC teams have increased disability and ethnicity representation, with 53% of teams monitored achieving their targets for disability representation, an increase of 35 percentage points over the last year and a half.
65% of monitored teams achieved their targets for ethnicity representation, an increase of seven percentage points from 18 months ago.
Sex distribution among the teams was also monitored, with 61% of monitored groups featuring at least 50% of female contributors in March – an increase of 26% since March 2017.
The 50:50:12 initiative is part of the BBC’s aim to achieve a workforce of 50% women, 20% Black, Asian and other minority ethnicities and 12% disabled employees.
“The 50:50 Project plays a crucial role in finding new voices and helping us better reflect the audiences we serve,” said Tim Davie, BBC director general. “It’s already made a huge impact on the BBC and our global partners. There’s potential to do so much more. I encourage any organisations interested in taking up the challenge to get involved.”
Lara Joannides, BBC’s Creative Diversity Lead for 50:50, said: “When it comes to women’s representation, 50:50 has enriched our storytelling since its launch in 2017. Today’s results are an important milestone as we apply 50:50’s core principles for disability and ethnicity representation – they provide a solid foundation for us to go out and find more voices and create content that really reflects society.”
The news comes in the wake of a Variety investigation, published last month, which revealed an exodus of women of color from the BBC across the news and diversity and inclusion departments.
A link to the full 50:50 Project impact report can be found here.
Source: Read Full Article
