For newsrooms to survive and remain meaningful, they must cultivate diverse voices. According to our recent survey, 24% of publishers believe they have an effective DE&I strategy and 51% believe their strategies have made good progress. While these are encouraging figures, there is clearly still room for improvement and premium publishers continue to take genuine action to ensure diverse voices are being heard.

Making space for diverse voices

New research shows that due to the rise in fake news, 26% of consumers associate the word “fake” with social media and over 75% are far more likely to seek out quality news sources they trust. But, while premium publishers are considered as providers of trusted content, there is still more work to be done to ensure that editorial teams are reflective of their audiences; currently, 92% of journalists in the UK come from white ethnic groups.

Specialist digital publications are gaining traction to provide content for under-represented readerships but lack the reach of mainstream voices that move the needle on topics that cause marginalisation to fester, such as immigration, racism and policing — topics that ought to be discussed by those most affected.

We are seeing positive moves by some publishers, including Medium and Substack, who have cultivated communities of independent journalists, many from under-represented groups who find themselves excluded or unable to get their foot in the door. Diverse talent must be scouted for – simply relying on traditional recruitment will result in positions being filled by those traditionally considered qualified — white, educated, middle to upper class.

Attracting talent from every community

There is more to cultivating diversity than creating new job roles and hoping diverse candidates apply. Inclusion must begin where inequity begins – during education and entry into the workforce. Marginalised students may lack access to the resources and support their privileged contemporaries enjoy, but businesses can narrow the gap through outreach into their schools and communities as well as through accessible digital resources. Brixton Finishing School, for example, offers 10 weeks of free, full-time learning for 18-25s, provided by experts from creative industries, along with mentorship and a pathway to employment at the school’s sponsors, which includes the likes of Ogilvy, Mother and Channel 4.

Publishers can take note of initiatives like these and look to collaborate with educational institutions where they can provide students with practical, employability-boosting skills, and teach them how to leverage these when launching their careers into journalism.

Publishers can shake up the status quo of the digital industry by building a more inclusive environment for talent from all backgrounds. Those who prioritise their DE&I strategies to drive change will be enriched by a newly empowered and unfairly underutilised talent pool.