Of course the UK media has a problem with racism – any other suggestion is propaganda

Of course the UK media industry is racist. This is well established and yet those of us who are cognisant of the problem were gaslighted this week by the Society of Editors, one of the most powerful organisations in the industry.

During Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, which aired on ITV earlier this week, the Duke of Sussex said that racism from the tabloid press, which filtered into the rest of society, was a “large part” of why he and his wife left the UK. He described the UK tabloids as a “bigoted” institution, creating a “toxic environment” of “control and fear”.

The Society of Editor’s chief executive, Ian Murray, has since issued a statement refuting this. He also went one step further, saying that “the UK media is not bigoted and will not be swayed from its vital role holding the rich and powerful to account following the attack on the press by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex”.

Following intense backlash, the industry body published a statement of clarification today pledging to “reflect on reaction to its earlier comments”.

It reads: “Our statement on Meghan and Harry was made in that spirit but did not reflect what we all know: that there is a lot of work to be done in the media to improve diversity and inclusion.”

Still, damage has been done and this has all felt like a step backwards. Following the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement last summer and global discourse around racism, the UK media appeared to have a moment of reckoning. It was forced to examine its own bigotry. 

Letters of solidarity with anti-racism causes were issued by media organisations, editors were backing calls for greater newsroom diversity, more opinion pieces were being commissioned about Black experiences, and TV executives suddenly found the inspiration and budget to commission more diverse content – you know, the kind that is generally omitted all year round apart from Black History Month.

Soon afterwards, at the end of 2020, the Society of Editors held a panel discussion about diversity in the media as part of a virtual conference, which examined how talent from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities can be supported to pursue a career in journalism.

Panellists also discussed how newsrooms can increase engagement with marginalised communities and retain diverse voices. The concept of the event was important and I was invited to participate in the discussion but couldn’t make it due to a prior engagement.

Yet, not three months later, the same organisation is denying the existence of racism in the industry. The society – some 400 members, including editors, managing editors and editorial directors – is charged with protecting the interests of UK news platforms. Murray’s statement this week suggests it is falling short.

The same discussion crops up every few months across the industry. There’s always some debate or talk being hosted about diversity in the media and what can be done to improve things – and yet here we are. It’s frustrating because these discussions are often held and promoted by gate-keepers of the industry who have real power to affect meaningful and lasting change. Many of these editors talk a good game about the need for greater diversity but we are not seeing action.

Following Murray’s ill-conceived statement, more than 160 journalists of colour from across platforms including the Financial Times, Metro, Channel 4 and the Guardian described it as “not acceptable” in a powerful letter.

What if I told you that a number of reporters from ethnic minority communities decided against openly backing the cause, not because of a lack of will but through genuine fear about losing their job and not finding another one in this almost exclusively white industry? Meanwhile, other white, junior journalists have also expressed fears about the ramifications of highlighting UK media racism.

During his interview, Harry suggested that the royal family is “scared” of the tabloids. If the press “turns on them”, he explained, it could be disastrous for the monarchy. To that I say, “me too”. I’m scared and a great many more are as well – scared about the present and future of our industry and how that affects society.

As it stands, British journalism is elitist. It is 94 per cent white, 86 per cent university-educated and 55 per cent male. Only 11 per cent of journalists are from working-class backgrounds; just 0.2 per cent of journalists are Black, despite making up 3.3 per cent of the population; and 0.4 per cent of British journalists are Muslim in comparison to nearly 5 per cent of the population.

These grim statistics paint a very clear picture about the state of the industry – things are not this way because under-represented groups simply do not want a career in media or somehow lack the skills required. This is happening because the industry is blighted by racism and gate-keepers refuse to stand aside.

This is detrimental to us all because it means the industry doesn’t reflect the diverse society it purports to value.

Some of us have chosen to be in this field to help engineer much-needed change – a diverse press for one and all. Any suggestion that dismantling racism isn’t required to accomplish this end is propaganda, plain and simple.

Update: Ian Murray, executive director of the Society of Editors, stepped down from his role on Wednesday evening