BIPOC media employees assess industry’s DE&I efforts

On the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, some media companies sent companywide emails reminding employees to be empathetic and supportive of one another. Some abstained from running any sponsored content for advertisers on their properties, including their social accounts. These actions were ostensibly meant to be shows of respect for a tragedy that led to a worldwide reckoning on racial injustice. But to some Black, Indigenous and people of color working at the media companies, the moves were seen as empty gestures.

“These are all performative actions,” said one BIPOC person who works at a media company that refrained from running sponsored content on May 25.

What may sound like cynicism is instead hard-earned skepticism. Given how systemic the problem of underrepresentation is in the media industry, the solution needs to be similarly systemic. However, media employees are unsure whether media companies have the stamina to see that change through.

“There was a wave of energy in the industry, where people thought they had to perform how not racist they are. What that turned into was companies saying, ‘We’ll hire this person over here to assess our DE&I initiatives.’ The people who were hired as DE&I managers or presidents have no authority,” said a second BIPOC person who works in the media industry.

Meanwhile, as media businesses recover from the past year, BIPOC employees worry that the people in positions of power — from c-level executives to editors and department heads — will fixate on the typical business concerns and lose sight of their DE&I efforts. “It feels like a company really has to tank to fix this. Right now we’re doing well, hitting our numbers, deals are getting sold. If I’m a white dude or in the c-suite, do I focus on DE&I or do I focus on keeping the momentum to hit my numbers?” said the first employee.

“Things are kind of returning to normal in a bad way,” said a third BIPOC person who works in the media industry.

The key hits:

• BIPOC media employees feel like companies still aren’t sufficiently following through on DE&I pledges made last year.
• Some divisions inside companies continue to lack BIPOC employees.
• Companies have not provided the promised transparency into hiring processes.
• BIPOC employees are quitting out of frustration.

A year after many media companies pledged to improve the level of diversity, equity and inclusion inside their organizations, their actions have not resulted in widespread impact, according to BIPOC people working at media companies. One media company appointed multiple BIPOC individuals to high-ranking editorial roles, but it still lacks a BIPOC employee in its sales department, said a fourth BIPOC person who works in the media industry. Another media company’s sales department …read more

Source:: Digiday

Author: Aaron