I attended the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Black Members Council (BMC) conference today and learnt of some staggering issues regarding the Media. For all those Black and Ethnic Minority Journalism hopefuls, be warned, a bumpy ride awaits you my friends, so be ready!
There is no one Black person that manages or has a senior position in any of the national newspapers and Television in the UK – even the BBC, which seems to be the best portrayal of Ethnic Minority in the Media. Most of these companies are owned by middle-ages white men with very rigid ideas as to what they want to see on their TV and whom they want to be represented by.
Today, you are more likely to see black people on National Television (as news reporters, presenters, etc) than ten years ago, but have you thought why? Traditionally, black people were in the backroom. For example, if you go to a hotel, you will always find a beautiful white woman sitting at the reception to welcome the visitors, and where are the black people – always in the kitchen. So why has this changed now? Why are black people all of a sudden appearing on National Television screens as the faces of major news channels despite the fact that they hold no managerial positions? The answer is simple – Because they are there simply for decoration purposes.
Black people, after coming across hundreds of hurdles, rigorous job interviews, and endless hours of fetching tea and biscuits for their senior white editors, might faintly have a chance of being employed by a National newspaper (if they are lucky). And once employed by a newspaper or a Television, retention rates are very, very low and there is absolutely no chance for progression. Management is always the specialty of a White, Middle-class, Oxbridge-educated male. You won’t find black people in roles where decision making is required or to represent a National Newspaper! They don’t mind having black people as long as they are not too many and are doing subordinate roles.
The prime reason the Media employ black and Ethnic Minority journalists is solely to ‘show’ the powers that be that they are recruiting on fair grounds and are fully aware of the Discrimination Laws, and, of course, to re-assure the Ethnic Minority that there is a voice for them in the Media. However, whether the black people in the media represent the voice of the Ethnic Minority groups they were born into or not is still a bone for contention.
Which left me wondering, is it that Black people are not “British enough” to represent or manage a British newspaper, for I have nothing else to think of that could be deemed rational in the light of these findings. But whatever the reasons are for such domination of the Media by the white-middle-class-males, it is not something that will be easily ended soon I believe!
Shafi, lol you sure have alot to look forward to. Your road is littered with two-tongued snakes. I hope you were good at triple-jumping in school :D.
loool A Lot to work for, Advocate. ii soo ducay!
I am in complete agreement with you in regards to your blog. I wrote something similar a year ago.
http://woran.blogspot.com/2006/06/aks-accreditation-theory.html
Trust me: it’s not just within the media. I was at the launch of the Chelthenam jazz festival yesterday at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club yesterday, and I was expecting to see a lot of black faces around as contributors, either financially, musically or even from the media. Hah! It was a cabal of Middle class white types. Inasmuch as I hate using the term ‘Racist’, there must be something seriously wrong somewhere!
Hi Aworan, great article indeed. Thanks for the link. Its not simply a co-incidence that a year later i am expressing similar views is it? There must be something going on.
You, atleast, are an established Photographer, and know the tricks of the game, whereas I am entering the Media field now and have to learn a lot before getting anywhere. Wish me luck.
I totally agree with everything you say. I left the UK ten years ago because of the reasons you’ve stated. I am shocked to know that a lot of this stuff is still happening. Still, I wish you and other Black Brits the best of luck.
Thanks Shafi,
Which is why I say that I don’t know what it is to be a Brit. Plse read my ‘Brief Encounters’ as this piece covers the very thing you are talking about.
These things are still rife in this part of the democratic world Plantain, despite major under-the-carpet sweeping efforts. Will read Brief Encounters.
Hows opportunities there in SA?
Opportunities are good but the downside is that the indigenous Black people do not take too kindly to black ‘foreigners’ coming to take over their jobs!! Whites are willing to hire you but when I lived there, a policy (Buthelizi I think) was introduced saying that it should not just be Blacks that should be hired, but local blacks. It therefore took me forever to find something. Luckily my partner was able to get something.
Hey, Shafi. Following up on this blog, you might want to read today’s issue of the Media Guardian.