Dear Leaders
We’re writing to you from the Black Collective of Media in Sport (BCOMS), an organisation that for more than 15 years has worked to help improve diversity, inclusion and equity in the UK sports media.
In 2020, we wrote to you following the horrific murder of George Floyd and the resulting upsurge of the Black Lives Matter movement, which echoed throughout the world.
That letter called for intentional action to help tackle the long-standing issues around the lack of diversity within the sports media and was signed by dignitaries including Sir David Beckham, Dina Asher-Smith and Ian Wright.
Five years on, it’s vital that our industry retains its focus on this key issue.
There have been some positive strides forward in this period – including a visible growth in the diversity of on screen talent, improved gender balance and some improved access for young talent – which we applaud.
At the same time, we remain concerned over a number of areas, including but not limited to the following: Issues with the retention and career development of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic employees Continuing low numbers of People of Colour at senior and middle management levels
Improved gender equality in the industry not extending to Black women
The ongoing issue with the lack of diversity within the written sector of the sports media
The lack of industry-wide facts and figures on ethnic diversity within our sector and the ethnic pay gap that exists in the sports media
As the one organisation dedicated to improving diversity, inclusion and equity for all in the UK sports media, BCOMS has worked incredibly hard to help bring positive change through the BCOMS Academy Masterclass programme and our consultancies with a handful of companies.
Our work has helped create pathways into the industry for talented young people from diverse backgrounds. We are proud of their achievements – and BCOMS role in helping kickstart the careers of a generation of new leaders.
BCOMS has proved itself to be the academy of talent for the UK sports media – and we’ve done this with very limited resources and support from across our industry.
In the current prevailing political mood, a base commitment to diversity is being challenged by some.
It’s vital for the sports media industry to take the lead and restate its commitment to what is right, while also ensuring it remains relevant to the changing demographics of current and future audiences.
Diversity and inclusion isn’t a ‘nice to have’ or window dressing – it’s a ‘must have’ at all levels and should be a key business metric for the future viability of our industry.
Five years on from our letter in 2020, we ask you to recommit to placing diversity, inclusion and equity at the heart of your business going forward.
With this in mind, we’d love you to consider becoming a Corporate Member of BCOMS and formally support the work we’ve been undertaking since 2009 to help make the UK sports media a better place.
We look forward to your response and hope we can help drive deeper, more meaningful change for our industry together.
Yours sincerely,
Black Collective of Media in Sport (BCOMS)
Leon Mann MBE, Drew Christie, Ladi Ajayi, Mahari Hay, Fatou Jeng, Sarah Nicholas-Kyei, Marshall Norbal, Jo Ogunleye, Jordan Prince, Mayowa Quadri and Andrew Ducille
