The D Word 4

INDUSTRY LEADERS COME TOGETHER TO HELP DRIVE CHANGE

DIVERSITY IN THE SPORTS MEDIA

BCOMS come together with News UK to host the D Word 4 conference on 5th July 2022.

The event was supported by News UK and were hosted at their headquarters in London.

The aim of the conference was to put diversity firmly on the agenda for the industry’s key decision makers and to review what progress has been made in this area following the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.

Senior executives across the sports media, academics, diversity experts, experienced media professionals and young journalists made up the audience attending on the day.

The new research looked at 258 broadcast roles in the industry covering the Men’s UEFA European Football Championship, Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo and Wimbledon in 2021. The research also covered the Winter Olympics and Paralympics held earlier this year.

In the written media BCOMS analysed 78 roles in the written media covering the Men’s UEFA European Football Championship. Senior positions across the sports media were also focused on.

The key findings included:

• Just 2 Black sports writers covered the UEFA European Football Championship

• Only 3 women sports writers were involved in going to games during the UEFA European Football Championship

• There is currently not one Woman or Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic Head of Sport or Chief Sports Writer across the eight mainstream national newspapers

• Women filled 35% of the 258 broadcast roles BCOMS reviewed

• There was 5.4% Asian representation across the 258 broadcast roles BCOMS reviewed

• 15% of the 258 broadcast roles were made up from the Black community

Having heard the research, the conference delegates then joined workshops focused on finding new ways forward to address under representation in the industry.

The different workshops included; Shifting The Dial, The Leadership Panel, Owning our Stories, The Lens

Leon Mann MBE, BCOMS founder, said;

“The D Word conference is a much needed event in the sports media bringing together leaders from across the industry to review our collective mission of increasing diversity, while also sharing good practice and new ideas to shift the dial.

“BCOMS are delighted to be delivering the D Word 4 with News UK. The conference is part of a wider partnership where we have been working together to accelerate positive change in the sports media.”

A diversity guide has since been put together to highlight the good practice from the conference will be created by BCOMS and shared with leaders across the sports media, the guide is available to download here.

As BCOMS founder Leon Mann said at the event ” This guide is not a nice to have, it is a must. It is important we share this research with all our contacts”.