Yasir Mirza, head of diversity and inclusion at the Guardian, discusses the importance of diversity in the media and how the demand for digital provides a platform for a range of voices
Why is diversity and inclusion in the media so important?
Diversity of opinion and perspectives, and of course the different lense of people, are vital ingredients for a lively, balanced and enriched debate across all media, and I strongly feel journalism can play a powerful role in creating cohesion and understanding through dialogue.
However, the media industry does attract criticism (in places, rightfully so) of being exclusive and not diverse enough, and I think it's fair to say that it is a heavily networked industry. Working in media, and journalism more specifically, is a complex yet rewarding career that does require a high degree of determination, know how, self-assurance and passion to succeed; opinion and perspective are paramount. So if we can promote pluralism through diversity, that is always a good thing.
Tell us about your role as head of diversity and inclusion at the Guardian?
I work across all areas of the business, including recruitment and development, editorial and commercial with regard to diversity and inclusion. I have overall responsibility for ensuring that our newspapers and websites are reflecting the societies in which we live and work.
On an editorial level we reflect our values of independence and inclusiveness by not only ensuring a broader diversity of voices are heard within the papers and websites, but also by making sure our editorial coverage accurately reflects the diverse societies we live in.
On a commercial level we aim to attract more readers from all sections of society. We can only continue to be an innovative brand by attracting the best talent from the widest pool and nurturing a diverse workforce with different outlooks and perspectives.
What kind of projects and initiatives are you currently working on with new writers?
I run workshops and pitching seminars for minority groups with our editors, designed to inject diverse voices into our editorial coverage and increase the breadth and depth of the minority voices we commission. These initiatives aim to better inform our commissioning editors across Life & Style, G2, Features, Culture, Film & Music, Books, Comment, Society, and Sport. We aim to show that there is a wealth of stories out there that we are perhaps not currently tapping in to as much as we should.
This is part of our overall editorial diversity strategy to move editorial coverage of these groups away from stereotypes, towards inclusiveness and genuine representation – it's about showing the diversity within diversity.
Can you share some success stories?
These workshops have proved to be highly successful, with six workshops already resulting in 72 article commissions and many writers being commissioned more than once for the Guardian.
One particular success story from these workshops is Charlie Swinbourne, a deaf writer. Since attending a workshop, Charlie has already written 17 articles. One in particular example is about the government's withdrawal of funding for deaf children in the new academies setup. As a result of Charlie's piece, the government reinstated the special support services funding of academies for a year.
This shows how this type of initiative can provide a platform for a voice that ordinarily would not have been heard, and in this case caused a policy change. What's also great about this initiative is that it very much fits within our open journalism strategy, through which we are constantly encouraging participation and interaction with our journalism, and seeking expertise outside our own writers.
What would you say to anyone reading this?
The media industry is going through some tough times, with every media outlet suffering from a decline in print circulation. The Guardian has embraced a digital-first strategy in the last 12 months and believes this is the future. The digital world means there are many more opportunities for individuals to get their voices heard via blogging, commenting, and social media.
I would say to anyone who is interested in journalism as a career, get out there, get on Twitter, start a blog and start producing content. Whether in 140 or 140,000 characters, form your own opinions on issues, and be prepared to argue. Become an expert in an area you are interested in or passionate about, be it sports, movies, music, politics or culture. Start writing about this in any way you can, and try to carve yourself a niche as an expert so people want to hear what you have to say. Digital platforms are a great place to build up a reputation for yourself – remember the best tweeters are not always famous.
Tell us more about your background, are you a writer too?
I started out as a freelance consultant and trainer working for various public and private sector organisations. I used to design and deliver training programmes for organisations using interactive theatre and forum techniques, such as Augusto Boal's theatre of the oppressed, as a way to tackle organisational inertia, by exploring the dynamics of power and using interventions to tackle oppression in all its forms.
In terms of writing, I have been encouraged to write for the Guardian on diversity, which I am beginning to do more of now. I also am in the middle of writing a piece about my recent trip to Pakistan, a 30 year return home since visiting as a child; a historical and comical exploration of my Pakistani heritage and identity.
A version of this blog originally ran on Brit Writers
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