‘You can’t be what you can’t see’: A pilot study of reflections on diversity and inclusion in the news media

Abstract

This article reports on a pilot study that examined representational and content diversity in Australian media through semi-structured interviews with experts in the field and secondary documentary analysis of available public reports, news articles and websites. Of the eleven axes of diversity explored in the wider project, this article focuses on ability, ethnicity, religion and class, based on the experience and expertise of the interview participants. The analysis revealed four common themes: (1) the media’s tendency to narrowly and predictably portray diverse groups; (2) the lack of diversity in newsrooms and management, and its impact on content and representation; (3) commercial imperatives and (4) the value and impact (or not) of policies. While there are some areas of the media that are seen to be doing a better job, the overwhelming consensus among the participants supported community advocacy and academic literature that finds Australian news media can do better when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).