News UK’s D&I strategy was launched in October 2020, and the organisation has made a number of commitments to increase the diversity of its workforce and the representation of wider society within its content. It is creating a pathway to 50/50 gender split across its workforce, with a 20% target of representation of ethnic minorities.

News UK identified several issues that it needed to address: barriers to entry; barriers to progression; and barriers to inclusive products. Its Diversity Board has devised strategies to combat these and to drive diversity and inclusion within brands across the organisation.

‘As a media company – more than any other corporate – it is important that at News UK we reflect the diverse make-up of the UK and Ireland, and give voices to people from differing backgrounds and viewpoints. As a publisher and as a broadcaster, we have a responsibility to our audiences to reflect society as a whole, both in our content and in our workforce. In doing so, we may also attract new audiences.’

Rebekah Brooks, CEO, News UK

The strategy is focused on three priority pillars:

Attracting, developing and retaining young talent from a much broader pool

News UK has made a big investment in creating apprenticeships, internships and work experience across all departments. It was the first media organisation to partner with Kickstart, to create up to 100 paid placements for unemployed young people in 2021. It has opened 45 two-year apprenticeships and will reach 1,000 young people through workshops for 16-18-year-olds across the country. The Times and The Sunday Times also run a News Literacy Programme to help improve media literacy among young people.

Entering its second year in 2022, The Sun Sport’s Vikki Orvice Scholarship offers a two-year contract to help women into sports reporting, and The Sun’s Widening Media Diversity Scholarship awards a Muslim student a bursary to study for an MA in journalism at City, University of London, followed by a one-year paid internship. The Sunday Times Style magazine’s Black Writers’ Guild partnership, in its third year in 2022, offering six months of mentoring to aspiring Black-British journalists under 25 from members of the Style team, with a minimum of three pieces commissioned and published.

News UK has also established over a dozen partnerships with diversity recruitment specialists to ensure it is looking further than ever for every role.

Driving gender and ethnic diversity in wider leadership

News UK has partnered with Creative Equals to offer a multicultural leadership development programme to create a more diverse pipeline to leadership.

Additional initiatives include supporting employee-led networks within the organisation, including the Cultural Diversity Network and LGBTQ+ group News Is Out; introducing a diversity and inclusion session in all inductions for new starters; and launching a Diversity and Inclusion Development Programme, featuring sessions on unconscious bias, building inclusive teams and allyship to drive inclusivity at all levels.

It has also created a system to track all instances of discrimination and review regularly to identify patterns or issues using exit interviews and leaving data.

Ensuring diversity and inclusivity in journalism and content

News UK has created Diversity Action Groups within brands across its business, to consult on everything from sensitive issues for minority communities to making its teams more inclusive.

It has also hosted Reporting on Race workshops for newsroom staff across its titles and stations, and conducted a groundbreaking Diversity Research study into diversity and inclusion from the perspective of its brands’ consumers.

Award-winning Virgin Radio Pride UK, an ongoing initiative, was launched in June 2021 as a pop-up station for the LGBTQ+ community during Pride season, seeking to reduce inequality by addressing important issues in the core programming.

News UK also launched Studio PI – a new photography and illustration agency promoting diverse and underrepresented talent. This is thriving, with clients including Calvin Klein and Volvo.

Networks

News UK works closely with its network groups, Cultural Diversity Network, News for Parents, Women in Tech, Gen Z, The Christian Fellowship and LGBTQ+ group News Is Out. It ensures consultation with these groups on policy changes and the actions the business will take. The organisation recently launched a women’s steering group to help advise and inform the business to ensure women are supported at all stages of life and look at projects such as closing its gender pay gap.