Ethnic Minorities in the Media

ResearchEthnic Minorities in Media

Workplace

1 Research Sources and Assumptions

1.1 Source The data used in this factsheet is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

student record database. The data covers the academic year of 2007 – 2008. Definitions of the various subject areas used in this factsheet can be found at:

http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/content/view/102/136/1/4

1.2 Assumptions The data used refers to UK domiciled students only; it does not include overseas students

who are studying in the UK.

Students falling under the ‘Unknown’ category have not been added to the White group or any of the ethnic minority groups. Instead, these have either been disregarded or represented as ‘Unknown’ in the analysis.

Media related subjects include the following subjects:

o Mass communications and documentation o Languages o Creative arts and design

1.3 Definitions The ethnic minority category groupings are based on Census 2001 categories. Please note in particular that:

White includes:

White

Irish Traveller

Mixed includes:

Mixed – White and Black Caribbean

Mixed – White and Black African

Mixed – White and Asian

Mixed – other

Other includes:

Other ethnic background

Not Known includes:

Not Known

Information refused

Ethnic Minorities in Media

02 I Race for Opportunity (RfO) | Ethnic Minorities in Media


2 Ethnic Minorities in Media

2.1 Representation of Ethnic Minority Students in Media related subjects

Our research shows that amongst the various ethnic minority groups studying media related subjects at UK universities during 2007–08, students of mixed ethnicity had by far the highest representation (3.0 percent), followed by Indian students (1.7 percent), Black African students (1.4 percent) and Black Caribbean students (1.3 percent). On the other hand, students from ‘Black Other’ backgrounds and students of Bangladeshi origins had the least representation among ethnic minority groups – (see figure 1).

Figure 1: Representation of Ethnic Minority Students Studying Media Related Subjects (2007-08)

Source: HESA Student Record (2007-08)

The total ethnic minority representation of students studying media related

subjects in 2007-08 was 11.0% compared to 84.7% of the White

student population studying media related subjects during 2007-08.


Black Caribbean

Black African

Black Other

Indian

Pakistani

Bangladeshi

Chinese

Other Asian

Mixed

Other

1.3%

0.3%

1.4%

1.7%

0.7%

0.4%

0.7%

0.7%

0.9%

3%


FAST FACTSBlack and minority ethnic (BAME) workers are under-represented in London’s audio visual (AV) industries. Ten per cent of the AV workforce in London is from a black or minority ethnic group, even though a quarter of London’s workforce is made up of BAME workers.

The figures are even lower in some parts of the industry e.g. in film production, the black and minority ethnic figure is only six per cent.Source: Working Lives Research Institute, London Metropolitan University ‘Institutional barriers to recruitment and employment in the audio visuals industries’ January 2007


We found that all ethnic minority groups, except the mixed ethnicity group, had a lower

representation among students studying media related subjects, than among students studying all subjects.

Figure 2: Representation of Ethnic Minority Groups among Students Studying Media Related subjects vis-à-vis All subjects (2007-08)

Source: HESA Student Record (2007-08)


Other

Mixed Ethnicity

Other Asian Background

Chinese

Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani

Asian or Asian British - Indian

Other Black Background

Black or Black British - African

Black or Black British - Caribbean

Media

All Subjects1.3%

1.4%

1.4%3.2%

0.3%0.3%

1.7%3.3%

0.7%1.9%

0.4%0.6%

0.7%0.9%

0.7%1.2%

3.0%2.1%

0.9%0.9%

68.6% 79.0%

27.4% 16.0%

Other

Mixed Ethnicity

Other Asian Background

Chinese

Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani

Asian or Asian British - Indian

Other Black Background

Black or Black British - African

Black or Black British - Caribbean

Media

All Subjects1.3%

1.4%

1.4%3.2%

0.3%0.3%

1.7%3.3%

0.7%1.9%

0.4%0.6%

0.7%0.9%

0.7%1.2%

3.0%2.1%

0.9%0.9%

68.6% 79.0%

27.4% 16.0%

White Representation:Media – 84.7%All Subjects – 79.0%

Total Ethnic MinorityRepresentation:Media – 11.0%All Subjects – 16.0%

Sou

rce: HESA

Student Record

1 The most popular areas of study for this cohort w

ere ‘subjects allied to medicine’ (14

%) follow

ed by Business &

Adm

inistrative Studies (11%) and Education (10

%). The least popular subject w

as Veterinary Science (0

.2%).

Ethnic Minorities in M

edia

2.2 UK Universities w

ith the Highest Proportion of Ethnic Minority Students studying M

edia related subjects

In 20

07/20

08

there were 1.9

million U

K dom

iciled students at UK

universities of which 15

per cent (290

,912.30

) were studying m

edia related subjects1.

Table 1 show

s the top 25 universities ranked by the proportion of students from

ethnic minority groups studying m

edia related subjects (200

7-08

). University

College B

irmingham

had the highest proportion (50

.9 percent) of ethnic m

inority students among students studying m

edia related subjects, followed

by University of East London (4

5.8 percent) and B

runel University (4

4.3 percent). These 25

universities constituted 43.3 percent of the total population

of ethnic minority students studying m

edia related subjects at UK

universities.

Table 1: U

niversities Ranked by P

roportion of Ethnic M

inority Students studying M

edia related subjects (20

07–0

8)

All Ethnic Minorities

BlackCaribbean

BlackAfrican

Black Other

Indian

Pakistani

Bangladeshi

Chinese

Asian Other

Mixed

Other

% of total BAME Media Students

Whites

Top 25 Universities

Sou

rce: HESA

Student Record

2.3 Russell Group Universities w

ith the Highest Proportion of Ethnic Minority Students studying M

edia

Table 2 show

s the percentage of students studying media related subjects from

each ethnic minority group at R

ussell Group universities. London School of

Economics and P

olitical Science (LSE

) had the highest proportion (26.9

percent) of ethnic minority students, follow

ed by King’s C

ollege London (19.8 percent)

and University C

ollege London (15.6 percent). R

ussell Group universities constitute 11.9

percent of the total ethnic minority students studying m

edia related subjects at U

K universities.

Table 2: R

ussell Group U

niversities Ranked by P

roportion of Students from

Ethnic M

inorities studying Media R

elated Subjects (2

00

7–08

)

All Ethnic Minorities

BlackCaribbean

BlackAfrican

Black Other

Indian

Pakistani

Bangladeshi

Chinese

Asian Other

Mixed

Other

% of total BAME Media Students

Whites

Russell Universities

Ethnic Minorities in M

edia


What’s class got to do with it?


Of the top 100 journalists in 2006, 54% were independently educated an increase from 49% in 1986. Source: The Sutton Trust -The Educational Backgrounds of Leading Journalists, June 2006

A separate survey of leading journalists and editors suggests that the latest new recruits to the national news media are even more likely to come from privileged backgrounds than those from previous generations. Reasons for this range from: low pay and insecurity at junior levels; the high costs of living in London; the increasing costs of postgraduate courses; a bias towards those with family or personal connections within the industry amid a largely informal but highly competitive recruitment process; and finally, the stronger skills and attributes exhibited at an earlier age by those from private schools. Source: The Sutton Trust -The Educational Backgrounds of Leading Journalists, June 2006

Some Household Names and their Educational Background News Presenters/Correspondents:

Name Organisation School School Type University Jeremy Paxman BBC Newsnight Malvern College IND Cambridge John Simpson BBC St. Pauls IND Cambridge Jon Snow Channel 4 News St Edwards Chichester High for Boys IND Liverpool David Dimbleby BBC Question Time Glengorse, Battle; Charterhouse IND Oxford Fiona Bruce BBC Hatcham Girls, New Cross SEL Oxford Newspaper Editors:

Ian Hislop Private Eye Ardingly College IND Oxford Matthew d’Ancona Spectator St. Dunstan’s College IND Oxford Lionel Barber Financial Times Dulwich College IND Oxford Roger Alton Observer Clifton College IND Oxford Alan Rusbridger Guardian Cranleigh IND Cambridge Source: The Sutton Trust -The Educational Backgrounds of Leading Journalists, June 2006

Private schools make up only 7 per cent of the country’s secondary school population. Yet they produce well over half of the country’s top news journalists. Source: The SuttonTrust -The Educational Backgrounds of Leading Journalists, June 2006


Key Media Facts


Ethnic minority participation

How good are the TV companies at Diversity?A survey2 carried out in 2004 found that:

ITV 7% across ITV as a whole and 14% of staff in London were from ethnic minority groups.

Channel 4 11.4% of all staff and 6% of senior staff were from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Five News 10% of staff on Five News were from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Sky 8.2% of Sky’s workforce was from an ethnic minority background and 9% of Sky’s management team were from ethnic minority backgrounds. In addition, 13% of Sky’s programming team were from an ethnic minority background.

ITN Two members of the senior management team were from an ethnic minority background.

BBC 13% of new recruits were from an ethnic minority background.

Source: http://www.asiansinmedia.org/news/article.php/television/740

TV Milestones

1975, Empire Road became the first black soap programme

1978, LWT set up the London Minorities Unit

1982, Channel 4 launched with minority brief Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/uk/2002/race/how_entertainment_changed.stm

According to a Weber Shandwick study, 77% of Asians, 78% of black people and 51% of Chinese people in the UK say marketing by mainstream brands has little or no relevance to them.

2 The figures and information below were provided by the broadcasters themselves.


FAST FACTSRepresentation also varies between occupational groups. Processing laboratory staff have the highest representation of ethnic minorities (19.0%), with cinema cleaners (17.4%) and other roles within cinema exhibition also high. Studio operations (16.4%) and transmission (12.5%) have also both seen a positive increase since 2004. Source: Skillset - The Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries – Employment Census 2006


Figure 3: Representation of Ethnic Minorities in the Industry in each occupational group

Source: Skillset - The Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries – Employment Census 2006


ProducingProduction

Journalism & SportRadio Broadcasting

Television BroadcastingProgramme Distribution

TransmissionBroadcast Engineering

Studio OperationsInteractive or Games ProductionInteractive or Games Operations

Interactive or Games BusinessDraw/Stop Frame Animation

2D/3D Computer Generated AnimationArt & Design

CameraCostume/Wardrobe

Library/ArchivesLighting

Make Up& HairdressingPost Production

SoundSpecial Physical Effects

RunnerCinema Projectionists

Cinema Box Office/Kiosk/AttendantsCinema Cleaners

Cinema Management/Head Office/Team LeadersFilm Distribution

Procesing LaboratoriesAll Other Occupational Groups

TOTAL

Media

All Subjects

4.9%3.0%

3.7%2.3%

9.0%3.9%

4.1%12.3%

0.0%7.0%

3.1%

10.0%19.0%

7.4%

17.4%11.6%

4.7%8.2%

0.3%5.3%

8.9%5.1%

16.4%6.0%

12.5%3.2%

9.5%9.2%

11.1%2.2%

6.4%5.4%

68.6% 79.0%

27.4% 16.0%


FAST FACTSOn the positive side, levels of employment of ethnic minorities are above average in cable & satellite, processing laboratories and cinema exhibition. However, at the other end of the scale, ethnic minorities make up 5% or less of the workforce in animation, computer games, offline multimedia, studio & equipment hire special physical effects and film distribution. Source: Skillset - The Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries – Employment Census 2006


Figure 4: Representation of Ethnic Minorities in the Industry in each sector

Source: Skillset - The Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries – Employment Census 2006


Terrestrial TV

Cable & Satellite Television

Independent Production (Television)

Broadcast Radio

Animation

Post Production

Special Physical Effects

Studio & Equipment Hire

Other Services for Film & TV

Web & Internet

Computer Games

Offline Multimedia

Commercials Production

Corporate Production

Cinema Exhibition

Film Distribution

Processing Laboratories

TOTAL

Employees

Freelancers

All

7.4%7.3%7.4%

18.7%33.4%

20.4%5.1%

6.4%5.8%

7.3%5.6%

6.9%2.1%

3.4%2.6%

7.6%6.8%

7.3%0.7%

2.9%1.6%

0.8%4.2%

1.8%5.1%

6.5%5.6%6.7%7.1%6.8%

4.3%0.0%

3.9%5.5%

2.7%4.9%

9.7%6.0%

7.2%3.4%

9.0%5.9%

11.6%0.0%

11.6%2.9%

9.3%3.8%

19.0%0.0%

19.0%7.6%

7.0%7.4%

Other

Mixed

Other Asian

Chinese

Bangladeshi

Pakistani

Indian

Black Other

Black African

Black Caribbean

Focus on Creative and Cultural Skills



In the UK advertising employs around 26,500 people and contributes £1.4 billion to the UK economy each year.

About 70% of the industry’s workforce are based in London 94% of the advertising workforce is white

Design contributes £6.3 billion to the UK economy and 180,000 people currently work in the design industry.

33% are self employed and 20% are freelancers 95% of the design workforce is white

Music contributes £6 billion of GVA to the UK economy and UK artists account for more than half of all albums sold in the UK, and one in 12 albums sold in the US.

96% of the music workforce is white Literature contributes £2.3 billion to the UK economy and 68,900 people currently work in the literature industry.

32% of the workforce is freelance, and 62% self-employed 94% of the workforce is white

Source: Creative & Cultural Skills www..ccskills.org.uk

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Ethnic Minorities in the Media