Did we let DEI die?
Opinion
The tide of racism and misplaced hatred across the UK underlines that the media’s silent majority must speak up. It’s no longer enough to not be able to find the right words.
“What can’t be named can’t be changed.”
Collette Philip, founder of award-winning anti-racist brand consultancy Brand by Me, is shattering the suggestion that what we have seen on the streets of the UK is anything other than what it is: racism.
In a powerful LinkedIn post, Philip highlighted what prime minister Sir Keir Starmer didn’t say when he declared: “No, I won’t shy away from calling it what it is: far-right thuggery.”
These words ironically failed to call the riots what they actually were: racist and Islamophobic violence, white supremacy and the result of using anti-immigration and racist scapegoating to distract from classist, racist and oppressive policies that deepen and sustain poverty.
While industry leaders lined up to sign open letters in the wake of the murder of George Floyd a few years ago, it is an open secret that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has since been deprioritised in the media. Philip’s words are a reminder of the power of truth in an ecosystem in which all too many industry leaders have let DEI initiatives wither on the vine.
Changing the narrative
The thoughtless wreckers, the haters, the doublespeakers, the liars and the blamers have brought racism to the streets of the UK. But let’s be clear: this isn’t just about individual rioters.
In fact, the hate we have all witnessed started upstream — the racist stories and endless dehumanisation of immigrants that have dominated the narratives of publications like the Daily Mail for decades. And they have caused real-world harm. In the media, hate sells.
The lack of diversity and lived experience in newsrooms across the UK continues to breed ignorance. When MP Robert Jenrick appeared on Sky News to share his opinion that saying “God is great” in Arabic is a crime, there was no pushback from Wilfred Frost.
A front-page headline from The Daily Telegraph plunged to new depths of doublespeak when it declared: “Far right clash with Muslims in riot.” Meanwhile, the Express front page screamed: “UK riots spark far-left protests.”
These narratives all support the toxic myth that racism is a meaningful protest. That every “debate” must have two sides. A person’s right to exist is not a topic for debate in a civilised society.
The failure of social media companies to take responsibility for misinformation and violent, racist content on their platforms does not dilute this narrative that continues to thrive across the UK press.
Now is the time to address the truth that social media fuels hate. Algorithms drive misinformation, then they amplify the flames of violence built by unchecked lies.
From the video of racists stopping cars at makeshift checkpoints in Middlesbrough to the shocking footage of a lone black man being set upon in a park in Manchester — a mindless scroll through hate creates ever more hate.
As one rioter allegedly told police after being arrested for violence: “It’s OK, everyone else is doing it.”
The media mainstreams hate
None of this is OK. As an industry, we are cavalier with who and what we platform. Marginalised communities pay the price for our collective ambivalence.
From I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here! to the seemingly endless rounds of news interviews, we have failed to recognise the danger of mainstreaming Nigel Farage. We have normalised the hate he spews by giving a disproportionate level of coverage to an extremist.
We must think harder about who we give a platform to. As an industry, we are so dependent on the integrity, insight and energy of our DEI champions. Those doing the work deserve not just our empty platitudes and open letters but our time, commitment and investment.
As a powerful statement from Media for All (Mefa) explained: “Now, more than ever, it is crucial for organisations to maintain and strengthen their diversity and inclusion programmes. Cutting back on these initiatives or down-tooling is simply not an option. If anyone thinks that DEI is not required, think again. These riots underscore the urgent need for continued commitment to inclusive practices.”
While Mefa continues to raise the bar, Nabs is creating safe spaces and learning opportunities accessible to all. Across the industry, staff leading brilliant employee resource groups are holding space and holding leaders to account, regardless of personal cost. The tireless work of the Conscious Advertising Network in raising the standards for the industry and keeping misinformation on the agenda has never been more important.
Silence is not the answer
Yet too many of us are still silent, perpetually sidelined by something else to support this important work.
It’s no longer enough to not be able to find the right words. A mother and father burying their daughter managed to puncture their grief with the courage to declare that they do not want more violence on the streets in their daughter’s name.
Change requires addressing our industry’s role in the deeply degraded public discourse on asylum and immigration. It means taking personal responsibility for who and what we platform. It requires taking personal responsibility for the racist, transphobic, sexist narratives that advertising continues to fund.
What cannot be named cannot be changed. So let’s be honest that our collective silence has contributed to a media ecosystem that has fuelled both misinformation and outright racism.
The way we use words has power. In choosing to stay silent, we are complicit. The uncomfortable truth is that, in this industry, many of us have placed our careers ahead of our compassion. The “silent majority” cannot continue to say nothing in the face of media narratives causing real-world harm.
The time to find the words is now.
Nicola Kemp has spent over two decades writing about diversity, equality and inclusion in the media. She is now editorial director of Creativebrief. She writes for The Media Leader each month.
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