BROADCASTER CHANNEL 4 known for its commitment to championing under-represented voices, has declined to make the findings of an independent review public for fear of upsetting its own staff with regards to diversity and inclusion, it’s been reported.
The review conducted by consultancy firm Caerus Executive, aimed to assess whether Channel 4 is truly an anti-racist organisation.
The decision to withhold the review results came in response to a Freedom Of Information (FOI) request made by Deadline (an entertainment online news site).
Caerus Executive, at Channel 4’s request, conducted interviews with both current and former staff members offering guidance on creating a more inclusive and anti-racist environment within the organisation.
The channel has been accused in the press by former unnamed employees for having a toxic culture, and not being inclusive enough of ethnic minority staff.
Channel 4 has cited the need to maintain a “safe space” for candid discussions about implementing the review’s recommendations as the primary reason for not releasing the document to the public.
The broadcaster expressed concern that making the findings public could hinder open and productive internal conversations on diversity and inclusivity.
The recent refusal to disclose the anti-racism review comes after The Times of London published a story in which ten former ethnic minority employees accused Channel 4 of fostering a “toxic” workplace culture following a racial discrimination complaint settlement.
Channel 4 emphasised its commitment to being an open and inclusive organisation and expressed its dedication to creating a more inclusive culture as one of its top priorities, last year.
Deadline has obtained internal emails from 2021, shedding light on the sensitive nature of diversity discussions within Channel 4, even when they pertain to progressive goals.
These emails reveal that there was unease among Channel 4’s diversity leaders regarding the replacement of the term “BAME” (Black, Asian, and minority ethnic) with “ethnically diverse”.
The decision to shift from “BAME” was made following a poll conducted by The Collective, an employee group advocating for diversity.
The internal correspondence shows a consensus among senior leaders and diversity advocates at Channel 4 about the need to move away from “BAME”.
However, they also found “ethnically diverse” to be problematic due to its broad and generalised nature.
Chief Content Officer Ian Katz acknowledged the complexity of the debate and noted that “ethnically diverse” was the “least disliked” alternative chosen by The Collective.
Channel 4’s decision to adopt “ethnically diverse” preceded a report on the “BAME” acronym by the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity by seven months.
The report, published in December 2021, led to several major UK broadcasters discontinuing the use of “BAME”.
The Lenny Henry Centre suggested that the TV industry should avoid collective terms and aim for more specific descriptions of people’s ethnicities, a viewpoint echoed in Channel 4’s internal deliberations.
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