ITV NEWS London Senior Correspondent Ronke Philips has been appointed as the first Editorial Diversity Partner for ITN (Independent Television News).
The new role will be working across ITN’s three newsrooms – ITV News, Channel 4 News and 5 News, and ITN Productions.
The position is rooted within editorial teams to support ITN’s target of developing the careers of journalists from underrepresented backgrounds into middle and senior editorial roles in news and production.
Ronke Phillips said: “I’m very glad to have this opportunity to work for real change on editorial diversity and inclusion in all our newsrooms and ITN Productions and to champion diversity in all its forms for our employee networks. An inclusive workplace doesn’t just have a diversity of people, it has a diversity of people involved, developed, and empowered.”
Phillips is a multi-award winning journalist, and has been part of big investigations and breaking news stories including the murders of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, Stephen Lawrence and Victoria Climbie, the July 7th bombings of London in 2007, the murder of Lee Rigby, the recent terrorist attacks at London and Westminster bridges, and the murder of Baby P.
Her career as a journalist includes experience in print, radio, and television, as a presenter and reporter in both national and regional media, in the UK and abroad.
Philips has been the co-chair of EMpower, ITN’s Black, Asian and minority ethnic employee network since it launched in January 2020.
She will have to identify opportunities to grow and promote talented journalists from under-represented backgrounds across ITN’s newsrooms and production areas.
By supporting the upwards move of journalists from a wider range of backgrounds she will help ensure that diversity is embedded throughout ITN as an organisation, including in the rooms where the most critical editorial decisions are taken.
Lucile Kamar, ITN’s Head of Diversity and Inclusion said: “This role will be critical in supporting ITN’s ambition to truly reflect the audience we serve both on and off-screen. Philips is an accomplished and respected journalist who brings valuable experience and insight to our D&I work. I look forward to working with her on enabling us to identify and share best practices in editorially diverse journalism at ITN and in our wider industry.”
Ronke Philips has received the Royal Television Society Award (2002), Amnesty International UK Award (2012) and Amnesty International Nations & Regions Media Award (2013).
She received the Royal Television Society (RTS) award in 2002 for covering the verdicts of the trial of Damilola Taylor.
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