Silence and sound: Diversity and the media
University Director of Diversity Professor Edwina Pio made a presentation on diversity and the media to New Zealand Herald staff at their NZME headquarters.
Edwina spoke about how New Zealand is a place based on heritage, shape-shifting and transformative possibilities.
She urged the organisation to use their communication power wisely as they create powerful narratives for readers, asking the audience to reflect on how we report in Aotearoa.
She emphasized that for the media, every encounter matters, and that stories must reflect the vast range of voices in the country.
"Top editors matter in many ways, however, research has indicated that non-white top editors in countries like Germany and the UK were 0 per cent, despite large ethnic populations in these countries. Additionally, many newsroom boards have low or no diversity."
Her recommendations included the need for systemic diversity beyond policy lurches and the importance of being compassionate disruptors to change opportunity structures and move through the power of persuasion and debate.
