Cracking the ‘class C
Holly Powell-Jones looks at how some barriers to journalism are being broken down
an you remember the most invaluable advice you were given back when you started out in journalism? Was it to keep a little black book of all your contacts? Maybe it was always to pitch to a named individual. Or perhaps
something as basic as ‘wear comfy shoes’ (a lifesaver when I was running across London as a young TV reporter). There’s a proud history of insider knowledge among journalism professionals, which, most of the time, most of us are very happy to share. Given the speed and ease of access afforded by social media, plus the fact that media technologies are becoming more accessible, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s easier than ever for the next generation of broadcasters to get a foot in the door. But this isn’t always the case. BBC Two’s How to Break Into the Elite with Amol Rajan
revealed how hard work, qualifications and talent are not enough to secure graduates a top job these days, including in the media. Similarly, Ofcom’s Diversity and Equal Opportunities in Radio report highlights the continuing under-representation of people from ethnic minorities (seven per cent, compared with 12 per cent UK working average), people with disabilities (six per cent, compared with 18 per cent UK working average), and women in senior positions. Then there is the thorny issue of the British class system. When researching their book The Class Ceiling: Why it Pays to be Privileged, sociologists Sam Friedman and Daniel Laurison conducted 175 in-depth interviews with people in four elite occupations, including television broadcasting. They investigated not only opportunities to gain access to these professions but also career progression within them. They identify four key factors that contribute to inequalities, the first of which is the so-called Bank of Mum and Dad. Essentially, this is the financial security that allows new journalists to take on unpaid or unpredictable work at media employers. Without this, the chances of breaking into the industry are massively hindered. This is where organisations such as PressPad can come in
handy. They match journalism interns with London-based ‘host mentors’ who have a spare room, effectively allowing them to live rent free in the capital during a placement. It was set up in 2018, after founder Olivia Crellin reflected on her own experiences and early career. Despite her (acknowledged) privilege, the cost of getting started in London was so high that she decided instead to move to South America to gain reporting experience. PressPad boasts 100 hosts on its books, and is developing an Airbnb-style web platform. As well as offering obvious practical and financial benefits to young
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journalists, the social enterprise has a broader aim of trying to level the playing field within the industry itself. “At the end of the day, that’s not a charitable mission – it’s a business imperative and it’s also a demographic imperative,” Crellin explains. While it is satisfying to help individuals, she says, PressPad is also trying to change the culture of the journalism community: “We have some really high-profile hosts – some of the top editors and senior journalists in our industry. Where else would they meet a 19-year-old, working- class, white girl who has been on free school meals? They wouldn’t! The real thing is – it’s a two-way street.” It is easy to become disillusioned when a steady stream of
data shows the persistence of inequalities in our industry. I wonder if schemes like this could be viewed as threatening by those who benefit from structural privilege. Crellin is careful not to point the finger, saying that, if we want change, we have to get everyone on board: “There can be a bit of backlash from white, middle-class men, feeling the whole kind of ‘pale, stale, male’ thing. It is a problem, but I think the solution isn’t to demonise them, to isolate them… We’re trying to say, ‘You don’t have to be labelled as part of the problem: you can become part of the solution.’ ” Mentoring is a huge part of the process, too. She explains it
is important to place interns with hosts who do not work in the same organisations as their placement. This allows
Seeing a world you couldn’t see before
Deborah Shorindè, an audio producer: “When done properly and genuinely, mentoring is extremely transformational and necessary… “To invite you into
conversations that you’re left out of because you don’t usually have access to these, because you are young, because you are black, or because you’re a woman, and just elevating you, so that you can see a world that maybe you couldn’t see before – I think that’s what’s really amazing about it. “When you see people like you do really well, who care
about you or care about your vision do really well and want to support you, you start to believe things that you never imagined were possible. ”
Zahrah Ali, 17, a sixth former: “Being mentored holds so much sentimental and practical value for me. The thought of attending an audition or applying to a top university felt beyond me. But now I finally feel capable of achieving whatever I want to. “It is really reassuring to
hear from someone who is not a family member or a
friend to remind you of the skills and experience that you already possess, especially from a professional who is well established in their career.”
Eshan Puri, a graduate: “Having someone who is a part of the industry I am aiming to enter immediately captured my interest – it makes everything we talk about relevant, and their experience genuinely useful. “One thing I found as a
student was that finding people you are able to connect with and who have had a similar experience or journey as you is difficult. Being matched with someone who has faced those challenges before is invaluable.”
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