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RTÉ welcomes report that finds broadcaster has ‘diversity and inclusion during Covid coverage’

Broadcasting

RTÉ welcomes report that finds broadcaster has ‘diversity and inclusion during Covid coverage’

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland reviews RTÉ’s diversity and inclusion response.

The BAI this week published a report on RTÉ’s diversity and inclusion in response to the evolving COVID-19 situation.

“This was a valuable process at a time when we were adapting to the unprecedented challenges created by the global pandemic. While RTÉ achieved 60:40 male-female representation across all participants on the six programmes selected, we are aware that we must do more to achieve our 50/50 target and we have been putting a range of measures in place to make this happen. Since this report was carried out, we have continued to make progress in this area, not least across our sports programming which has been evident in our Euros, Olympics and Paralympics coverage throughout the summer.” – Dee Forbes, Director-General, RTÉ

The report evaluates how Ireland’s public service broadcaster has adapted its output across television, radio and online content as well as work practices to meet diverse public needs, to represent a range of topics and voices, and to overcome the technological and staffing challenges associated with our response to the global pandemic, including health and social distancing measures.

Carried out in the first half of 2020 – at the very beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic – the Research Report is a snapshot from a moment in time that acknowledges RTÉ has made significant progress in defining and promoting a strategic vision for diversity and that it is taken seriously by RTÉ decision-makers.  

Looking at six programmes, three each on RTÉ One; The Late Late Show (pictured), Claire Byrne Live and Ireland on Call and RTÉ Radio 1; The Today programme, Brendan O’Connor and The Business, across three months, the report found that even during a global pandemic, many of the programmes included strived for gender parity, with a 60:40 male-female gender split reflected across all programme participants. The majority (69%) of items featuring more than one participant included both men and women and 18 percent of items about Covid-19 introduced a diversity dimension to the discussion of the pandemic.  

Earlier this year RTÉ established a Diversity in Content group, bringing together senior leaders from across the organisation to review, discuss and progress all RTÉ’s efforts regarding diversity and inclusion in their content. 

RTÉ welcomes the report’s recognition that a new regulator should have a pivotal role in training and development with the specific aim of serving under-represented groups. – RTÉ Statement

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