Media Diversity Australia’s Who Gets To Tell Australian Stories report outlined that not only are those telling the stories on screen predominately Anglo –Celtic but so are those working in senior television news management roles are predominately Anglo –Celtic men. In fact as of July 2020, every single national news director in Australia was an Anglo-Celtic male and of the 32 people working in the most senior news management roles, only 28% were women, all of whom had an Anglo Celtic background.
And while the number of women working in news leadership roles varied, all of them had an exclusively Anglo-Celtic background.
MDA’s report also found that most respondents believed that there were greater barriers for culturally diverse men and women in progressing up the career ladder. This is precisely the problem MDA is looking to address.
The Women of Colour Mentorship Program is designed to empower culturally and linguistically diverse female journalists, the requisite knowledge and skills to navigate climbing the ranks of leadership.
12 female mentees of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who have between 5 to 10 years of experience to undertake the 12-month Program to help pave a pathway for them into leadership roles. The program will include:
According to our research women from culturally diverse backgrounds face additional barriers when it comes to progressing up the career ladder. This is precisely the problem MDA is looking to address. MDA's program is designed to empower culturally and linguistically diverse female journalists, with the requisite knowledge, skills and connections to navigate climbing the ranks of leadership.
Mentees will undertake a rigorous selection criteria process based on skill set, experience, personality, cultural fit, and geographical location.
Once accepted, each cohort will be matched with the right Mentor and media outlet.
MDA will also facilitate multiple zoom meetings between each Mentor and Mentee before commencing the twelve-month mentorship program to ensure a smooth onboarding process.
Throughout the program, we'll ensure that a project manager gives each mentee ongoing support.
We expect that the women who form part of the cohort will go on to advance throughout the career into senior leadership ranks. We will closely monitor their advancement and offer support as they require it.
Following the successful pilot, we will track the mentees movements and have regular check in sessions and draft quarterly updates.
Established in 2017, by journalists Isabel Lo and Antoinette Lattouf, Media Diversity Australia is a national not-for-profit organisation which champions cultural diversity in Australian journalism and news media.
Our team brings deep knowledge of Australia’s media, together with an understanding of the challenges faced by minorities – based on our first-hand experience as journalists, commentators, and media professionals.
In partnership with industry stakeholders, we have a track record of delivering impactful programs. Our influential Advisory Board brings together senior figures from across the media, law, advertising and academia who are committed to increasing diversity on and off-screen.
Think lens, think glasses. Glasses correct limitations of vision and enable clearer sight. And so it is with a gender lens, which helps us to see more clearly the role gender plays in shaping our male and female lives, our work, experience and choices.
Also known as Australian Women Donors Network (ABN: 28 141 197 471), Australians Investing in Women is a registered charity endorsed by the Australian Tax Office as a deductible gift recipient (DGR1) under a special listing, all donations over $2 are tax deductible.