大象传媒

Chanise Evans: I love that song Hello everyone and welcome to the Festival, and this Special Session where we're going to talk to you about young people and how they feel they're represented in the media.  My name is Chanise and i'm a digital journalist or 大象传媒 young reporter so basically I help support young people from across the UK share their unique stories.

But before we introduce the panel, we wanted to also have a look at this great video produced by some students at Falmouth university, who have been working with the 5050 projects in partnership to create content to really highlight new voices and people who should feature in the media, more but aren't heard, so this is amy story.

[Video]

Chanise Evans: So we're now going to introduce our panel will go to each one of you individually and take it in turns let's go to Nina first.

Nina Goswami: Oh good hi everyone really great to have you at the final session the finale should I say.  The 5050 festival, I鈥檓 Nina goswami on the 大象传媒 creative diversity, lead and I run the 5050 projects we started in the heart of the London newsroom and it started to look.  We wanted to see how we could increase the number of women on our content and we do something very simple we count the number of men and number of women.  On all programs, to see if we can reach 50% women representation over a set period of time, and today we published the figures.  That have the for a challenge that we had in March to see how many of our teams can reach that 5050 balance and representation and 70% of our teams who took part managed to reach 50% women.  Compared to a third when they first joined the project and it wasn't the first time for doing that and only here at the 大象传媒, but was the first time doing it across.  More than 100 organizations in 26 countries and they did really well as well with half of them reaching 50% women representation.  : we've taken what we've learned from that and gender side of things, to look at how we can improve representation for disability and ethnicity now and that's something we're going to be reporting on in the future.  All of this feeds into what we're going to be talking about in this session and that's about overall representation, because everything is what we call into sectional and.   Everything has an impact on something else, and so, hopefully bring this conversation will hear a bit more about how 5050 supporting young voices to.

Chanise Evans: Okay let's bring in the rest of the panel

Neila Butt: Okay, so hi i'm neither, but I just started a new role at channel floors the creative diversity beach for the nations and regions it's a new role as the creator diversity team expanded a channel for i've.  I was at the 大象传媒 very recently for 20 odd years, so I know my colleagues.  rodney inertia nice everybody and josie, of course, as well, so I have lots of experience from the 大象传媒 and I just i'm day for into this role so be gentle with me.  Well, not really you could be you could you can ask me some difficult questions as well, so i'm really looking forward to speaking to you all.

Anthony Browne: Right, my name is Anthony Brown and the digital production lead at 大象传媒 Scotland and I was one of the creators of 大象传媒 the social.  Which is a project that we do in Scotland that's been going for five years, though.  With a specific game of trying to engage young people trying to empower and enable young people to make content for the 大象传媒 commissioning on a daily basis, telling people to have a voice.  : And particularly going into underserved communities people that feel like they don't get to hear themselves on the on the media week we're trying.  To get them to see whatever they want to see and make it in a way that they can develop skills along the way, and they can be a voice for their community.

Chanise Evans: yeah thanks so as you guys can see we've got a great panel and Nina Anthony and Neila.  I are going to be answering your questions over the next 30 minutes or so, so if you do have a question, please use the Q amp a button on zoom.  And you can ask it anonymously, but if you do leave your name will try and bring you in live you won't be on the camera so don't worry, but you can ask your question in person, so be prepared.  : And we have a couple of questions that have been sent to an already so I want to put those who the panel first.

let's go in the same order, maybe of answering this first question how important are diverse young voices in our content and what progress, do you think has been made to encourage a wider range of younger voices?

Nina Goswami: I don't know if i'm going first, as always, a point in time that's right but anyway.  that's great I mean one of the things that both actually neither of my roles are around is about kind of looking at content and that we're creating and.working out how we can make it more reflective of.  The society around us and, of course, that includes young voices as well, we at 大象传媒 have a remit as well, to make sure that we're informing educating and entertaining everyone, so we need to be.  Making sure we're upping our game in terms of that as well, so we do have initiatives that we're we're bringing in over covert, of course, we we launched, one of the biggest and education programs of all time and to help support Young people during that period, but what also happened as a result of that is that we weren't we're having more connections more opportunity to hear voices.  And that was really important and i'm going to throw now to Anthony because he's a perfect example of what happened as a result of that, through through the program programs that he does.

Anthony Browne: yeah thanks yeah and : So even even in my department, we go engage we've got 大象传媒 lab.  And me go into schools and teach young young people how to capture healthy years whatever things that can get our hands on to tell stories if they've got a camera video phone: We try and teach those skills, but the social a was a project that we specifically created to try and encourage young people I think it's vital that young people's voices are heard. and I think it's the 大象传媒 has a name of being universal for everyone in young people are an important part of. A our society and it's absolutely crucial that we give them a voice, and I think there's lots of initiatives going on across the 大象传媒 and, as I mentioned in the introduction, the social is one that we particularly.Have a concentrate known in Scotland, and that is just on a daily basis, we commissioned young people.  to have a voice and to tell their own story and through that we we share that content on 大象传媒 website, but we also share it through social media platforms. with a name of development people to be able to tell their story, but not just their story because lots of people come to us with particular issues that they want to talk about.  But then we try and develop them on to talk about other things, so we don't want people to just be pigeonholed into whatever issue that they come to us initially.  And then, what we do is we give them the skills to be able to tell other stories in different stories and find stories of other young people, they want to tell.  And we've been able to we've been lucky enough to be able to develop lots of people through to then go on to make TV shows to be guests on the news programs to be on radio for podcasts.  To to be in a number of places, because the skills that we give them and we developed through a lot of them to be.  ready for when all these other opportunities come and a lot of the time different parts of the 大象传媒 will come to us and say well we're really interested in somebody that's.   passionate about this subject, or some of these good experience of this and then we can get them a list of people so so not only do we create for our platform, we can create for the whole of the 大象传媒 and yeah I think it's crucial that we continue to do that.

Neila Butt: yeah Following on from that, I would say in answer direct answer to the question is that I don't think that weI don't think we're there, yet I don't think that we, I think it's got a lot better in terms of young voices and young people kind of being portrayed or being represented or actually part of the on screen: content as well, I think that with my role is slightly different from anthony's and nina's because Channel four.  doesn't make any of its programs, we are, we are absolutely reliant on production houses external companies that make all of our content, so the really important part and and part of what our team does is work very closely with Commissioners, so we we embed, if you like, certain.  strategies and certain kind of values and principles with the Commissioners, so they have to ensure that the people who are going to make the content or representative and if the if the content is About, particularly young people, you know you have to ensure that those those voices and those people who are making those programs are also. Part of the production houses that are going to make that content as well because that's how it's going to be authentic so it's slightly different from the 大象传媒 which I learned a lot in the last four days, very quickly, but but it's challenging and I think that.

Neila Butt: You know the Commissioner role for for Channel four is really, really important, and I think they get on the whole, they get a lot of things right, but I think there's always always room for improvement, I would say.

Chanise Evans: Okay, well, I want to bring the conversation on to representation now. So, if anyone.On the call has a question about you know how you see yourself on screen, how you feel you're being portrayed on screen now's your time to get those questions in the Q amp a.

We had a lot of young people, sending questions and comments specifically about this all different types of representation and how they see themselves, so we have a question from Ali who 16 from southeast London. But before we get to his question, he said on a video, I just wanted to read out some comments from some other young people.So you can see how much of an issue for them, this is so some students from kind of school upset that they think much of the mainstream media portray that portrayal of young people is stereotypes.  And they want a more diverse range of teenagers in terms of casting so that a more diverse diverse range of teenagers and viewers can relate to someone on screen.  Most of the time they whitewash characters on knowingly despite them being from ethnic minorities, another comment said that a lot of media tends to represent our generation as unruly or frame us in a bad way so let's get to all these question and see where it goes, I have to say.  : I just feel like they need me to understand the outcome that there are calls or their shows have well as young people because.

 [VIDEO]

Neila Butt: I think it's a really valid point and I think that, again I don't think we've quite got there yet, and I think there's there's you know we have outreach work, we have to  Ensure you know, one of the things that i'm really passionate about is that if you are, if you are a Commissioner or a leader.  In terms of making editorial decisions, you know it's our job to know what various groups and especially young people. You know what the spaces that they're living in the spaces that they're engaging in and interacting in we it's our responsibility to be across those things, the first thing that I would say, so I think that's really important and.  The channel for have just just launched just before I came the black front initiative, which is a day of programs later on this year, which is going to be totally on screen and off screen made.  By by black producers, you know by made by the black community, and we have we it was a call out for all of the editorial roles, or of the creative roles.  Which we've just done and we've had an absolutely phenomenal response to that we will soon be extending that as well and to two other roles, but.  That is one of the ways that that we are you know, in terms of authenticity, so they will you know they will decide on the stories, they will decide on the content.  I think there are a new thing I can say that there are new Commission sorry if I can't turn before but there might be some new commissions as well and.  : But I think it's really important that it's not just that day, and what we are really working on is the legacy, so we want to have: The kind of career path I think Anthony touched on it about in the 大象传媒 it's it's easy because they're so big and you can kind of move people around but for us it's really important that once we've got these these young people are all new creatives in that we have a legacy and we have a career path really for them as well, so that's one of the initiatives that we're doing care shameful.

Anthony Browne: it's crucial to get young people involved very early on in fact We am, and again I think knowledge right we do a lot, but we can always do more, and one of the things that we do at the moment is at least once a month we go and meet face to face with groups of young people, and we do it all across the US all across Scotland.  Right up into the islands and obviously with the last year, been lots of zoom calls and things it's been it's been really nice to be able to do it more regularly.  Rather than having to kind of go in long journeys what we can actually do is do it more regularly and get more people involved and that's been growing for the team.  To be able to meet up with these young people in fights like from the very I said that's how we started the social we invited 50 young people and we sat with them for hours over about.  Maybe about an eight week period three overs from the 大象传媒 invited them in every week and we sat for hours and just talked about. What they liked what they didn't like a lot of what the late or what they didn't like was didn't even know what we're doing so it was like well what else he doing why why don't you like it.  And we built the social model completely in conjunction with young people, because we said well as the 大象传媒 we're trying to do stuff in this area, what should we be doing.  And we will I remember, I think it is week four or five we went away and we do have a plan of what we think it could be like  we said we stood in front of them and seeing what do you think about this and they're like don't like that.

Okay let's go again and, and that was fine because we went there to try and impose something we were there to lesson.   And I think that's a really important part so keep going, I mean if people be actually need to listen to them and you need to then put into action, what they say, instead of just going to play paying lip service, and you know, being a face.  We try our best to implement everything and we try to be an open door to invite people and: So sometimes we get people come into this and saying well that's all well and good, that person made that piece of content, I don't agree with them.  Why do you never represent this year we say, well, let you you, you can do it tomorrow, if you want it's an open policy, we commissioned every day, so if you don't agree with you that then.

Nina Goswami: Where we're asking audience Members to come and talk to our content makers, so that they can get a real hands on experience of you know people who think differently from them, and I think that's really, really important and and young people is.: really quite crucial to that we have a weekly and kind of pulse survey we call it in the 大象传媒 and that where we kind of test across across the UK. The opinions of young people who are using 大象传媒 services and that gets fed back to to all our content makers every week and so.they're engaging and in that sense, but there is nothing that can replace actually speaking to people.and getting people's actual authentic opinion because there's only so much you can do in a survey isn't there at the end of the day.: And, and so I think one of the things that we really need to be doing is looking at the workforce that we have.In the first place, because if we don't have enough diversity of voice within that workforce, then the characters aren't going to be authentic so it was Ali was saying and. You know, seeing yourself being represented, how can you do that if you don't really know who that person is in the first place, and I think there was a comment about that and that you mentioned beforehand, as well, she Nice, so I think you know.

Everything that we need to do, has to be you know, do I think differently to the to what i'm trying to represent and if I.: If I can only see it through one prism, then I need to go and awesome one and he's going to find out more information about who i'm trying to characterize.: Who i'm trying to give you opinions on and that can only be done by by going out there and actually meeting people face to face and so yeah we're doing a lot more of that than.i: than we've ever done, I think encode actually bizarrely has made it easier because of the fact that we've removed that barrier of having to be with people  And so, forget the travel now Look how quickly and easily you know 100 people can be on a call together that's that's something that I, hopefully, will be taking forward way beyond code.

Anthony Browne: And I just started something else here but women is: We also need to accept that young people are very, very different as well, I think a lot of the conversations we talked about young people as if they're all the sameAnd if you are a young person and say or you're a young person in a rural town or in the middle of.The countryside life is very different, or if you're a young person eating and a young person 29 life is very different.: And everyone has their own challenges, wherever they may be, and they can completely change your perception and the way that you receive everything, so I think. meeting people like Mina said that that's the way that you can actually get to understand all the various people that make up young people. And we don't we don't talk about other groups in this big homogenous way, so I think that's something that we need to be careful we don't fall into that trap.

Neila Butt: And one tiny thing that i'm going to quickly add to that is the is the regional stuff how somebody who is in London, an 18 year old in London is very different to an 18 year olds in Bradford so that again is part of my role which i'll talk about it.

Chanise Evans: Now i'm going to bring you in on it right now I.Was next.: yeah from the station on to regional representation and actually we do have somebody I know that Shannon is around we're going to cure her up to ask a question in a second.But yeah region representation is massively important to young people, we had so many different questions and comments come in on that we had people from.Scotland, Wales, Ireland different parts of the UK different parts of England and they all.You know, may different comments specifically about their regions, in fact, so so millie was talking about, she said, is it possible for broadcasters to increase increase coverage from South Wales, because.Content now is often quite outdated and it leads to a lack of cultural awareness, we had from the midlands who basically was saying that most people most young people think that the media is about being in a big city, but, but is it really.

And Shannon will bring you in now. Because I know that you have a question about reaching representation to.

Shannon McGowan: yeah absolutely hi panel Thank you so much for joining this session today, I actually used to work with the lovely Anthony not so long ago, and.: i'm from.A working class town in the northeast of England i'm from.South shields, if anyone knows where all the little.

Neila Butt: Girls are from home yes.

Shannon McGowan: Am I Community i've worked as a journalist in the area and my Community really feel misrepresented in the media at times.and others, an audience issue for both broadcasters with the Northeast as a region.How do you think we can make sure that we portray Northern and working class audiences authentically and accurately on screen.And what steps need to be taken to change this perception that this Community has and i'm sure many other communities up and down the UK and.yeah again there's assumptions that have been made is that not enough commissioning powers they're not enough results confused talent development pipeline is not enough outreach.would love to hear your opinions.

Neila Butt: I can take it, I mean shatner you've hit the nail on the head with all of those solutions you know Commissioners outreach.: All of that my role has been created a channel for so just to give you a little quick snippet out so so trying to force future falls policies strategy sorry.Is that 50% of its programs in the next three years, three years, I think it is will be made outside of London.And my role my my my role is a new role, which is the nation's and regions creative diversity lead that is going to be part of my job to work with Commissioners to ensure that they're like I.: said earlier about their production houses are you know we're not working, you know we don't just so 50% of our programs have to be made by production houses outside of London.That is also part of the content that we make as well, what we Commission so you're absolutely spot on you know, this is something that is.You know, from a Commissioner point of view, absolutely embedded in in the decisions that they make, and what a Commission.And I think that, if you look at the kind of basis now that channel for has I my job is actually based in Leeds I live in Birmingham, and I.: But my job will be based in Leeds we already have.: presence in Bristol presence in Glasgow, you know and it's not just a presence it's where programs are commissioned and made so that commitment i'm definitely is there, I think we're knowing now i'm kind of.: Getting it right or getting it perfect, but we are definitely on to the right, the right steps, and that is my job sot: I will be banging on doors and knocking on and i'm in those conditioning meetings and flying the flag for the for the nation and nations as well, you know as Anthony said, you know.: Scotland is a really big place where you know even in Scotland, the diversity of Scotland or Wales or Ireland, Northern Ireland.We have to be you know we have to be savvy and we have to be across those differences, the authenticity of it.You know the differences that that those voices make because at the end of the day, you know it's our job to be representative of all of the nations and region so hopefully if you talk to me in a year's time it might be a little bit different that's great.

Anthony Browne: yeah that's something that we hear a lot like we hit a lot of people seen that in the mainstream media or what they call the mainstream media.You only ever hear the Scottish person if the neither like the drug addict or the alcoholic or the owner by country, St and there shouldn't be here and outlander world And I think that doesn't connect with young people, because young people in Scotland just don't recognize any of the state of tapes and they think of Scotland, as a young diverse creative place with lots of things going on.And they're not seeing that coming through I had a conversation with a young person quite early on where they were just consuming everything on YouTube.And what they could tell me was like the difference between like a brooklyn accent and the queen's accent, but they couldn't tell the difference between different cities and Scotland.So that's a real challenge to kind of how do we keep our young people connected with their own countries in their own other parts of their own country and accents is a really important part of it.: And one of the things that comes through there is on the social and on 大象传媒 Scotland social media and people in Scotland talk slightly differently and we use different words the Scots language is a.: recognized language and Scotland and early on, I can start to.: Our team subtitling and scott's so and people would come in going, why are you using flying the 大象传媒 shouldn't be promoting fine.: Nothing will actually this is scott's language and it's a recognized dialect and it's it's recognized by the EU, and that is something that really connects because if you are on.: The 大象传媒 talking in your normal voice and then somebody else is converting that into proper English and the subtitles you just say.And we get people seeing all look there's the 大象传媒 subtitling Scottish people because we don't understand, well, we can push back on that obviously seen like.

A is accessibility reasons it gives people the ability to the can hear what's up, then we can follow sometimes, but it also is a part of representation it's a part of a trying to authentically represent what people are seeing so that it can connect with more people.

Nina Goswami: yeah I think authentic betrayal is absolutely crucial to think you know it's an area thing, though, I think, for out.: Throughout the session but authentic betrayal is is crucial and and especially when you're thinking about your particular question as well around socio economic diversity.And you know that's a real kind of drive area for us across the 大象传媒 at the moment because we do realize and recognize that.For people from socio economic diverse backgrounds that we're not representing you.well enough at the moment, and so we do really need to do some hard work and to make sure that we are improving that part of that is.s neither was talking about that they're doing at Channel four and and commissioning across the regions and nations and so we're following very similar routes and mechanisms as well, and with our Director General just a couple of weeks ago announcing across the UK and how.we're moving our staff across the nation's and regions to try and make sure that we are using local talent and local.: skills so that we can kind of get those authentic voices into our organizations that into our businesses, so that you know our content is starting to represent and reflect the areas.: That we live in, and I think that's going to be a really important thing it's going to change. A lot of what we're talking about in terms of the language that we're using in terms of the feel and tone that comes across in the content that we're making.And we know from 5050 that as soon as you are increasing representation and reflecting people in your particular content they're more likely to connect with it more likely to consume consume it and that's what we've seen with women's representation with 58%.

Nina Goswami: More women 16 to 34 now consuming 大象传媒 online content as a result of increased women representation, so we need to do the same thing for socio economic diversity for amnesty for disability and other areas of that are under represented as well, definitely.

Neila Butt: Thank you very quickly just wanted to add as well Shannon it's as as as our public service responsibility public service broadcasters it's also an industry responsibility we have to create the opportunities across the UK and outside of London, especially to ensure that those.Industry the creative industry can thrive in those areas so it's actually a public service broadcaster responsibility for both the 大象传媒 and Channel four to ensure that we are participating in ensuring that industry can thrive within those areas as well.

Shannon McGowan: Definitely.I wouldn't have applied for the job I got if I hadn't seen steph mcgovern on the TV, so the access point that he made us Scott.

Anthony Browne: And we like i'm part of the reason network, which is a 大象传媒 is internal network for enough people from working class byron's.

Anthony Browne: And i've done sessions all across the 大象传媒 with different teams just trying to kind of: Make sure the working class representation and working class a voices are in their thoughts when they're when they're planning their.content and planning what's going to be going on TV the radio it's important to have these conversations continually just to keep the farm and as well as all the.projects and things that we have to bring more working class representation and her staff Nice.

Nina Goswami: I think that's I think that's so crucial that we as people in our organizations and businesses need to talk up, we need to speak up, we have.Our own perspectives and our own viewpoints and if we're not saying what they are then we do end up going down that one prism that doesn't connect with anyone, and so I think what bz raised has been doing it and across across the.seas has been fantastic also they get some really awesome guests, by the way, like you know.Victim withdrawal from.duty was on the other day, which was amazing and but.

Nina Goswami: Apart from the start and part of that, and you know it was fantastic because she really gave a different perspective and for people who have not experienced that perspective, you learn so much and then you can take that away, and you can use that To make sure you're enriching your content as you move forward.

Chanise Evans: i'm moving you guys on now because we're going to run out of time, otherwise i'm sticking with the theme of representation.I want to just move the conversation on to let's talk about representation of people with disabilities on and off screen.We had again loads of questions and comments in about that dylan email dylan 17 and he emailed in a question, but also, I want to come to his comments asked.He said it matters a lot for young people to be heard and our lives to be reflected to help us and teach each other about different disabilities.I am disabled and I love talking to people, because I love to show people how I see the world and, again, there was other comments about how, for example, why is it that.When a conversation is brought up about disability often you'll see people who are non disabled having these conversations. And why is that but moving on to the next question, he said, relating to it, why are disabled people ignored so much and not many of them being on TV programs, especially young disabled people.

Neila Butt: I can, I can start with that if you'd like again so again, as part of the creative diversity team here at Channel four, we have a lead. or disability lead, who is also part of the new team that we have here because I absolutely think that it's an area that that we just have not got right.

I think that there is, you know, there is, quite rightly, now a climate where you can talk about having various disabilities and people with with disabilities are being represented not just on I mean you know it's the onscreen but it's also again the same principles apply about authentic authenticity from people who are making the content as well, and I think it's an area that has.Just in terms of started to become absolutely prominent and at the forefront of all of the inclusion representation portrayal work.And it's you know, we had a meeting this morning about just the definitions around various disabilities, and you know and how you talk so language and tone is really, really important as well, and I think. You know it's it's one of the areas in terms of like I said in the representation and inclusion world that we absolutely have to.

Start working on and like I said we've we've now got lead and expertise absolutely who will, who will hopefully help us along those places, you know, help us get get it right frankly.

Anthony Browne: I was just I was just gonna say that what we need to do as well as we've got a rule to the to be open and, to be honest and to be.

Transparent with people because I remember having conversations with young people that have come in and said, I want to make content to the social and we say right, so what into what do you want to talk about.: And they said yeah I want to do something about being autistic and saying Okay, what else where else he entered in the light well I could do thing about our last film, so I could do thinking about being autistic and going to the movies, and I was like but you could just about films.

Anthony Browne: You don't need to be the autistic person.Like we want to understand your point of view, and we, and we can purposely talk about commissioning people rather than commissioning bits of content.Because we want to, we want to hear from that person about, and if they want to talk about an issue then that's great because lots of issues aren't getting enough time.But then we say right what else is going on in your life because everyone is a multi dimensional person with lots of things going on and we don't want to just hear people.: Like the disabled person only ever gets on there when it's a decibel issue disabled people also have housing problems and problems with. or happiness around things it doesn't always have to be a problem even, can you imagine and so.that's that's where we need to when we engage with people, we need to say we're not just here to talk about this particular thing that's on us to open the door, and not just say rate rule ever speaking to you on this issue yeah.

Nina Goswami: And that's exactly what we're trying to do and 5050, and so we, as I mentioned at the top we've moved the.core principles, not only to monitor for the women's representation, but also for disability and ethnicity and the whole point is that we're trying to make.: Voices every day, so it doesn't matter who you are we want to hear your voice, we want to hear your expertise and What we're trying to do, and through monitoring is essentially get people to understand whether they're giving everyone the opportunity of voice everyone. The opportunity to have their say and what's been really interesting since we've started looking at disability is that. People didn't realize until they started monitoring that they weren't actually representing disabled voices on their content and there were and i'm sure.It doesn't come as a surprise, but for some of the pilot teams in their first month they had zero representation.: that's changed, fortunately, for those particular teams that i'm thinking about their they're now moving the dial but they would absolutely surprised to know that they hadn't had no representation at all. And that's the real important thing for us is that you know now that we're starting to understand what we're doing, we can make the change and we can make.i: sure that we're representing voices better and that really fits in with kind of anthony's kind of point there that who we are, should essentially be almost incidental to to what the what we're trying to portray and give that voice in that that story to and.One of the other things that we've been doing and 350 50 years we've been working with the media trust on a project or reframing disability which NBC socials report.Of course, and what we've been doing with that is we've been actually.: Training our journalists and teaching them about kind of the barriers that they may be putting up to stop disable voices coming on to talk about everyday issues and one of the things that.: He mentioned there about you know only having disabled people on to talk about disabled issues and that has been something that we've been trying to drive home and say look you.

Nina Goswami: forget that one of the other things you know, there are economists, there are architects, there are musicians out that use them what they're good at whatever experiences and expertise.

And that's something that the lowly and hopefully getting the message spread across the 大象传媒 and beyond, through the media, trust and the other thing that we've been doing, as well as we've been going.out and saying put yourself forward you're the experts, we don't know where you are unless you come forward and tell us about yourself.And, and so that's another part of the project and we we ask people to put themselves forward, and we have.For the 大象传媒 specifically a new voices database which you can access on bbc.com. For such 5050 and and and sign up if you are an expert in any particular area, because at the end of the day, we're looking for experts across the board and we don't care.: What your representational background is you just need to be an expert in that particular area and field, and I think that's really what's going to start changing the mindset.The other thing that we found so i'm going to so many different points to make on this, on the other thing that we found is that since.moving into this type of failed he kind of virtual world is actually removed a lot of the barriers for getting people on who perhaps we wouldn't have had on before.And because you don't have to be in a studio you don't need to have an ISDN line to be on radio and that's just widen the poor and that has been really beneficial in our work to try and increase disabled people representation well i'm going to.

Neila Butt: i'm going to stop now because i'm just going to quickly.i'm just going to emphasize need his book sorry she's but absolutely you know, one of the positives of the pandemic is that accessibility.And and getting those different voices regionally, but also for people with disabilities is absolutely and it's something that we're actually going to embed into.

Going forward ways of working that we're doing a channel for you know we're going to stay with it, because actually it absolutely helps enhance that wider pool of representation.

Anthony Browne: nina's point about making yourself known and having a voice, because that's really crucial, especially when it comes to unseen disabilities, because it can be difficult to be able to find people, so please do make yourself here.

Chanise Evans: Well, speaking of making yourself heard, I actually want to bring in Alex who's 18 from workshop.i'm she was diagnosed with autism in 2019 and as found that portrayals of autism On mainstream TV to be incredibly limited and Alex I just want to bring you in on the conversation based in you know talk to these guys about your frustrations and you know why it's so important to you and other people in the Community. Alex are you there on mute yourself. Can you hear me okay. Are we able to unmute Alex.

Rob: I can't unmute out X from this end so Alice if you are there, if you can unmute for us, otherwise she needs think i'm gonna have to read.

Chanise Evans: This question. Well, what we can do.

Rob: Is if you.

Chanise Evans: want oh.

Neila Butt: I can give a response about autism, because I did a bit of.0Neila Butt: Research before we before we came on as part of my research so in hollyoaks if you're familiar with hollyoaks annex we there was, and this was before my time, but there is a character on their brooke and.: played by some medical tie and in terms of casting for that character i'm trying to fall over you know they absolutely made sure.That the casting process was really important to get authentic and you know authenticity, in terms of who was going to play, and the way we got I was that we had.worked with access all areas, which was helping in terms of making sure that we were targeting the right people sending out also pictures.Of the building that they were going to eventually come an audition in in sending out photos of the people who are going to be on the panel, so that they were familiarizing themselves with.t: The people, so it wasn't going to be a surprise and they were familiar with the people who they're going to engage in and there was a casting park.: which was put together with access all areas and I thought this was brilliant and that there were 200 they saw 250 people for the audition because they felt that.The effort that people have gone to to actually apply, they just made sure that they saw.: A bigger number of people, but then also it was an opportunity to hear their experiences, obviously it was it was going to be one one character, but it was an opportunity to hear their experiences, it was an opportunity to.: kind of almost dictate the storylines a little bit as well, they also fed into some of the storylines as well: and also the casting team and the production teams have special training in terms of making sure that they were facilitating in the correct way so that's just a little plug for how Chung for has done done some work on on getting an autistic character, the main programs.

Chanise Evans: Thanks neither and thanks so much Alex for submitting the question and your comment, I know they've dropped off now but it was a very value to get nice input on that and see what channel for doing maybe the 大象传媒 can come in and do something as well, but we're going to move the conversation on slightly and we've got a video sent in by Hannah who 17th from Edinburgh and she has a question around ethnicity.

Edinburgh Scotland, my question to the panel today is what are you going to do to improve the representation fine or is without is human tokenistic and making sure the representation is open, thank you.

Chanise Evans: And also just quickly reflecting that we also had another comment and question in the Q&A, which is very, very similar From Sophie so thank you for submitting that.

Anthony Browne: So i'll go first one, I would see the the what we are trying to Scotland is to.

Nobody can be more authentic than the patient themselves, so what we can try and do is empower people and enable them to be able to have a voice once we can build up their skills, then when other opportunities come along, we can then same post through and say look if you're needing someone on that session, then this person has lived experience of that they can they can represent that.: Those issues, better than anyone, because its thing and it's their life so that's that's a sort of very direct we that we will be doing Scotland.

Nina Goswami: i'm going to i'm going to take it bigger he bigger picture for the UK and across the across the 大象传媒. And we have a workforce and representation of 50 2012 which is 50% and gender 20% ethnicity and 12% disabled representation, and we also reflect that. into our content, as well as a UK level and then what we do is we asked each of our different regions and local radio stations to then look at their own population: and make sure that their content is reflecting that particular population and this goes back to this idea that we must be making content that is reflective. Of the society around us and so through that we'd hope to see an increase in ethnic minority representation in the places where it is needed so, for example, and when we were doing work and for.: How we work out the metrics for 5050 because again we're using ethnicity, monitoring and sorry 5050 monitoring t: to monitor ethnicity, we looked at places like London, for example, and 20% would be way too low and because the metropolitan area is 50% half of the population. Is from an ethnic minority background so for 大象传媒 London that's their target, whereas we look, when you look to the East of England, you look to an orange they're looking at more three 4% so then your tailoring it to the needs of that particular audience that particular content as to what that representation should look like.

Nina Goswami: and on a bigger even bigger scale than the UK and for our TV Commissioners and for our radio Commissioners we've got.112 million pound pot 700 pounds 100 million hundred pounds under million. For TV 12 million for radio and which is existing commissioning money that is for diverse and commissioning specifically so we're looking for content that will be representative of a particular underrepresented group and again, that is for disability ethnicity and socio economic diversity, and I know neither you'll pick me up on that unfair.

Neila Butt: For what you're seeing.At Channel four. yeah well I talked about black to front.t: Earlier on, in the in the conversation, but what I want to just give an example of was sort of race report that came out last week or the week before I can't remember I just found that. In terms of this is just a bit of a bit of a positive my own observation was that I thought that that was covered by all news outlets quite well.And I think that the if you if you look at the narrative and I was talking to somebody about this i'll keep it brief . But I think it's important to talk about a positive as well, because I think that, if you look at the way that that story.initially came out in the morning, which was through the government almost kind of post office and mouthpiece which was at all we're a great nation, and you know, there are some problems but.: But we're okay and we're doing well, but actually I think that there was enough momentum and comfort, if you like, around.Whether it was Twitter, or whether it was just enough people to make a noise and say, well, actually and challenge the government.: To say well actually we don't agree with that and we don't think that that's quite right and we think you're you're putting a spin on it, but then, when you look at the coverage, and this is an overall coverage.: On on Channel four on the 大象传媒 and on my CV.By the afternoon that whole narrative have changed, and the reason it changed is because they got the right people the right reporters to cover that story, so you had.: A Tina campbell's piece on the 大象传媒, which was brilliant you and I should tell on Channel four absolutely brilliant she went to brixton, which is where Tony soul is from.To actually hear from the people who were you know from his his patch and then of course shahar card from it on ITV. And the reason I think that that narrative changed by the afternoon and the evening was because we have that we had authentic reporters and you know the right people doing that story, and I was really pleased and I think that, yes, it's still an ongoing journey.t: But we you know you can see how far we've come because that could have turned into something quite different. And I really wanted to make that point because we, I think it was really important to know that that's where authentic reporting and having the right people doing the content and doing the story make you know you get it right.

Chanise Evans: yeah absolutely does anyone else, want to come in, just before we move on, no.

Nina Goswami: Okay hold off if we did that.

Chanise Evans: This time I thought i'd ask just in case. So I want to bring in a question slash comment from Ellis who's 15 from East London And, essentially in the media sexuality is often seen as a taboo subject, but as a generation that is known for being forward and understanding the LGBT Q plus community.

Chanise Evans: I think the representation in the media should also increase.And that the character should not just be based around their sexuality or gender, but how their personality and the story are intertwined So how will you improve more inclusive storylines not making the character's personality their sexuality and just being part of them.

Neila Butt: i'm just very quickly going to say, Commissioner, Commissioner, Commissioner, I think it's about how stories are commissioned it's about understanding.The whole area around sexuality and gender it's about because there's so you know it's not like there isn't You see, I think that almost five years ago, a lot of the things that we've talked about.You know the resources, the conversations, a lot of these things were just not out there, there was no conflict in it, I think, social media and other media platforms.have made it so much easier to talk about these things, and I think there's absolutely no excuse.: me in terms of getting it wrong or not being representative of it, so I would say absolutely embedded in people who are commissioning certainly for Channel four it's about the Commissioners and about understanding and ensuring, and I think we do an okay job actually was still not again we're still not.: In the place that we want to be, and I think that will take time and it's an evolving process but absolutely it's it's about you know who's going to the stories that you're commissioning and the people who are making it.

Nina Goswami: I agree, I absolutely it's about who's in the room isn't as so you know if you're not hearing the voices you're not going to get that experience through it and it comes back down to.To us all speaking up if we have a particular position or or point of view but.: I mean, I used to be this person, so I can't really say much about it it's taken me a long time to be able to do this and speak about how I feel about things and but you know to be.To be brave, to speak up in when you're in those commissioning meetings when you are trying to create content and go and talk to Anthony because he'll help you.out.

Anthony Browne: yeah well yeah I was just gonna say like.: Having open.: Honest conversations about these things is really important part, so we were using the tools that we have available to us, so we, we made a CDs a podcast series for radio for call tracking.And in one of the episodes we just had for young people talking about pronouns and just talking about why it's important to them and just can mess Boston and just talking about seeing.: If you won't get all worked up about these pronouns but really like I said that isn't that difficult to use this part and just hopefully some people that listen to that so whoa i've never really thought of it like that, before and it wasn't.: A lot of the conversation something's online gets heated and people start buying things get polarized. And the whole premise of that podcast as young people coming together to talk about chalky subjects, but just talking face to face and you get a lot on a level of discussion, which really opens up.Things and hopefully opens up people's minds to think like this isn't innocence strange or taboo it's just life.

Chanise Evans: I want to talk about opportunities.Advice now because you've all talked about how important it is.: that young people are given opportunities to be able to be their authentic selves so you know let's put your money where your mouth is let's talk about opportunities advice what's out there for young people.So Dean from our high wycombe is 17 he says no question but also Hannah who's 19 from Bolton, she said, in a very similar question just asked me about you know what can she do so let's go to Dean for us.

 [VIDEO]

hello, my name is Dean i'm 17 years old from hard work and i'm currently studying media college and plan to go to university in September to study sports channels and.

My question for you guys is what can young people like me between the ages of 16 and 19 to more to be involved in media and be a part of different programs and behind the scene broadcasting and things like that.

Chanise Evans: I just quickly, also like to add to this question, can we specifically also maybe talk about some opportunities for the disabled community as well, there might be different opportunities that might be the same, but yeah let's bring those in as well.

Anthony Browne: i'll say 大象传媒 the social commission's all the time we're constantly looking at the moment we're just based in Scotland, so if you've got if you are based in Scotland or connection to Scotland.And then please do get in touch with us, you can get find a bbc.co.uk slash the social and I think the apprenticeship scheme that the 大象传媒 runs is an amazing way to get involved in the 大象传媒.But and i'm sure other people are going to talk about young reporter, and all of that and also leave that, but the other thing I would see as one of the really important things to do is just do it get involved start making stuff today start making stuff tomorrow and things.

If you if you start from scratch, it may be a little bit rubbish today, tomorrow it will be a little bit less rubbish, the day after it.

Anthony Browne: And you it is that's a huge thing of just doing it, if you want to be a sports commentator start.e: commentating while you're watching the game, if you want to be a filmmaker pick up your phone and start filming stuff that's the crucial bet and.Then, obviously explore other opportunities going to the 大象传媒 careers website sign up for a layer for the things that you're interested in and then, when those opportunities come along you'll have a body of stuff that you can talk about you'll have sure that you're passionate about it and that goes a long way for people.

 Nina Goswami: kind of stolen my answers, but I.must say them again.Biut yeah I mean for me personally, I am as a journalist watch TV and and I was really passionate about getting into the media from a very young age.Well, eight actually officially, but my first ever piece that I wrote was for my school magazine about aliens.And that was at 12 and then from there, I was looking at kind of what can I do, how can I move forward, and it was kind of anything any type of work experience that I could get local.newspapers, and I mean I was editor of like the school magazine university magazine and help to hospital radio.volunteered there, so I could get radio experience and you know I started a blog and anything and everything that can evidence your passion around what you're trying to do.And is how you will be able to go for those apprenticeships, is going to be 1000 available across the UK for the 大象传媒.And so there's lots of different opportunities and you don't have to go to university, they are at different levels of entry, as well, so And you know, think about kind of what you want to do as well do you want to go down the university route in the first place, because there are ways and means of getting into the industry.: in different ways, and I think that's really important as well, because it again, it brings in the authenticity that when we're talking about that representation point because.If we have all different experiences as we come into the business and we're more likely to be able to enrich our storytelling because of our different viewpoints and there are tons of jobs out there across it so.But it's finding what you're passionate about and what you really feel that you can be dedicated around really I think.

Neila Butt: To myself so just a little anecdote just a little bit of things, though I started.About 20 odd years ago i'm.Volunteering so work experience for free answering the phones at radio wm.Which is the local radio station in Birmingham, and before I left the 大象传媒 um I was asked to run that radio station.t: And you know, so it took me 20 odd years but I went all the way from you know that's where I started, and I was really happy not to leave it.

: When I left the 大象传媒, it was where i'd started, but it was hard, it was running that radio station, but had I not gone in and answered the phones for free for them.

: That was where my journey started, so I would say, as Nina says work experiences really important, I think Anthony touched on, there is a plethora of how you can make content Now you can put it on to.

So many social platforms to raise your profile to give you the experiences you don't have to be in a broadcaster or in a company Now you can just do it for yourself as Anthony said, and you will get the practice of what.

What a film looks like what a bit of audio sounds like what a podcast sounds like I would say, and just a couple of clubs for Channel four and so we've had the back to front. Already, that that initiative that was for the creative side, we are looking at doing the technical and crafts side as well coming up in the next in the next few weeks.: And there's also if you're interested in journalism i'm trying to fall ma in in investigative journalism is fantastic it's running Lester um, but you can get full funding full bursaries for that, and I know that the closing date is not until August this year but.: So if you want more information about those two opportunities to Nice i'm more than happy to share those with if you want afterwards as well, but there are two great initiatives that we've run as well and, finally, I think I think it's just about.: You know, having it, knowing that you know, sometimes what happens is that you start thinking that you want to do one thing don't close yourself off to opportunities and don't close yourself off to that.

: I just want to work in radio or unless you're really, really passionate that's what you want to do because i'm certainly been very blessed in my career.: Where i've managed to work in radio intently and documentaries in in so many different.

: areas and actually you know I don't think I would have had the job that I have today, had I not worked in so many different genres as well, so don't close yourself off just to one one bit that you think that you're you like.: or you're an expert actually broaden it as much as you can and say.

Nina Goswami: hey I totally agree that i've worked across all different bits of the industry for from print radio, TV online and it's been absolutely fantastic and I never thought i'd end up in TV and.Film it so when I started, there is a little remiss on our part, which is obviously one of the best ways that you can get experience.: And it is for young reporter, and there is a wealth of resource and knowledge through a young reporter there's a really fantastic game called reporting, which I love: Which me show you a little bit of an experience around what it's like to be in a newsroom, for example, but there are, I mean she needs can talk better than I can about this so i'm gonna i'm gonna actually bring you in here from role reversal.

Chanise Evans: I love this I'm yeah so essentially young reporter we work with young people across the UK to make your authentic stories.: it's under 18 what we normally do 11 to 18 so secondary school college age.: and youth organizations, we actually want to be competition, every year, where young people from across the UK send in their story ideas and we Whittle them down, and we have editors and talent, which we call them talent with presenters from across the 大象传媒: judging your stories and then those winners are broadcast but likewise, if there's any other ideas you have throughout the year, then you know send them to us because we're always looking for some and We don't just you know make stories about our platforms, we make stories pan 大象传媒, so if there's young people that have an idea it's not quite it's not quite a story, but it's a good idea.: And then you know we can help you work with different departments and who could make that into a fully fledged idea so I'd say in a nutshell that's kind of a little bit of what we do. But yes, unless the panel have anything else to say I'm going to try and close us now.

Chanise Evans: I just want to reiterate how important it is to talk about representation and to have some solutions in order, how we best represent young people on and off screen. And this questions and comments that talked about religion, we had some that came in about normal things like acne and you know not seeing young people on screen, who have acne even though it's such a common thing. You know, we talked about disability people in the LGBT Q plus Community ethnicity it's all extremely important and I feel like what I've seen today means that are different media organizations really working hard to make sure young people's voices are represented, but there is still a lot more to do.

If you are interested in a career in the media industry, I should say I am a former apprentice at the 大象传媒 myself. And they are actually open at the moment, so you just go to the careers website and the 大象传媒 definitely apply the deadline is around about now it possibly might be surprised, but. I submitted my on the day the deadline so you'll be totally fine just get it in now and applying now.s: But you also, if you follow like at 大象传媒 get in on Instagram Twitter then they'll have loads of all the details, but I know that sky channel for screen skills they all offer similar things to. We also have one called extend, which is the training scheme for people who have disabilities.: And if you want to hear some stories and some authentic young people's stories, then that is what 大象传媒 reporter is all about, and we have a podcast called hear me where you'll find on it you'll find on 大象传媒 sounds and yeah and other well known podcast providers, I should say, but yeah really good young people's authentic stories in that I just want to thank the panel as well, and everyone who submitted a question.: And comment and remind people that the session will be available to view again on the website from tomorrow bbc.com forward slash 5050.