More than 75 percent of TV news and current affairs presenters, commentators and reporters have an Anglo-Celtic background, while only 6 percent have an Indigenous or non-European background. One hundred percent of free-to-air television national news directors have an Anglo-Celtic background – and they are all male.

These are key findings of a new, multi-university report, Who Gets to Tell Australian Stories? Released today, it paints a sobering picture of how efforts towards diversity have largely failed in this regard.

Dr Dimitria Groutsis, Associate Professor of Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney Business School co-authored the report:

“The impact of a damaging discourse and a voluntary buy-in from business to address diversity and inclusion has been laid bare in our pioneering report on cultural diversity in the media. It is the first forensic examination of how our media treats cultural diversity at the workplace level.

“Survey results showed that more than 70 percent of participants rated the representation of culturally diverse men and women in the media industry either poorly or very poorly.

Tim Soutphommasane, Professor of Practice (Sociology and Political Theory) and Director, Culture Strategy at the University of Sydney co-authored the report:

“It has been nearly five decades since an official multiculturalism was adopted in Australia. Yet that has had limited visible impact on our media.

“If there’s a glass ceiling that many women in work hit, then those from minority backgrounds hit a cultural one. According to a survey we conducted as part of our research, more than 85 percent of non-European background journalists believe having a culturally diverse background represents a barrier to career progression. 

The report was initiated by Media Diversity Australia. Research was led by Macquarie University, with support from the University of Sydney, Deakin University and Western Sydney University.