Thread by @sundersays

Few people in the media (if anybody) thinks there is a uniform picture across all outlets. The tone of this statement is uninterested in any dialogue or nuance about gaps or challenges that remain, as they obviously do.

https://twitter.com/Sathnam/status/1369215528942907392

3 years ago, the editor of the Daily Express, Gary Jones, made a clear statement about why he was uncomfortable with the paper's headlines about Muslims. There have been some changes since. The tone of Society of Editors sounded oblivious to any issues
google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theg…

https://twitter.com/sundersays/status/988893195894390784?s=19

While ethnic & faith minorities tend towards pretty sceptical views about how the media reports race (on the occasions when they are asked), the general population share this scepticism by a wide majority in some cases, such as reporting on Muslims

https://twitter.com/sundersays/status/1056585113230852103?s=19

ITV found that 33% of white Britons perceive a culture of racism is newspapers, but 39% do not. Among ethnic minority respondents a narrow majority (53%) thought there was "a culture of racism" while one on five disagreed (22%) while many people are on the fence or dont know.

Source @NCPoliticsUK
ncpolitics.uk/2020/07/stephe…

"UK media has a proud record of calling out racism". I agree, some very important examples.

But it requires cognitive dissonance to find racism to proudly call out (in police, judiciary, business, NHS) but to be absolutely certain that there can be no issues in the media.

Good piece from an Editor (Bristol Post, 2018) acknowledging a long history of the avoidance of race by many city institutions (including the local paper) + efforts to change that. '90s statements may have sounded more like the 2021 Society of Editors one

https://twitter.com/sundersays/status/1269667684502962176

Good to see this statement from The Guardian. I would have thought many national, regional and local titles might be able to offer a more nuanced account of race in the media than the Society of Editors has put out, claiming to speak for everyone

https://twitter.com/GuardianComms/status/1369279169964687365?s=19

This is the sub-group data in the @NCPoliticsUK ITV 2020 poll. Black respondents a bit more sceptical (58% see culture of racism in the press while 17% disagree. Sample size was 405). But weak scores < 1/4 across minority groups for the vote of self-confidence.

According to its website,Society of Editors board does include Vic Motune of the Voice and Kamal Ahmed, among the 18 board members listed. No ethnic diversity in a pretty small staff team (5) but nor much, if any, on its longer list of fellows (14)
societyofeditors.org/about/

FT editor @khalafroula with a concise and sensible statement acknowledging that editors & newsrooms have got some work to do on race.

Guardian reports that the Society of Editors has declined to comment in response to criticisms of its statement, including from Editors of FT, Guardian, Huffington Post. The Guardian is also seeking an explanation of how the statement was agreed & put out
amp.theguardian.com/media/2021/mar…

Charlene White has pulled out of hosting Society of Editors press awards, because she strongly disagrees with tone & content of its statement about race in the media. She challenges it as implying the media is the one industry to have no issues with race
m.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/char…

Society of Editors issued new statement this morning, noting its initial statement "did not reflect what we all know: that there is a lot of work to be done in the media to improve diversity & inclusion". SoE will "reflect" on reactions & "work towards being part of the solution"

The Board does not sign off statements routinely, but members of the board disagree with the statement, with one calling it "tone deaf"
amp.theguardian.com/media/2021/mar…

Opportunity to consider what being part of solution may mean. Not just a better statement please!
- commit to regular (eg annual) public review on race?
- proper working group? Engage with journalists across spectrum of outlets on what works?
- I think all 14 fellows are white

Stephen Bush of the New Statesman on what the Society of Editors got wrong & how its statement has backfired

https://twitter.com/stephenkb/status/1369691697869971456?s=19

The Evening Standard in London (having broken the news of the Society of Editors statement a couple of days ago) has also decided that it disagrees with the statement

https://twitter.com/archiebland/status/1369688607922003969?s=19

https://twitter.com/emilysheffield/status/1369673746412408832?s=19

Board members @EleanorMills and @olyduff say many of the SoE board are angry about the statement (which board do not sign off). Call to "turbo boost" the diversity plan shows an opportunity to respond constructively to the widespread criticism.
pressgazette.co.uk/society-of-edi…

Press Gazette plans to launch a survey of its 10,000 email subscribers on race and the media industry.

National Press Awards (31st March 2021) now a useful focal point & peg to hear the content of a "part of the solution" plan. Also a chance for @pressgazette to ask national titles to state publicly what they are doing & what they plan to do in future?
pressgazette.co.uk/society-of-edi…

The Yorkshire Post has withdrawn from the Society of Editors press awards. Editor @JayMitchinson writes to his readers about the need to take a stand against a defence of prejudice.

https://twitter.com/JayMitchinson/status/1369723423350472707?s=19

The Director of the Society of Editors has now resigned, reports @archiebland after the storm of criticism within and beyond the organisation over the society's statement about race and the media made his position untenable.

https://twitter.com/archiebland/status/1369751560889188355?s=19

The Society of Editors will surely now want to show that it will run a very strong process to seek the strongest and most inclusive shortlist of candidates to lead the organisation's efforts to become part of the solution

News report
amp.theguardian.com/media/2021/mar…

The tone of this interview significantly exacerbated the damage done to the Society of Editors reputation by the initial statement

https://twitter.com/vicderbyshire/status/1369758211981643779?s=19