Advancing Diversity & Inclusion in Journalism

In response to the identified needs, the principal aim of the project has been to advance D&I in journalism, both in the news content and in newsrooms organisations, and with regards to various di...

In response to the identified needs, the principal aim of the project has been to advance D&I in journalism, both in the news content and in newsrooms organisations, and with regards to various diversities (beyond gender) and media type (beyond audiovisual). To achieve this goal, we set four specific objectives. 1) Enhance journalists’ understanding of the D&I values and practices in news coverage. 2) Raise awareness among news media organisations of the importance of having diverse newsrooms composition, including people of various ages, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, religions or beliefs, and ethnicities, and identify concrete ways to diversify editorial staff. 3) Transfer D&I good practices from other fields to the specific field of journalism and/or from one area of diversity (e.g., gender/sex) to another (e.g., ethnicity). 4) Develop and disseminate Guidelines for a DE&I-sensitive journalism, at both the news coverage and newsroom levels, together with journalists and news media organisations identified as the main target groups of the project. Moreover, the AD&IJ Project aimed to address the close link between inclusiveness and trust in news media, focusing on their role and responsibility in society.

The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights recognises the right to be free from discrimination based on age, disability, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Combating all forms of discrimination and promoting diversity are essential to creating inclusive European societies. The Erasmus + programme itself prioritises Diversity & Inclusion (D&I). As a socialising agency, media play a crucial role in promoting D&I. They can challenge discrimination and embrace social change, particularly in light of the EU's increasing diversity, and to truly achieve this, D&I must be deeply ingrained values and practices within journalism itself. However, D&I within journalism remain marginal and primarily focused on gender issues, particularly within the audio-visual sector. Moreover, recent reports indicate that EU countries like Belgium, Italy, and Spain face challenges in social inclusiveness, gender equality in media, and media literacy. These challenges likely stem from an information system that is not sufficiently inclusive and diverse to reach a diverse audience. In this context, the project aimed to address the need to advance D&I values and practices in journalism, ultimately strengthening public trust in news media.

Guidelines for a journalism sensitive to diversity, equity and inclusion; Linee guida per un giornalismo sensibile alla diversità, equità e inclusione; Lignes directrices pour un journalisme sensible à la diversité, l'équité et l'inclusion; Guía para un periodismo sensible a la diversidad, equidad e inclusión; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in journalism: a practical checklist; Diversità, Equità e Inclusione nel giornalismo: una check-list pratica; Liste de contrôle pratique sur la Diversité, l’Équité et l’Inclusion, dans le journalisme; Checklist y buenas prácticas DE&I para periodistas; Press release by the Partnership; Press release by C.A.R.E.S. scrl Osservatorio di Pavia; Press release by Fondazione Diversity; Press release by COPEAM_French version; Press release by COPEAM_English version; Press release by Fundación Diversidad; Press release by IFJ; diversityinjournalism.eu website