Creating an inclusive culture
As a creative organisation, diversity in views and voices is not only central to our values, but also critical to our business. Knowing your community and responding to its diverse needs is at the heart of public service media; and as a producer, we ensure we reflect our audience in our shows.
At STV, we celebrate individuality, ideas, passion and the innovation created by different perspectives.
We are working together to create an inclusive culture that enables equality of opportunity for all; to reflect the communities we serve both on and off-screen and to drive sustainable change across the wider industry.
Our targets
| Workforce: Our people | On screen contributors: Our audiences | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STV News at Six | News only | Sport only | Scotland Tonight | ||
| Gender | 50:50 balance across top 25% of roles by earnings and a balanced gender profile across the rest of the organisation | 50:50 | 50:50 | 50:50 | 50:50 |
| Ethnically diverse | 8% of colleagues based in Scotland 33% of colleagues based in London | 8% | 8% | 8% | 12% |
| Disability | 12% of all colleagues | Target to be confirmed following a review of existing representation levels. Through STV Expert Voices we are working to broaden our network of contributors to increase representation of disabled people across news and current affairs output. | |||
| LGBTQ+ | 4% of all colleagues | No target set | |||
We have five key priorities to help us achieve these targets:
- Increase diverse internal and external talent pools
- Create an inclusive working environment for all colleagues
- Increase representation and portrayal of diverse voices in the content that STV produces, commissions, and acquires for STV and the STV Player
- Improve diversity and authentic portrayal in the advertising content we produce
- Develop partnerships to increase inclusion across the TV industry. This includes a specific focus on work with the TV Access Project to work in partnership with broadcasters and streams to ensure access provision for Disabled talent.
Our progress is driven by a Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee, D&I advisor, Femi Otitoju and a network of peer groups.
STV’s peer groups
Access All Areas Network
The Access All Areas Network has a key goal to increase accessibility at STV, and of STV’s services. Through partnerships with Enable Scotland, Inclusion Scotland and The Digital Accessibility Centre, the Access all Areas Network is addressing practical issues identified as barriers to progress to effect lasting change for disabled people in all parts of our business, both on and off screen. STV has joined the other main UK broadcasters to support the creation of access and inclusion ‘passports’ which will see broadcasters encouraging staff to communicate their adjustment needs.
Gender Equality Network
The activities supported by STV’s Gender Equality Network, Balance, are aimed at supporting our target to achieve a 50:50 gender split in the top 25% of roles by 2023. Balance is focused on a number of initiatives to support this aim including: talent development programmes; increasing representation of women in senior STEM related roles in the Company; and, on-screen, increasing gender representation in our news and current affairs output.
Read our Gender Pay Report here.
The Family Network
The Family Network drives an action plan to support parents and carers as well as providing a peer network for colleagues who are balancing family and work responsibilities. Flex is focused on ensuring the views of those in caring roles are represented across STV, raises awareness of the challenges they may face and helps them access information and support. Through its work, Flex has overseen the introduction of a new carer's policy for STV colleagues.
The LGBTQ+ Network
The LGBTQ+ Network works to champion LGBTQ+ inclusion at STV, in our programming and across the wider community. STV's Pride Network is focused on creating an inclusive culture and working environment for our people. Through its work, Pride has facilitated participation in local Pride marches, and overseen the introduction of a new transitioning policy for STV colleagues.
The Black and Ethnically Diverse Network
The Black and Ethnically Diverse Network is driving our action plan to improve the representation of Black and Ethnically diverse people both on and off screen. STV has committed to more than double the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic colleagues at STV by 2023, improve on screen representation in the programmes STV makes for itself and others, and ring-fence £1m from the STV Growth Fund for advertising campaigns that champion diversity in Scotland, with a particular focus on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic diversity.