How to shape a metavision of television and audio progs.
Television and radio/ podcasts shape our understanding of the world. Drama lets us imagine ourselves through other characters whilst news and documentaries portrays a reality, a representation of events unfolding.
More often than not this powerful world of television and sound production is skewed by the lack of representation of the population to which it presents. This is evident in the portrayal, or lack of Black and brown people on screen, and more so those directing and producing some of our favourite programmes. Is that changing and how?
The Leaders’ List is a return to the work of Simone Pennant MBE and I (from 2018), aided by extraordinary talent in David Freeman and Gerald and Wayne Maclean about a unique coming together of some of the UK’s leading television producers and writers who are Black or brown.
It forms the basis of ongoing research in creating spaces towards creativity and representation in ideas that normatively TV and Radio executives would argue would not land with audiences.
Back in 2007 delivering a keynote in Norway, broadband and video podcasts provided a correction (see 9.45 onwards on video below). We could challenge television as well as posit our own ideas. We were early bird practitioners. In spite of the success of podcasts today, television and radio retain a position as powerful influencing media.
The Leaders’ List comprises talent behind shows such as Dr Who, Black and British: A Forgotten History, and Who Do You Think You Are? They include David Olusoga OBE, Joanne Abeyie MBE, Angela Ferreira, Pat Younge and 53 more telling their stories.
They talk about how they broke into television and radio, celebrating successes, and how further reform could shape the future.
What makes the List further inviting is how rare it is that 57 high profile, and emerging talent came together in one space — presented in a striking 2m x 5m super selfie influenced by the 1950s iconic jazz photo, A Great Day in Harlem.
If you’re interested in hearing more or hosting a short talk about this, please drop me a line Gyimahd@Cardiff.ac.uk
Dr David Dunkley Gyimah is a Reader/ Associate Professor in Journalism Innovation and Diversity and Representation. He’s a multiple international award-winning journalist and innovator in media with a 30-year career and deep engagement in diversity and representation. He was the presenter/ producer for London’s only BBC Radio talks show targeting Black and brown people and reported from Apartheid South Africa. He’s worked, as a reviewer for Google’s global fund on Innovation in news which has a strong EDI component. And was an advisor and writer this summer for the British Library’s exhibition and book on 500 years of News, and the European Law Review, writing on language and human rights accompanying the BLM movement. In 2020 he co-founded the diversity and representation journal Representology produced by the Sir Lenny Henry centre for Media Diversity and the Cardiff University.
