MPACUK caught out

Derah Yasque

The Journalism Diversity Fund?

Their work is surely undermined by the fact that TV news is presented, in the majority of cases, by people whose 'diversity' is far from representative of the UK population.

Sounds like yet another 'anyone-but-whitey' outfit.

PJD

Derah Yasque, the vast majority of news presenters are Caucasian!

Barney

Stephen the page has also been captured here http://theymadeitup.squarespace.com/the-latest-news-and-discussion/2008/7/11/mpac-uk-caught-out.html

Andy Gill

Congratulations on exposing this nasty little outfit.

Derah Yasque

PJD.

Just checked.

Nope, I was right.

PJD

Derah Yasque, any source, facts and figures to back your "Nope, I was right."

Derah Yasque

PJD.

Fact one is I walk around and see that this country is, for the time being at least, populated by people who are overwhelmingly of white European origin.

Fact two is that the TV news media are staffed by a disproportionate number of people not of this description.

Fact three: we are constantly reminded that there should be fairness of opportunity in the work place.

Conclusion: the disproportion must be down to the fact that said 'minorities' are either in possession of innately superior qualities/skills and so deserve such inordinate presence or, they are being given special treatment to meet the demands of the mis-named 'Equality & Diversity' lobby.

Like I said: 'anyone but whitey'.

PJD

Well fact one is that the white population at the 2001 census was 92%. I would guess this is now slightly lower, perhaps 90%. But that fact is not in dispute here.

I had a look at the race of the BBC* presenters of the One, Six, Ten O'clock news, breakfast news, newsnight and News 24. 16 of the 21 are white - just over the 75%. Yes not 90% but certainly not "far from representative". 16 out 21 is a vast majority as I originally stated, don't you agree.

Fact two is that TV news is never going to be a representation of the UK population as there will be no presenters who are children and very few, if any, over the age of 70.

Over the past 3 decades two of the most familiar faces of TV news have been Moira Stuart and Trevor McDonald. I don't think anyone could argue that either has a lower ability at presenting the news compared to his or her white contemporaries.

* According to the beeb news website

Derah Yasque

PJD.

So going by your figures, there is a 15% skew on the staffing. Why? And we never mentioned ITV? CH4?

All I know is there's an undeniable move to ethnicise the faces we see on TV news, such that if you're young and white, the only conclusion you can make is that in British broadcasting, you belong to the past. At best you will find it more difficult to get a job in broadcasting than your black/asian counterparts. Why?

Moira Stewart's OK (but retired now surely) but Trevor McDonald? You jest surely?

You've obviously fallen for that 'national treasure' guff that has been thrown around him. His delivery is ridiculous, he seems always to be over-emphasising to cater for those viewers with special needs.

I think it was as Diana's coffin was flown home from Paris: 'And now here comes the VC10 of the RAC'. After that he just crumpled.

When Bush does such he's an idiot; when McDonald does it, it's forgotten.

PJD

I have looked at ITV, Channel 4 and Sky news as well. 36 of the 44 presenters are white ~82%. Still a vast majority. I had previously counted Anna Ford and Moira Stuart as they were listed on the BBC website but have retired.

Why there is a lower percentage of white presenters than in the general population is not a question with an obvious answer. The ethnicity of people wanting to persue a career in TV journalism won't necessarily match that of the general population.

The difference is hardly earth shatteringly and not really worth quibbling about.

There are plenty of young white news presenters such as Kate Silverton, Celina Hinchcliffe or James Dagwell. To be below forty is young for a news presenter.

Barney

Psssssttt! Stephen, MPAC UK made a vile racist attack on you at their website - but now they have removed it.

However, it can be seen on this website that seems to have captured everything before they realised how libellous and offensive it was (I suspect). http://theymadeitup.squarespace.com/the-latest-news-and-discussion/2008/7/12/is-mpac-uk-attacking-stephen-pollard-for-being-jewish.html

Derah Yasque

PJD.

I think if we are both honest about it, we are wasting each other's time here.

In Clive Davis's neighbouring blog, he recently raised the point that, despite any insistence that we come to blogging to partake in dialogue; in truth we come to foist our pre-conceptions on others and no matter how much valid, contrary evidence might be made available, our invariable reaction is to batter it into a shape which will fit the mold of our own agenda.

I have to admit that no matter what statistics are put to me, the ideas I have already formed on this issue will not by shaken. It's just I trust my intuition and I have little respect for attempts to let numerical data tell the story of what goes on around us.

PJD

Derah Yasque, well I saw what you wrote:

in the majority of cases, by people whose 'diversity' is far from representative of the UK population

and thought that it far from the actuality that I see on TV.

David

Stats-abuse: PJD - you can just as well say that ethnic minorities are 2-3 x over-represented which sounds more serious.

What you really need to do is analyse how likely the skew is to arise by chance (skew is more likely in smaller populations).

Making some simple assumptions, it is only 2.3% likely that chance delivers 5 out of 21 people from a subgroup representing 8% of the population (or equivalently that 16 or less of 21 are from a subgroup representing 92% of the population). There is a prima facie case to answer that the selection of news readers is biased towards ethnic minorities.

What are the ratios of Asia/Chinese/Black - I believe it should be roughly 2:1:1. But I can't think of any chinese news readers.

jim

yes Mr Plloard you do not read or notice the bigotry on Harry's place nor would you describe them extreme.

It does seem Mr Pollard you apply double standards.

This week we had the US Senate /Congress adjourned for Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New year as widely reported during the financial bail out negotiations.
Majority of US citizens do not observe the Rosh Hashanah yet we have the following story penned by you :

Compulsory fasting for all
Tower Hamlets has asked non-Muslims to observe aspects of Ramadan

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article4647386.ece?Submitted=true