The trouble with a homogenous writing room or leadership team or production crew is that it results in a homogenous output. If the same people are given the space to tell their stories then the stories viewers hear will be of the same kind. Diversify the input however and offer a platform to different voices and the stories creatives are able to tell will be richer in turn. 

This is the thinking behind ITV’s latest initiative, designed to offer a platform to Black voices to share their experiences of racism and the thoughts they have around what should and needs to change. The short films devised by ITV Creative will run across promotional airtime on the channel, social media and will be hosted on a dedicated site.

The initiative’s aim is to encourage conversation and promote understanding around racism and to inspire long-term change. The videos will feature people from a range of backgrounds including the MPs David Lammy and Helen Grant, Lord Simon Woolley Founder of Operation Black Vote and the journalist Charlene White among others.

In the wake of the death of George Floyd, the unarmed Black man killed by police in America, and the Black Lives Matter protests that sparked up around the world, ITV also announced the launch of a Diversity Acceleration Plan. The fundamental aim of the plan is to give more space to voices from Black, Asian, minority ethnic and other underrepresented groups. It was compiled after extensive discussions with ITV Embrace, ITV’s own network for Black, Asian and minority ethnic colleagues. 

Rufus Radcliffe, Board Sponsor for ITV Embrace and Chief Marketing Officer & Director of Direct to Consumer at ITV said: “At ITV, we have been reflecting on our role in creating a more socially conscious and fairer society. We have a platform to speak to millions of people every day, and we feel it’s important to allow others a chance to speak. Black Voices are intended to shed light on what some Black people have had to endure over the years, and still endure even today, in the hope that we can accelerate change in diversity and inclusion.”

Sharing stories is an essential part in bringing about change because it encourages empathy and understanding. And, when it comes to improving the diversity and inclusion of our media, businesses and workplaces, those two qualities cannot be underestimated.