UK publishing industry failing in cultural diversity

UK publishing industry failing in cultural diversity
by Mike Barnard on 16-Apr-2007

Not enough black or minority ethnic (BME) workers are recruited to reflect the areas they operate in.

A new report reveals that there is a lack of cultural diversity within the publishing industry. Despite the majority of UK publishing houses being based in London, the ethnic origin of employees does not reflect the multi-cultural nature of the capital.

The Diversity in Publishing Network survey found that 28.8 percent of Londoners are BME, yet only 7.7 percent of those working in publishing have a BME background. Combined with just four percent of editorial staff from a BME background, the report concludes that non-white voices will struggle to be heard.

A spokesman for the network said: "While the moral and commercial reasons for greater ethnic diversity in publishing have never been so evident, this research proves that there is still a long way to go before the industry is truly representative of the culture it serves."

While recent initiatives to improve the diversity of the UK publishing industry are having a positive impact on recruitment, the report found the largest proportion of BME staff surveyed had been in the industry for less than two years.