Society of Editors invests in journalism diversity fund

The Society of Editors is expected to make a £7,000 donation to the Journalism Diversity Fund.

The Society is also building an online “Diversity and Inclusion Resource Hub”, which will serve as a digital reference guide providing the necessary information, advice and phone numbers to share the industry’s work in this field.

The Hub will focus on helping “school leavers from diverse backgrounds wanting to get into journalism, senior editors looking to find new ways of recruiting more widely, and mid-career journalists from diverse backgrounds trying to progress further.”

A spokesperson for the Society of Editors said:

“The Society is delighted to be making a donation to the Journalism Diversity Fund, which does fantastic work in enabling under-represented talent to unlock a career in journalism.

“Furthermore, our work on a Diversity and Inclusion Resource Hub will aim to boost the opportunities for both aspiring and current journalists to progress in their chosen careers.”

Joanne Butcher, chief executive of the National Council for the Training of Journalists, which oversees the JDF, added:

“It’s heartening to see the Society of Editors making an increased commitment to diversity and inclusion by making its first donation to the Journalism Diversity Fund.

“The fund’s establishment was announced at the Society of Editors’ conference back in 2005 so right from the start the Society has always been a supporter in kind.

“Making a financial contribution strengthens that commitment to work with us as we expand the support we can offer to prospective journalists.

“We know only too well from our recent research how much further the industry has to go to be genuinely diverse and inclusive, which is why we have been working hard to encourage more media organizations to back our tried and trusted scheme.”