A Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) charter that aims to help RTÉ create content that “reflects the diversity of an ever-evolving nation” has been largely implemented by the national broadcaster despite pandemic disruption, with work ongoing on its long-term goals.
The strategy sees RTÉ aiming for 50/50 gender balance across the organisation as well as: 5% rising to a minimum of 10% of employees from a non-Irish background; 5% rising to a minimum of 8% of employees with a disability and; a minimum preliminary goal of 4% of employees who identify as LGBTQI.
The charter 2018-2022, which remains the guiding D&I strategy for RTÉ and is due to be reinforced by a detailed strategy document in the coming months, recommends and encourages a variety of measures RTÉ can, and has, undertaken to educate, integrate and champion D&I in its own workplace and across Ireland.
Composed of short/medium-term goals (2018-2022) and long-term goals, which they aim to fulfil by 2030, Gript understands that RTÉ has achieved the “vast majority” of the short/medium-term goals listed in the charter’s action plan, which in a small number of cases was affected by the pandemic. Work is ongoing to achieve longer term goals, such as measurement and evaluation of on-air representation, by 2030.
RTÉ D&I commitments are divided into four categories:
– Represent and reflect the voice and diversity of Ireland
– Engage and educate RTÉ’s workforce
– Fully integrate D&I into RTÉ’s workplace policies and practices
– Act as a leader in championing D&I and promoting strategies to address inequities in the creative and media industries
Represent and reflect the voice and diversity of Ireland
As part of its first commitment, RTÉ undertook a number of actions aimed at boosting the broadcaster’s diversity and commitment to a D&I ethos. These included hiring a D&I lead “to drive the D&I agenda” across RTÉ, selecting and training D&I champions who have responsibility for and can influence diversity commitments and boosting the visibility of RTÉ ambassadors who “encourage a more diverse image”.
‘New Voices, New Perspectives’ is floated here, which is a database of programme contributors and sources of views and opinions for programme makers which would be created through workshops aimed at finding “new and different voices and faces from a range of areas, backgrounds and perspectives”.
A number of measures are also listed here that pertain to bringing the Irish language into all of RTÉ’s content and catering to both disabled employees and consumers.
Engage and educate RTÉ’s workforce
As part of the efforts to develop RTÉ staff’s knowledge of and engagement with D&I principles, a variety of training modules were introduced at all levels of the organisation. The charter’s action plan suggests that following a consultation, training programmes that contain workshops on bias awareness and inclusive leadership could be rolled out.
D&I induction training for all new employees is promoted, as well as “practical and tangible takeaways” for all employees to mark the new D&I vision and strategy and to “act as a reminder” of key D&I principles. Physical and digital keepsakes are recommended here, such as revised email signatures and new lanyards. Employee resource groups made up of “allies, advocates and community members” were also developed.
Fully integrate D&I into RTÉ’s workplace policies and practices
Revising RTÉ’s recruitment and selection strategy – including targets for diverse candidates and interview panels – was encouraged as part of the effort to integrate D&I into the workplace, as was bringing diversity into its commissioning of content and journalism guidelines.
Act as a leader in championing D&I across Ireland to address inequities
A number of RTÉ’s ongoing, longer-term goals come under this category, and include using the ‘New Voices’ initiative (mentioned above) to get more diversity on RTÉ’s newsroom and journalist panels, implementing supplier diversity quotas – for, for example, sourcing extras, production runners, etc. – and positing RTÉ as an “employer of choice” for potential diverse employees, which can be achieved the charter suggests by adopting a ‘name and fame’ approach that showcases D&I success stories within RTÉ.
As mentioned, RTÉ told Gript when asked that it had achieved the majority of its shorter term goals, with the exception of a few impacted by the pandemic, while work on its longer term goals ongoing. Diversity and inclusion remain a “priority” for RTÉ going forward, which will be aided by the detailed strategy document (2025 – 2030) which is due to be published in the coming months.
There are obvious questions that come to mind in light of this: have suitable candidates for employment at, or collaboration with, RTÉ been overlooked on the basis of a diversity quota? How does an organisation pursue a minimum of 4% LGBTQI employees, seeing as asking about it is illegal under the Equality Act? How does RTÉ determine what a “non-Irish” background is, in light of recent immigration debates that have seen it claimed that anyone can be Irish, regardless of where they come from?
Suffice it to say, D&I philosophy is thoroughly a part of RTÉ’s modus operandi in 2024.