Data showcasing the number of journalists working in the UK whose sexualities are lesbian, gay, bisexual or ‘other’ has been released for the first time.
These figures were published as part of the Diversity in Journalism report which analyses the characteristics of journalists working in the UK, including ethnicity, health and disability and social class.
The research was commissioned by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and based on the latest Labour Force Survey (LFS) and 2021 Census data.
Authored by research consultant Mark Spillsbury, the report was presented at an industry-wide event at Google UK in London on Thursday (25 May).
Journalists who identify themselves as lesbian, gay bisexual or ‘other’ are well-represented in the industry, the report suggests, with 11 per cent of journalists identifying as LGB+ compared to four per cent across the wider UK population.
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) data suggests both those who are ‘gay and lesbian’ and ‘bisexual’ both make up three percent of journalists, whilst those who identify as ‘other’ comprise of five per cent.
‘Other’ can include people who do not wish to define their sexuality, as well as other sexualities such as pansexual or asexual.
These figures for individual sexualities are higher than the numbers observed across the wider UK population, where people who are gay and lesbian make up two per cent of the population and bisexuals and those who identify as ‘other’ both comprising of just one per cent.
Meanwhile, journalists who are heterosexual make up the majority of the workforce, at 89 per cent.
LGBTQ+ Journalism Network founder Sophie Perry said: “For the first time sexual orientation data has been included in the NCTJ’s Diversity in Journalism report, an important step in understanding that state of queer representation in the sector.
“It is great to see that LGB+ journalists are widely represented in journalism in the UK. Although, it would be useful to know if levels of representation vary between senior and junior positions and across different sections of the media, including print, radio and broadcast.
“Going forward, I urge the NCTJ to include data on gender identity alongside sex in their report, to ensure our trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming colleagues are counted.”
What else does the Diversity in Journalism report show?
Elsewhere in the report, the research found there was an increase in the number of journalists who report having a work-limiting health problem or disability.
In 2023 22 per cent of journalists state they have a health problem or disability, which is up from 19 per cent in 2021 and higher than the level for all UK workers (18 per cent).
There is also an increase in the number of journalists coming from ethnic minority backgrounds, with 12 per cent now being ethnically non-white compared with just six per cent back in 2018.
However, the research shows just six per cent of editors in 2023 are non-white, compared with 14 per cent of reporters, which suggests there are issues increasing diversity at senior levels in the industry.
In terms of social class, journalists are most likely to come from backgrounds where their parents worked in one of the higher-level occupations.
Seventy-two per cent of journalists had a parent in one of the three highest occupational groups, compared to 44 per cent all UK workers, whilst 14 per cent have a parent in the lowest two occupations compared to 19 per cent of all workers.
Commenting on the report, Joanne Butcher – the NCTJ’s chief executive – said: “Changing an entrenched culture, as the latest data in the report on diversity shows, is one of the toughest challenges for us all alongside overcoming the economic and social threats to quality journalism and trusted news.
“There has been some progress but there are no easy answers to how we can attract people from disadvantaged backgrounds into journalism and promote journalists from under-represented ethnic groups into senior roles.
“We all need to work together to make this happen. We must encourage those from all walks of life into journalism roles, remove the barriers and support people in their careers so they can join the decision-makers.”
You can read the full report HERE
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