Corus updates scope and mandate of Diversity Review

By
Connie Thiessen
-

Corus Entertainment has released an update on its ongoing Diversity Review, announced in early June following allegations of a culture of racism and microagressions from a number of current and former employees.

The company has engaged the services of anti-racism specialists, DiversiPro, which has initiated interviews with a cross-section of Corus employees on their work experience. That will be followed by a company-wide survey and “intercultural assessments” of 100 senior staff. The last phase of the review will identify any barriers or biases in Corus’ “people-related policies and processes.”

Corus said specific recommendations will be presented to the company in a final report this September and integrated into its current Diversity and Inclusion multi-year plan.

Voices from Global News division “heard”

In the update, Corus also said it has “heard the voices from current and former employees,” specifically within its news division.

Earlier this month, dozens of Global News journalists signed an open letter to company CEO Doug Murphy “in solidarity with our BIPOC colleagues who have experienced individual racism, systemic racism and oppression in Canadian media and our newsrooms in particular.”

Among other measures, the letter called for “timely, public release of the full, unredacted anti-racism report being prepared by DiversiPro”; dedicated budget “to ensure in-depth, smarter and more balanced stories concerning race and systemic inequality”; a commitment to newsroom diversity at all levels, including management; tracking sources used as expert voices by gender, race and frequency of use in Global News stories; whistleblower protections for colleagues who report instances of racism; and transparency around how specific allegations made by employees are being handled.

Corus said it’s moving to implement some commitments immediately, including:

  • -More transparent reporting of racialized groups in teams, both at the frontline and management levels.
  • -Targeted recruitment to increase representation of persons of colour across the organization.
  • -Specific initiatives aimed at removing systemic barriers to improve retention and promotion opportunities.
  • -A renewed commitment to consultation with racialized and marginalized communities in regards to news coverage.
  • -Continued support for targeted scholarships and mentorships for aspiring media professionals.

Corus said it will be providing ongoing updates during the review, both directly to employees, as well as publicly via its social media channels and company website.

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