tarting out in an industry as colossal as broadcast and media is no simple feat. Although the sector has come a long way from what it used to be, it’s by no means known for being a leader in diversity. According to statistics from Data USA, 87.6% of broadcast and sound engineering technicians, radio operators and media and communication
THE AVERAGE MALE SALARY IS $57,735. WOMEN’S SALARIES FOR THE SAME WORK AVERAGE OUT AT $43,195
of those things where we knew mentoring could have an impact, but we needed to demonstrate that it actually makes a difference, and that’s what I did with my first cohort,” she says. “That’s why the programme is so important – because it has such a major impact on women’s lives. If you have a look at the women from the first cohort and the positions they’re in now, and their trajectory, it’s amazing – and they put a lot of that down to Rise mentoring.” The free, six-month programme, supports women working in, or aspiring to work in, the broadcast media sector. The support received by the mentees includes: y y Being matched with an industry professional, with one-to-one mentoring contact y y A monthly mentees group meeting, facilitating peer-to-peer support y y Access to networking events and workshops y y Support and guidance from the Rise Programme director FEED had the opportunity to meet and talk to three past mentees from different cohorts of the programme. All three work in a variety of areas, making their reflections a diverse insight into what it really feels like to start out in the industry.
equipment workers are men. The average male salary is $57,735, while women’s pay for the same work averages out at $43,195. With this in mind, it’s important to recognise the clear moves being made by big players in the industry to change for the better. ‘Diversity and inclusion’ has become a buzz phrase over the past few years, as society has started to realise being diverse is super-hip and cool. Being any kind of ‘ist’ – from sexist to racist – is really not trendy any more. Industry organisations are starting to take the lead. Rise is a prime example of this. The not-for-profit is pioneering for change within the broadcast realm, from its mentoring programmes, to yearly awards in recognition of those making a notable impact. It has opened doors and ideas for those starting out, as well as the old-timers making unrecognised strides for decades. The non-profit was started four years ago by Sadie Groom and initially dubbed ‘Females in the Broadcast Industry (FBI)’. Rise managing director, Carrie Wootten, then came on board, bringing forward the mentoring programme. “It was one
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