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BBC targets diversity in the newsroom with talent pool scheme

Posted: 22/09/08 By: Laura Oliver
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The BBC has launched a new recruitment drive to increase diversity in its newsrooms across the UK.

Working journalists from different social and ethnic backgrounds, and with disabilities will be targeted by the initiative, which aims to create a 'talent pool' of potential recruits for the corporation.

Under the scheme, members of this pool would be put forward to compete against direct applicants when positions arise for broadcast journalists in the BBC's Wales, Yorkshire and East Midlands newsrooms.

The same process will also be used when recruiting broadcast journalists for 1Xtra News and the BBC's multimedia newsroom in London.

"We hope that, through their social or ethnic background, or perhaps through their insights into disability, the people who pass our assessment process will help us to reach out to our many and varied audiences," said Paul Deal, manager of the journalism recruitment project for the BBC's College of Journalism, in a press release.

"As someone who grew up in London's Docklands and left school at 17, I'm really fired up about the need for the BBC to be able to connect with all manner of viewers, listeners and web users."

Individual editors of the newsrooms involved in the scheme would be tasked with making the final decision about which candidate to employ, Deal added.

Visit the following link for more details on how to apply for the talent pool. Applications must be received by October 13.

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