SBS responds to former staffers’ accounts of ‘toxic’ racism: ‘We still have a way to go’
SBS’ managing director, James Taylor, has said he is “shocked and saddened” by the experiences of racism former staff have disclosed this week.
Screenwriter and Indigenous Australian Kodie Bedford wrote a lengthy Twitter thread earlier this week about the “micro-aggressions, forms of paternalism and racism” she faced at the broadcaster 10 years ago.
Bedford said she didn’t speak of the experiences for a long time because “I still carry trauma and feel sick about it”. She was “always introduced as ‘the Indigenous cadet journalist’ while the others were just ‘the cadet journalists'”, she said. “But this was my dream job. I’ll put up with the othering.”
I must say I was shocked when I saw how white the SBS leadership team was (you can see it here: https://www.sbs.com.au/aboutus/the-sbs-leadership-team).
Not sure how SBS can fully deliver on its charter when the people making the decision have no lived experience of life as a person of colour or as a non-native English speaker.
It’s also not surprising that it ends up that way if young Indigenous and POC end up leaving the organisation early on due to bad treatment.
I hope they take this moment to reflect and do better.
Sadly Kate, SBS (and ABC) have been ‘jobs for life’ for white folks from selective high schools and private schools for many, many, many years.
SBS for years as been called a “coconut” — brown on the outside, but white on the inside — by those who know the reality.
Think it is more odd than shocking – you kind of expect the multicultural broadcaster would be a little more multicultural at the leadership level.
Always have thought a move from the traditional North Shore base to Western Sydney the multicultural heart of Australia will better connect SBS to the multicultural community.
We need to move on from cherry picking numerical diversity…. pick one group, get outraged Twitter style and forget about any context.
Truth is the first casualty, as context is thrown out the window. Seeing headlines saying SBS is racist because of some cases and one photo of the exec team isn’t giving the full picture. It seems like an odd solar eclipse when the Twitter left is equally outraged as the anti-SBS Telegraph.
SBS’s last CEO is one of the most capable and successful executives from a multi-cultural background in the country.
The board overseeing SBS isn’t all white, a lot more multicultural than most boards. Even with the diversity, all the same background of any board member impressive schools and CVs. Colour diversity does always equal diversity of backgrounds.
SBS showcase the best multicultural talent in Australia – even if they are have to go off charter with programs to generate revenue so they can meet the core mission.
The bigger point, any executive of any colour pretty much ends up having zero real lived experience of any importance.
The nature of the job makes them all so disconnected to their audience, their past and the wider community. They all need to be aware of that.
Thoughts from a humble passionate viewer… cheap seats I know.
Older white guy with the corner office is “saddened and shocked” by multiple, verified stories of racism in the ranks. Quelle surprise.
Very disappointing to read that SBS is just keeping up appearances.
Just when you think you know a station you read something like this.
Hope this leads to a serious self evaluation.
Your viewers are from diverse races. You try but not hard enough it appears.
Alango
Ex-employee here, absolutely disgusted by the history of racism, bullying and cronyism at SBS, especially giving numerous years of my life and work to this organisation. There has been an incredibly toxic culture existing in quite a few departments within SBS enabled and propagated by a legion of homogenous white middle managers that have no respect for what this institution should stand for. Good on Kodie for making your voices heard.