Diversity in Leadership and Media: A Multi-perspective Analysis of the Greater Toronto Area, 2010

• Published in: International journal of diversity in organisations, communities and nations communities and nations, 2012, Vol.11 (6), p.63-78
• Main Authors: Cukier, Wendy, Miller, John, Aspevig, Kristen, Carl, Dale
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Leadership; Media coverage
• ISSN: 1447-9532; 1447-9583
• DOI: 10.18848/1447-9532/CGP/v11i06/39062

The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is one of the most diverse regions in the world; 42.86% of its 5,113,149 citizens are visible minorities. However, discrimination, underemployment and wage gaps persist. Organizations that promote diversity support social inclusion, while the “business case” is that diversity enables competitive advantage in the global marketplace via improved performance and access to new markets. Diverse leaders can influence the aspirations and advancement of under-represented groups, but the media largely creates society’s images of leaders. This multi-layered 2010 study examined the representation of visible minorities in senior roles in the GTA as well as in media content, to determine whether the population’s diversity was reflected in its leadership and media images. It counted the number of visible minorities among 3,348 elected officials, government agencies, boards and commissions (ABCs), educational institutions, foundations and private sector organizations. It counted visible minorities among 289 media sector leaders, qualitatively assessed who constituted the media decision-makers, and counted who was represented as leaders in local news coverage. It supplemented the counts with interviews and surveys and also assessed the diversity strategies of different organizations. Data showed that visible minorities were significantly under-represented in leadership positions, accounting for only 14% of leaders, compared to 49.5% of the general population under study. Representation ranged by sector from 22.3% (ABCs) to 4.1% (corporate) and varied by organization. In media organizations, only 4.8% of board members and executives were visible minori- ties. Visible minorities were also under-represented among newspaper columnists and as hosts and experts on supper time broadcasts. The study’s original contributions are its multi-perspective analysis and its recommendations for more diverse leadership including the adoption of metrics, targets, integrated policies and communication of diversity goals. News coverage also provides an opportunity for media to diversify with the identification of experts from diverse backgrounds.