First News diversity event

George Alagiah and Sir Trevor McDonald are to open the first Move On Up in News event on 21 September at the TUC in London.

The day, jointly organised by BECTU and BBC News, is intended to help address the under-representation of black and minority ethnic (BME) workers in news.

Other media groups taking part include ITV News, Sky News, IRN, Channel 4 News, Reuters, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera English, The Daily Telegraph, Guardian, Times Online, Press Association and the commercial radio news providers.

More than 70 news executives, including the Director of BBC News, Helen Boaden and David Mannion, the Editor-in-Chief of ITV News, will be on hand for one-to-one meetings with BME professionals who are seeking to progress their careers.

BBC correspondents Clive Myrie and Rajesh Mirchandani, the ITV News presenter, Nina Hossain and the Asian Network breakfast presenter, Sonia Deol, will among those also available to offer helpful tips on how to climb the ladder.

The organisers are expecting that up to 200 BME professionals working in broadcast or online news or in newspapers will apply to attend the free event.

The deadline for applications is Friday 20 July 2007 - email Lesley Burt at BECTU Head Office for an application form.

The event is not just designed to help BME journalists. It is also aimed at camera operators, graphic artists, TV gallery staff, floor managers, studio managers and broadcast assistants.

The organisers say it's just as relevant for experienced professionals with a long track record as it is for people in their first job.

Alongside the one to one meetings there'll be a varied programme of workshops.

Newspaper journalists and researchers or producers working in TV and radio will have a chance to try their hand at news reading.

BBC news readers, presenters and reporters from Five Live, 1Xtra and the Asian Network will offer coaching and advice and a BBC studio manager, Purminder Gandhu, will help people to record their summary. The two visitors whose efforts are judged to be the most professional will be invited to spend a day meeting senior figures at Five Live.

Anyone who would like to develop their career by becoming a TV news reader will be able to go in front of an ITV News camera. Those judged to have delivered the most professional performance will be invited to spend a day at ITV News.

Jonathan Baker, the Deputy Head of Newsgathering at BBC News, will be among the panellists at the Climbing the Ladder at the BBC workshop.

Executives from ITV News will be running a workshop for those who want to develop their careers within ITV News.

The editor of IRN, Jon Godel, and the Controller of News 24, Kevin Bakhurst, will be among the panellists at the Polishing your CV workshop.

BME news correspondents from BBC and ITV News and a radio presenter will talk about "How I got where I am".

And there'll be a session convergence which will explore the way the different forms of media are coming together. Guy Ruddle, Editor of Telegraph Talk and TV, will be joined by Steve Herrmann, who is Editor, BBC News Interactive, and the Secretary of the Broadcast Journalism Training Council, Jim Latham.

George Alagiah, who presents the Six O'Clock News on BBC1 and is also a BBC World presenter and distinguished correspondent, said: "When I joined the BBC I was one of a handful of black or Asian reporters on TV. That's changed now but we must not be tempted to assume that the job is done.

"There are plenty of people out there, people of colour and talent who feel the broadcast industry is not interested in them.

"We have a few more faces on screen - but the floor management, the boardrooms, and the places where budgets are allocated and schedules drawn up do not represent our diverse country.

"So I'm delighted that the broadcast and online news media and the unions have come together to organise such a practical initiative. I congratulate BECTU and the BBC for their partnership organising Move On Up in News and I will be there on the day."

Sir Trevor McDonald said: "I am very happy to give my backing to Move On Up in News.

"It's clear that the previous Move On Up events for radio and television professionals have proved extremely popular. They have provided black and minority ethnic people in the media with an excellent chance to make contacts with the movers and shakers in the industry.

"There is a widespread acknowledgement that much more must be done to help BME staff in news to break through to a higher level.

"Move On Up in News will bring together under one roof senior executives from a range of news organisations and talented professionals who are keen to make contacts and seek out new opportunities.

"Let's face it, the news business is still overwhelmingly white and middle class. I hope that this event will lead to our newsrooms and studios becoming more representative of the communities they serve."

Move On Up in News takes place on 21 September 2007 at the TUC in Great Russell Street, London WC1.