Representation and Diversity in Scottish Media: Creating Opportunities in Journalism

In February, Tasnim Nazeer attended our ‘Branch Into Broadcasting’ training day held in the BBC and STV studios in Glasgow. Just five months later she made history as the first hijab-wearing woman to anchor a Scottish news report. Below she explains how it came to be and why she’s launched a petition calling for better representation in the UK media.

I have been a freelance journalist for over 10 years working across print, radio and online, and have always wanted to transition into TV broadcasting. However, I knew from the onset that this is generally a competitive sector of journalism to get into and one that would require a lot of hard work and dedication.  In addition, my lived experiences of facing discrimination made things even more challenging. Hearing stories of other freelancers who had felt that they simply couldn’t progress due to issues such as identity and race was very disheartening.

I was starting to wonder whether I would ever be able to break through the ‘glass ceiling’ that I felt I had been under for so long, but continued to persevere. Over the years I had built up a portfolio of multi-platform journalism work and despite having opportunities to guest commentate on TV I was considering how best to transition into an actual reporting role.

I decided to attend the Women in Journalism ‘Branch into Broadcasting’ day which I think was a fantastic experience to learn, network, meet other fellow journalists and Heads of News. It was there that I made a point to introduce myself, which I think is important when wanting to pitch stories and connect. It was also invaluable to get experience in the studio at BBC Scotland and STV. I would highly recommend the WiJ Scotland event to others looking to branch into the sector as it gives a good feel as to what broadcasting entails.

Following the broadcast training day, I then used the time I had during the lockdown to seek out stories, contacts and access and to see whether there would be any potential in covering those stories and pitching to contacts who I had met on the day. Once the lockdown had been lifted and restrictions were eased  I approached STV News with one of my stories and the rest is ‘history’ (quite literally).

July 2020 was the month I did my first TV report for STV News at Six. It was said to have been the first time a hijab-wearing TV reporter anchored a news report in the history of Scottish TV. It was a real personal achievement for me,  because I was uncertain whether it would ever happen prior to this opportunity. I still remember how happy my family were watching the report back as they know how much I have longed to see this day.

I was grateful that STV took me on purely for the story and the potential to do the job rather than see identity as a barrier and the fact that they are committed to supporting any freelancer the same way. In addition, talking about my experience saw my inbox inundated with messages from people all over the UK sharing their own challenges of trying to break through the ‘glass ceiling’.

I decided to start a campaign  to help others by calling for better representation in the media so that it more accurately reflects the national portrait of this country. I want everyone to feel that they can succeed and not be held back because of issues to do with  race, faith, gender, disability or any other factor. I know there are a lot of broadcasters who are investing in diversity and inclusion initiatives and have already taken action to facilitate better representation but there is still a lot more work that needs to be done. I hope that this campaign will ensure that broadcasters reflect on its talent and further see  actionable change.

One thing I have learnt from this experience is that as journalists there may be times when we have to create opportunities for ourselves, take risks and persevere in order to progress. I wish all the members of WiJ Scotland success in progressing in their respective sectors of journalism and hope that together we can see better representation and diversity in the newsroom. 

Please do sign the petition  and share the hashtag #betterrepresentation to show your support - hopefully more journalists will achieve equal opportunities in the media.