Good for Business: Creating Inclusive Media Businesses in Myanmar

"Women, persons with disabilities, people from ethnic groups, and LGBT+ people all experience discrimination globally, and Myanmar is no exception."

This report, published by the Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF)'s Myanmar Media Program (MMP), shares the results of a survey on inclusion and gender in Myanmar media outlets, as well as the experiences of people working in media around discrimination and inclusivity. It also provides practical tips on incorporating inclusion practices into media business operations. The report covers inclusion in relation to a range of differences including sex, gender, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, and religion.

Inclusion is defined in the report as "the extent to which everyone in a workplace, regardless of their background, identity or circumstance, feels valued, accepted and supported to succeed" (based on the UK [United Kingdom] Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development, or CIPD). It explains the basic difference between inclusion and diversity as diversity being about difference, whereas inclusion is about belonging. Examples of commitment to inclusion include "practices that promote and enable equal rights and opportunities, as well as efforts to actively seek out and listen to diverse voices on organisational matters."

The report makes the case for inclusion not just because it is the right thing to do, but also because it makes good business sense - when done well, it improves performance, increases creativity and innovation, and results in better financial returns. These points are confirmed by the reflections (in the form of essays) of four senior executives working in the media and advertising sectors about the value of having inclusion policies and practices and the implications of failing to do so. The chief executive officer (CEO) of Mango Media Group, Rose Swe, notes that if you are not inclusive when you work in media and advertising, you will not survive. Hakha Post Chief Editor, Van Or, notes in his contribution that COVID-19 has taught him the importance of inclusion, creativity, and sustainability, and that it is the young people on his staff - especially women - who have stood out as innovators during the pandemic. 7Day Online Television Chief Editor Nyein Nyein Naing notes that because men and women bring different attributes to their jobs, they create a balance that is good for business. Dawei Watch founding Editor-in-charge Myo Aung notes that irrespective of LGBT+ (gender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and related communities) or disabilities, individuals have different abilities that can support the survival and growth of an organisation.

The results of an inclusion survey conducted by MDIF give some context to the need to urgently address inclusion in Myanmar. Survey interviews were conducted with 35 Myanmar media outlets in November 2020 with interviewees comprising senior executives of nine national outlets based in Yangon, eight outlets from five of the country's seven regions, and 18 outlets from the country's seven ethnic states. Twenty-seven of the 35 outlets currently participate in the MMP's business-capacity building programme. To enable a wider reflection of the current media sector, six other national media were also surveyed, as well as two additional outlets from the ethnic states and regions.

The findings showed that "while many women work in media (they represent 33% of the combined staff of the 35 outlets surveyed), they are underrepresented in key roles, including senior leadership and frontline journalistic jobs. Medium-sized ethnic media outlets employ the largest percentage of women, followed by small-sized national media. Small and medium-sized media in Myanmar's regions employ the smallest percentage of women. The percentage of women employed generally decreases as the roles increase in seniority."

Related to remuneration, "outlets led by men generally pay men more than women, whereas outlets with mixed - men, women and/or non-binary - leadership tend to have more gender-balanced salaries. The primary justification offered for higher pay levels for men is that men often have more experience than their women or non-binary counterparts." The survey also confirms "that levels of diversity among staff with regards to disability, LGBT+, ethnicity, religious belief, and age vary widely among media outlets. Survey respondents noted a total of 10 non-binary staff members (1% of the total); one outlet in the ethnic states is co-led by a man and a non-binary person. The survey finds, too, that most outlets do not have inclusion policies or plans."

In addition to the survey findings, the report offers a closer look at discrimination and employment and shares the perspectives of four media and advertising practitioners who have experienced or observed some form of discrimination due to religious beliefs, disability, or sexual orientation.

The report concludes with some practical advice on how to get started on incorporating inclusion practices into a media business. It covers four steps: (i) establishing organisational principles or values; (ii) practising inclusive behaviours among leaders and managers and employees; (iii) implementing diversity and equality in practice, which entails a) identifying diversity bias in an organisation, and b) introducing specific practices that seek to remove barriers and to promote equality for groups that experience systematic discrimination (around recruitment, maternity and paternity rights, promotion and training, and harassment and victimisation; and (iv) ensuring everyone feels valued, accepted, and supported in your workplace - a step that covers appraisals, grievance procedures, and inclusion policies.

The report also offers an Inclusion Policy Template and a list of key questions that media organisations can ask themselves to assess their inclusiveness.