Media diversity initiative among B.C. gender-equality projects to get cash
VANCOUVER — A project to increase diversity in Vancouver’s news media is among seven gender-equality initiatives in British Columbia that have received a total of $2.2 million in federal funding.
The Multilingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities, or MOSAIC, says the project will address issues including discrimination, stereotyping and lack of representation of female experts.
Studies have shown that male experts are interviewed by the media far more often than female experts, said Ayesha S. Chaudhry, a MOSAIC leader and a University of British Columbia associate professor in Islamic and gender studies.
“It’s really important that we have a diversity of voices, not just in terms of gender, but class, sexuality and race, so that the people who are watching the news see themselves represented and their concerns and their perspectives are also captured,” she said.