Good to see ITV taking a reactive stand against the producer of long-standing programme Midsomer Murders, following the revelation that no minority ethnic characters were ever involved in the filming, because Brian True-May believed he was portraying somewhere that was the “last bastion of Englishness”.
For the producer, it would not have been a true reflection of English countryside society to involve ethnic minority characters in all the years of filming the programme.
Take a step back. An organisation spots a severe exclusive attitude and reacts accordingly. Ok, that’s fine, but why can’t leaders within business, line managers, senior staff, and anyone else for that matter, be more tuned in to equality issues.
Why be reactive, when you could easily be proactive?
The Times headline read, “Black faces may deter viewers, claims Midsomer Murders boss”, so the papers too are playing their role in writing dramatic headlines to get these stories heard, it just seems that the only ones doing the least about the issue are those that have direct control over it.
And, this has to come down to a lack of understanding. Can you spot exclusive behaviour at work? If so, who would you report it to? Do you know the difference between banter and abuse? Would you notice if someone was being treated unfairly?
Exclusion is still inherent in business throughout Britain, and thanks to the newspapers we get to read about more and more people, companies and businesses that are being identified and held accountable. At what point will we understand this problem, be able to delve into its very core, and actually stop it from surfacing in the first place?
Karen Murphy
Muika Leadership – Leadership development for women training
