All organisations understand the importance of being genuinely inclusive, and of embedding equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) into every part of their operations. But how many have considered the importance of content – in all its varied forms – in driving change and signalling your values to the wider world?
At Wonderly, working with membership association clients of all sizes and sectors, we are acutely aware of the power of content, and how coverage of EDI-related issues turns good intentions into something far more tangible.
It’s one reason Wonderly was honoured to receive the DEI Leadership Award at the recent British Society of Magazine Editors (BSME) Awards 2024, in recognition of our work with the CIPD across print, digital and live channels.
The CIPD audience of HR professionals is, of course, intrinsically interested in EDI issues, since they are responsible for the function within their own workplaces. But while that guarantees a certain level of engagement, it also means we need to dig a bit deeper, to go beyond a superficial understanding of inclusion to the real challenges that lie beneath.
Through our People Management and Work. brands, we’ve been asking the important questions, namely why is EDI still failing to shift the dial and convert critics and, crucially, how can we all do better – in a way that doesn’t just pay lip service but genuinely boosts organisational success? Along the way, we’ve been unafraid to discuss the pitfalls of an obsession with ‘wokeness’ at work and critically examine the truth about unconscious bias in a well-received podcast.
To be credible in such discussions, however, our content also needs to be genuinely representative. Across all our brands and client partnerships, our editorial teams ensure the faces seen in print and online demonstrate strong racial diversity, as well as regularly featuring writers and interviewees who have disabilities, are neurodivergent and/or from the LGBTQ+ community. Content produced for all channels – including, for example, podcasts – is gender balanced, with strong racial and regional diversity across different series of content.
The importance of EDI extends to live events, where as well as ensuring a strong balance of speakers, we reflect important diversity-related topics across our agendas, which feature topics such as promoting inclusive cultures, driving allyship and celebrating neurodiversity. Accessibility for the audience, speakers and sponsors is considered at all times and is paramount in venue selection. We have introduced site features at events including multi-faith prayer rooms and quiet spaces for neurodivergent attendees as well as the more obvious ramps, audio loops and closed captioning.
Our awards programmes directly acknowledge best practice, with many featuring ‘Best EDI initiative’ categories which are hugely popular with audiences. But equally, we make it clear that we welcome and support entries, across all our awards, from under-represented groups and ensure the language we use and the examples we give our audiences is genuinely inclusive.
As a business, part of the wider Haymarket Media Group, we want to walk the walk on EDI issues too. We are a Disability Confident Employer, one of the many initiatives driven by our varied Impact groups which drive change across a variety of areas of diversity. Our People Management website is AA-rated for accessibility. And we have undertaken a detailed audit of our content right across the business, to understand how it supports our work across EDI, sustainability and key UN Goals for Sustainable Development.
All this is, of course, very much a work in progress – and Wonderly is delighted to have the support of our forward-looking, progressive membership association partners in driving the EDI agenda. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that our content footprint is the biggest and most significant part of our business when it comes to signalling change, and that getting our dedicated, highly professional content teams on board is the best way to make EDI a genuine priority.
