STV targets Scotland’s business community with diversity drive

Broadcaster STV is to host a media training session exclusively for women from Scotland’s business community as it continues its diversity push.

Nuzhat Uthmani, who took part in a previous Expert Voices workshop with STV and has since contributed to news bulletins and Scotland Tonight.

The online workshop, which is due to take place virtually on August 26, aims to encourage more women working within the business sector to take part in broadcast interviews related to their line of work and wider industry.

The Glasgow-based media group is striving to achieve an even gender balance across each of its programmes as a key part of its diversity and inclusion strategy.

The company previously ran two similar workshops earlier this year, which focused on expert female voices in the fields of healthcare and science.

Nichola Kane, STV News’ editor of politics and diversity, said: “Around 150 talented and knowledgeable women from the health and science sectors joined us for our previous Expert Voices workshops, and it’s heartening to see that so many of them now feel more empowered to share their valuable insight with viewers across the country.

“The business sector is a perennial fixture of the news agenda and, as with all our coverage, we’re working hard to represent a wider range of voices when covering business stories.”

Meanwhile, four Scottish businesses with diversity and inclusion at their hearts – Social Stories Club, Daisy Tree Baby Boutique, Deaf Action and Women’s Enterprise Scotland – have each been awarded £25,000 airtime from the STV Growth Fund, which exists to make advertising more accessible for the Scottish business community.

The firm has ring-fenced £1m in total for businesses specifically championing inclusivity from its £20m Growth Fund.

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