TORONTO — A new online portal designed to promote hiring diversity in Canadian media has the backing of some of the industry’s biggest players.
HireBIPOC.com launched Monday. It was designed and developed by Bell Media, which owns CTV News, in conjunction with volunteer-run advocacy group BIPOC TV and Film.
The website is designed to combat systemic racism in the Canadian media industry by connecting hiring companies with workers who are Black, Indigenous or people of colour. It aims to include all roles in the media industry, from production to on-air to communications to the executive ranks.
“Creating real, systemic change to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Canadian media industry is a long-term commitment, and a top priority for Bell Media,” Randy Lennox, president of Bell Media, said in a press release.
“It is our ardent hope that HireBIPOC is a game-changer for Canadian content in seeing more Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour on screens across the country.”
More than 20 other Canadian media companies are partnering with HireBIPOC.com, including CBC/Radio-Canada, Corus Entertainment, and Rogers Sports and Media, and more than 500 users have registered with its database.
Many of the companies involved, including Bell Media, have pledged that they will only approve original productions if HireBIPOC.com is used.
