Director-general admits BBC has too few older women on TV
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The BBC is right to be criticised for not featuring enough older women in leading roles in its television programmes, the broadcaster's director-general has admitted.
Mark Thompson said there is "an underlying problem, that – whatever the individual success stories – there are manifestly too few older women broadcasting on the BBC, especially in iconic roles and on iconic topical programme". He added that the corporation should view 54-year-old former Countryfile presenter Miriam O'Reilly's victory in an employment tribunal, which found she had been forced out because of age discrimination case, as a "turning point".
Despite highlighting a number of prominent female journalists and actresses in BBC shows, Mr Thompson conceded that "older women are chiefly notable for their absence". However, he argued in a column for the Daily Mail that he did not "believe for a moment that the BBC is riven by sexism or ageism", and that the problem stems largely from "a simple fact of life that many aspects of British national life are dominated by men".
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments