Firstly I should say that I enjoy working in the media industry and really appreciate all of the opportunities that I have had to date. What I am mostly concerned with is my ability to represent within a national newsroom. So upon entering a new newsroom, do I just sit quietly and work my little socks off, hoping to be noticed or proceed to join in the unusual banter and laugh at the boss’s jokes?

It can’t be just me who experiences these phenomena’s when working for different news organisations but there is one contributing factor – I do not have a great sense of humour at the best of times and most of my conversation evolve around politics.  So it is true that different experiences through history will result in different conclusions, this is why race matters.

When I was first told that I do not act like a black man, I never really knew how to take that statement. It wasn’t until I read some academic books that I realised that my black identity was being used as pathology. Another example was when a US commentator suggested that for one hour during the inauguration of the current US president, he forgot that Obama was black. So does this mean that I can’t be too black, whatever that actually means or have to ensure that others do not see me as too black? I wonder if my other colleagues have to face these dilemmas too.

Do we have to have private income in order to sustain a freelance career?

I have been freelancing ever since finishing my master’s degree in broadcast journalism at City University London for over a year now. Whilst I have been able to sustain my lifestyle by trimming down most of my expenses, I cannot even begin to think about traditional future plans that involve wife, house, cars, kids and holidays.

As much as I have done some really interesting work and been to some interesting places, the fact remains that freelancing for somebody trying to make a name of themselves is extremely hard. There is no security. Maybe things are easier for people who have had a career for 20 odd years and decide to go freelance rather than being forced to freelance due to the lack of responsible, creative jobs currently on offer.

Clearly ethnicity is not in isolation when it comes to freelancing. It is also linked with other diversity strands like gender, disability, sexual orientation, class, age, and geographical location.

How can we make use of the surplus skilled media people without full time jobs?

One tactic is to get onto the list of schedulers across the news division to ensure that freelance contracts cover a normal working week. Another strategy is to make yourself almost over-qualified to do the job and having employers fighting over themselves to sign you up. There the issue is about be noticed and discovered.

If we really had diversity in our newsrooms then the challenge of making programmes palatable to those wider audiences would be resolved. Diversity allows more people to see in double vision and hear in stereo. So the question is do we value difference or do we value sameness?

Enough of the problem already, here are some solutions to get ahead in this game.

1. Networks – network, network, network. Don’t just speak to people learn to listen as well.
2. Line manager support – try to get your manager on your side as references as important.
3. Visibility – ensure that people know who you are, be noticed.
4. Development – always develop new skills and take responsibility for your learning whilst on the job.
5. Fairness – even if you are not treated fairly, always treat others with fairness.
6. Self-promotion – even if you hate that concept, those that do it move forward.

So as you know there are different systems of promotion, formal and informal, spending as much time on both styles. You should always be proactively developing your profile. Think about what paradigm shift is needed for you to ensure that your role gets the better out of you.

It’s about having the power to make a difference – not whether someone can actually do the job. Most organisations are not realising the way the world is changing and realising the potential of being in a globalised world. It is your duty to make them understand the opportunities that could be used.

An in-depth understanding of the subject can be perceived as bias but by refusing to polarise the narratives and meta-narratives that exist within the world, the burden of representation can be resolved.

Remember it is about the idea you have, your perspective and what you really want to say. So let us stop having conversations around what is not happening as we already know what is happening.

So in answer to my original question of should I stay in journalism or find something new. I should answer that question is by looking at whether my background, education, culture, and training is leading me towards something fulfilling? If it is not where I am at the moment, then I need to think critically and change my direction quick.