Temitope Maja

The Black Collective of Media in Sports (BCOMS); Working for greater diversity in the sports media. BCOMS is working across the full breadth of the sports media for greater diversity in the industry. Our members in TV, radio, online and print include award-winning journalists, producers, presenters, researchers, production managers and editors. They also work for well known outlets in the media, such as the BBC, Sky, ITV, Channel 4, major independents and across the written press. African, Caribbean and mixed-race people are significantly under-represented in the sports media despite disproportionate interest in, and achievement from, the community on the field of play. It is estimated that up to 30% of professional footballers in the English professional leagues are black, while professional boxing and athletics boast a high percentage of black athletes. Some of our greatest national sporting heroes, from Jessica Ennis-Hill and Lewis Hamilton to Mo Farah and Raheem Sterling are from the black community. BCOMS have put together research, diversity conferences, networking events and mentoring opportunities to; · Increase understanding of what diversity is and its value · Educate and share experiences of BAME sports journalists · Create practical resource for the sports media to refer to for best practice · Inspire the next generation BCOMS has a specific remit in representing the black community, but our members feel strongly about all strands of diversity, including gender, disability, sexual orientation and religion.