Here are just a few of the key highlights from the conversations:

• Speak directly to underrepresented communities, across both your audiences and your teams, and create safe spaces for open discussion on how people want to be represented.
• Global majority audiences have immense spending power, but are more likely to struggle to find publishers, brands, and products that represent them.
• If someone can use a product, they can advertise that product. Creative representation that reaches outside of the norm stands out, taps into underserved markets, and breaks the vicious cycle of brands not showcasing inclusive talent because agencies don’t represent inclusive talent.
• Not everyone is able to or wants to go through the university track. Apprenticeships with practical, on-the-job training can help young journalists get their foot in the door.
• A lack of accommodations for people with a disability and underfunded government support for organisations supporting them — such as the Academy of Disabled Journalists — limits access to qualifications and job prospects.
• For every one person who sends an angry “go woke, go broke” email, there are five people who actively support commitment to inclusion. Vocal minorities might be loud, but they are outnumbered and, from a commercial lens, outspent.
• It’s only tokenism if you stop. Enduring commitments to inclusivity are what builds trust; don’t allow the fear of a piece of content being perceived as tokenistic deter that vital first step.
• Audiences are changing fast in their demographics and attitudes. If you don’t start the work towards cultivating a diverse readership through inclusive policies and output now, you might not have an audience in five years’ time.