Rapid Evidence Analysis of Diversity in UK Public Service Television: What Do We Know and What Should We Find Out?

Abstract

This article reports the results of a rapid evidence analysis (REA) of academic research focused on diversity in UK public service television broadcasting, published between 2016 and 2021. The aim of the REA was to establish the scale and quality of academic research on diversity in the context of public service television production, representation and reception, as well as to understand trends in research and gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed. The findings show that research is both sparse and fragmented. It is dominated by studies of on-screen diversity, rather than production or reception, and BBC content receives most attention, while other public service broadcasters are analysed much less frequently. In light of the findings, we propose a number of new directions for research, including a broader range of topics and methods and a more inclusive approach to the broadcast landscape. Analyses should facilitate an understanding of the impact of diversity across production, on-screen and among audiences, and adopt a longitudinal design, so that progress towards diversity over time can be evaluated.