factual television survey report 2021

W E A R E D O C W O M E N

FA C T U A L T E L E V I S I O N S U R V E Y R E P O R T

2021

WA D W | FA C T U A L T E L E V I S I O N S U R V E Y R E P O R T 2 0 2 1

2

then at least 50% of the stories being told on television should

be directed by women.

If more than 50% of the population identify as women

WE BELIEVE WOMEN MUST BE EQUALLY VALUED IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE FACTUAL TELEVISION THAT

INTERPRETS THE WORLD IN WHICH WE ALL LIVE.


3

We Are Doc Women (WADW) is proud to publish the findings from our survey on career progression within the UK factual television industry. We present here data that illustrates where women and men’s careers progress and stall, and how this affects their pay and their well-being.

Since 2017, employers with more than 250 employees have had a statutory requirement to report on their gender pay gaps. However, the television industry is mainly composed of companies with under 250 employees1, who along with broadcasters, rely upon a highly flexible freelance production community. There has been little effort from broadcasters or production companies to self-report on the gender breakdown of the teams that make their programmes.

We Are Doc Women is a peer support group for women Directors working in factual television in the UK, founded in 2017. We have grown to become a collective of Directors, Producers, Assistant Producers and Executive Producers advocating for equal opportunities, greater support and fair recognition for women within our industry.

Due to a lack of existing data and transparency around career progression, WADW initiated this survey to collect evidence on how men and women advance in factual television. Our aim was to highlight any differences and understand the inequalities that may arise from these. In doing so, we hope to encourage the industry to take responsibility for, monitor and address the situation going forward. We hope to contribute towards making real advancements in how to support women Directors and develop their careers.

1 Pact has around 550 member companies based across the UK and the majority of these are SMEs (small and medium sized

enterprises) with a turnover of less than £50m a year. https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/35846/html/

https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/35846/html/


4

OUR SURVEY’S RESPONDENTS

Our findings are based on a survey completed in November 2020 by nearly 700 respondents working in editorial roles within the factual television industry. Their jobs ranged in seniority. Our survey was completed by 191 people identifying as men and 495 people identifying as women. Our findings are weighted to make these groups directly comparable.

A large majority of our respondents identified as either male or female and one person as transgender. This is not reflective of the wider population. Non-disclosure and the survey’s older demographic are factors. But it is also reflective of gatekeeping in the industry that contributes to the persistent lack of diversity in off-screen talent across gender, race, ethnicity, disability and age. The report highlights the need to make a deliberate effort to seek out people of different identities and WADW looks forward to supporting these members.

Our sample has an average tenure of 13-14 years in the industry for all genders. 84% of respondents had been in the industry for more than 5 years and nearly a fifth of all the respondents had been in the industry for over 20 years. Producer/Director (PD) was the most represented role within all gender groups of our respondents. We have also worked with the Creative Diversity Network (CDN) for this report and are publishing some of their data on gender breakdowns within factual television alongside our findings.

Our respondents’ gender breakdown closely correlates to the gender breakdown shown in CDN’s larger sample. Women Producer/Directors were more heavily represented in our sample on account of that being the largest group represented within our own organisation where the survey was widely distributed among women.

WADW SURVEY: GENDER BREAKDOWN

Producer

30%

Director / Series Director

73% 27%Producer Director (PD)

56% 44%

70%Assistant Producer (AP)

41% 59%Researcher

24% 76%

% Men %Women


5

THE GENDER DIVIDE IN FACTUAL TELEVISION

Published below for the first time is data from the Creative Diversity Network (CDN) on gender representation across key roles in UK factual television productions. CDN supplied their most recent information, drawing on a sample of 21,433 factual television credits between 1 August 2019 and 31 July 2020. For four years CDN’s Diamond data collection system has been building the most comprehensive picture of diversity in UK television production ever compiled.

CDN DATA: GENDER BREAKDOWN

WADW AVERAGE WEEKLY RATES IN EDITORIAL ROLES (INCLUDING HOLIDAY PAY)2

Producer

32%


72% 28%Producer Director (PD)

67% 33%

68%Assistant Producer (AP)

23% 77%Researcher

35% 65%

Producer


Producer Director (PD)

Assistant Producer (AP)

Researcher

£1,990

£1,610

£1,250

£870

£590

2 Data from 2021 WADW Survey. All rates inclusive of 10.77% Holiday Pay, figures rounded to the nearest 10.

% Men %Women


6

S U R V E Y R E S U LT S

Despite having similar aspirations in factual television, women remain in lower paid roles while men are three times more likely to be Directors.



7

THE PAY GAP - WHY CREDITS MATTER

Our findings reveal that women are strongly under-represented at Director level, and for the women that do reach directing, it takes longer for them than for their male counterparts.

Director is the most common role in the factual TV industry, with every production having one or multiple Directors. Due to factors we’ve outlined in this report, many women are being prevented from reaching these better paid and more creative roles.

However poor the representation of women directors, that number also masks that women are commonly not selected to direct the most prestigious, or ‘landmark’ films.

Until women are given a fair chance to direct the films that are most likely to earn award nominations and recognition for directorial voice, they will continue to lag behind men at all stages of their career.

We found the average time to reach director level from starting in the industry was seven years.

However, only 38 of every 100 women will be directing in seven years, compared to 55 of every 100 men.


8

WHERE ARE THE WOMEN?

Are women becoming other senior editorial positions instead of becoming Directors? Not necessarily.

Women are less likely to be Executive Producers, with 43% women versus 57% men represented at this level. This is also a less common role; for every three Director positions there is one Executive Producer position.

Series Producer is a senior role where women are better represented than men, with 68% women to 32% men. However, this isn’t a common role. We identified six times fewer Series Producers than Directors and the CDN data identified even fewer than us.

Our data shows instead that women are more likely to work in, and spend longer in lower paid editorial roles.

While we found the pay in each job position to be comparable between the genders, the careers of men and women progress at different rates.

In particular, women are more likely to be Assistant Producers (APs) where the average pay is £870 per week, and they spend longer at that level than their male counterparts.

While APs, these women are earning around half what Directors earn. Our survey found that Producer/Directors earn an average of £1610 per week and Series Directors £1990.

Within 2 years, 51% of men progress on from AP level compared to just 33% of women.

9


CAREER BARRIERS

BARRIERS: LACK OF SUPPORT FROM THE START

Our survey identified women as less likely than men to be offered subsequent directing roles after their first credit, and lack of support was identified as a major reason for this.

• After their first Director credit, nearly three times more women than men had yet to be offered a second directing role.

• After women become Directors, 48% found they are still regularly (at least half the time) being offered non-directing roles versus just 31% of men.

Women repeatedly said they were encouraged to do producing roles rather than directing:

“I am constantly offered Producer jobs despite having two PD credits, whereas my male friends are never offered Producer jobs.” - Woman (Producer/Director PD)

Women were also more likely to be asked to compromise on pay:

70% of women say they have their rate regularly negotiated down (at least half of the time) compared with 48% of men.


1 0

WOMEN’S BARRIERS: NOT BEING SEEN AS A DIRECTOR

These were the top three challenges cited by women in their career as (or becoming) Directors:

1. Men being perceived as Directors while women are perceived as Producers

2. Being a parent

3. The opportunity to progress as a woman in the industry

Illustrative quotes:

“I feel because I’m female I have not been as trusted to do technical/ shooting roles that are the gateway roles to becoming a Director in TV. I’m relied on to do producing which requires female ‘soft skills’ of communication, diplomacy and organisation.” - Woman (Producer)

“I believe I was overlooked, typecast and dismissed because people made unconscious, sexist assumptions about me and my ability as a young woman and then as a working mother to direct documentaries.” - Woman (Director/Series Director)

“Trusted highly with the editorial and compliance which means that companies constantly try to pair me with male ‘creative’ Directors so I can do all the hard work while they get to make it look nice, behave badly and then take all the credit.” - Woman (Series Producer)


1 1

MEN’S BARRIERS: NOT HAVING THE CONTACTS

These were the top three challenges cited by men in their career as (or becoming) Directors:

1. Nepotism, or not having the right contacts

2. Pigeonholing or difficulty moving between genres

3. No challenges faced


“I was very aware of ‘The List’ - those Directors who were in favour. That list was made up of all white public school educated men. - and never changed. It is a self perpetuating and self protecting group.” - Man (Series Director)

“Initially, trying to get researcher work in an area of specialism I was told very clearly that I attended the wrong university to be hired by that company.” - Man (Producer/Director)

“Any success I have achieved has been about so much more than my own efforts. I’ve gained by being white and middle class in an industry dominated by other people who look, and sound like me.” - Man (Director/Series Director)


1 2

BARRIERS: GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOOT

“Men get cameras, women get clipboards.”Woman (Assistant Producer)

• Our results showed men are more likely to be offered a shooting role for broadcast as Runners and Researchers whereas women are more likely to get the chance at Assistant Producer level.

• Nearly three times more women than men are always asked to provide filming examples before being offered a shooting role.

Men are given the chance to shoot earlier, with 40% being offered a shooting role at Researcher level compared to 23% of women.


1 3

BARRIERS: BEING A PARENT

The second biggest career barrier cited by women respondents was being a parent.

Women persistently referred to having challenges when they become parents, particularly in relation to finding jobs that have flexible working hours.

• After taking a career break, women were 38% percent more likely than men to re-enter the industry at a more junior level and on a lower wage.

• 42% of women respondents have taken a career break due to family or childcare responsibilities, compared to 20% or men for the same reason.

20% of all women respondents mentioned parenting as a barrier to their careers compared to 5% of all men respondents.

1 4


SHARED ASPIRATIONS

We asked respondents which senior position within the industry they aspired to from a range including Commissioner, Channel Controller, Indie owner, Executive Producer, Showrunner, Director, Producer etc.

The most common answer for all respondents was Director.

• Just 2% of all women and men said they aspired to be a Producer.

ROLES

30% of women and 37% of men said they would like to reach or stay in directing


1 5

RESPECT FOR PRODUCING

When asked, there was a strong feeling that the Producer role should be more highly valued by the industry.

Many respondents thought that Producers and Directors with similar years’ experience should be paid the same as each other on productions. However some disagreed, saying that Director was the more senior position and therefore should be better paid.


“This is a highly gendered situation that has been allowed to go on far too long. Women are completely sick of being offered to produce men’s films, do all the emotional labour and all the producing, and walk away with minimal credit AND not having increased their chances of getting a directing credit.” -Woman (Producer)

“In the eyes of the Commissioners and Channel Controllers, Directors are a lot more exposed than producers if a project goes wrong. So I think Directors should get a bit more if only as reputational ‘danger money’.”- Man (Producer/Director PD)

“I just don’t think shooting PDs can claim such pre-eminence in the same way they once did. Interview and contributor content is king and for that you need good Producers, who should be treated equally or if not with more seniority than Directors.”- Man (Producer/ Producer/Director PD)

“There needs to be a huge shift in the industry to put the two roles on an even footing, this should start by recognition for Producers at the awards and equal pay for equal years of experience.”- Woman (Producer)


1 6

In many cases, the producer is working longer hours and is arguably contributing more to a series. I also think as many women go down the Producer route (for various reasons - training, gender assumptions, childcare), it inevitably means there is a gender pay gap in our industry... Furthermore, the fact that Producers don’t receive the benefits of royalties is outrageous. I have worked for 18 months on a project and yet a Director who has done a few weeks will continue to earn money long after, when I won’t. - Woman (Executive Producer)

1 7


THE INDUSTRY

DISCRIMINATION BEYOND GENDER

This survey was designed to compare women and men’s experiences in the industry, but it was consistently highlighted that the gender challenges identified are compounded for women of colour and those with more marginalised identities.

On entering the industry:

“It has to start from the beginning: access to Runner and Researcher jobs, jobs that are fixed term for a longer period at least so those from lower incomes, with families or from diverse communities can realistically commit. “- Woman (Director/Series Director)

And progressing:

“As a woman of colour, it’s even harder, I constantly find that my 15 years of experience isn’t enough, there’s still an assumption that I’m incapable or would need extra support when that is just not the case at all.”- Woman (Development Producer)

“After working in the industry for over 10 years, my first break as a P/D was at a BAME production company. Off the back of that, I was able to get another P/D job. I think it’s obvious that other production companies do not value, support or encourage minority groups.” - Woman (Producer/Director)


1 8

STILL AN ELITE INDUSTRY

• Nearly a third of respondents (29%) went to a fee-paying school compared to only 7% of the UK population3


“If you’re not a street wise middle class graduate it can be uncertain, hand to mouth, scary and brutal at the outset.” - Woman (Executive Producer)

“Many people I know are subsidised by inheritance, or other family money, or in kind support which creates a deeply imbalanced playing field.” - Woman (Executive Producer)

“I am from quite a poor background and feel that I am often passed over for roles as they always seem to go to posh people.” - Man (Producer/Director)

“I find many Directors/SPs/Execs to be from privilege, and come with a degree of entitlement - they expect me to deliver what they want, but without listening to my concerns about the real challenges and offering support in the face of those. I feel like I am being set up to fail often.” - Woman (Producer)

3 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/elitism-in-britain-2019

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/elitism-in-britain-2019

1 9


SUMMARY

WE ARE DOC WOMEN’S INDUSTRY RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. For transparency, broadcasters and SVODs should make publicly available the gender breakdown figures across key editorial roles within the teams that make their factual programmes.

2. Production companies and channels should commit to providing mentoring, career development opportunities and technical training for women.

3. Members of the factual television industry should promote progressive working practices to accommodate parents and carers.

4. Broadcasters and SVODs should commit to a 50% quota of women Directors across their factual output and include this in programme commissioning requirements. Commissioning specs from broadcasters currently include quotas and/or guidelines on diversity and disability but exclude gender.

5. Production companies should commit to a 50% quota of women directing the factual programmes they make.

We Are Doc Women welcomes conversations on practices that are conducive to hiring and supporting female talent.

Get in touch on [email protected].

mailto:info%40wearedocwomen.co.uk?subject=Get%20in%20touch


2 0

Get in touch on [email protected]

www.wearedocwomen.co.uk

@WeAreDocWomen

#WhereAreTheWomen?

Designed by Raygun Design - raygundesign.co.uk

© 2021 We Are Doc Women. All rights reserved.

mailto:%20info%40wearedocwomen.co.uk?subject=Get%20in%20touch

http://www.wearedocwomen.co.uk

https://raygundesign.co.uk

factual television survey report 2021

Documents