The UK’s largest commercial publisher and home to 130 print and digital media brands, Reach PLC, has launched a new podcast discussing inclusivity in the workplace.
The podcast, titled D&I Spy: Inclusion Uncovered, is hosted by Dr. Julie Humphreys, group head of the company’s Diversity and Inclusion department alongside the team’s manager, Natasha Whitehurt. Each episode, the pair will join in on open conversations with a range of guests from Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes MBE to Love Islander and pharmacist Anna Vakali.
According to Reach’s latest Interim results in June 2022, the company has had the biggest decrease in its gender pay gap since they began reporting on Diversity and Inclusion. Part of the company’s inclusivity action plans in 2021 was to encourage staff to volunteer for D&I projects such as the launch of this new podcast.
"One of the endlessly fascinating things about working in inclusion is the chance to learn more about people and our guests for this podcast really opened themselves up to us and helped us think in new ways about how we connect with one another,” said Whitehurst. “While our guests came from very different walks of life, they all had one thing in common - a burning curiosity about the lives of people around them."
The new show will join Reach’s successful line of existing podcasts, which includes shows like Unbelievable: A True Crime Podcast which looks at the worst crimes uncovered by journalists in the 21st century, and The Transfer Window on the biggest stories on world football.
The first episode of the season is out now, with new episodes released every Thursday, and features an interview with CEO and founder of TLC Lions, Gian Power. They talk about “diversity fatigue” and the obstacles D&I leaders face as they deal with negativity and criticism in the industry for not doing enough.
Other episodes will discuss topics such as the treatment of women online compared to men, why companies should care about increasing inclusivity, the link between mental and physical health, and more.
"Over the past few years D&I has become an established profession in its own right, which is brilliant in many ways and has given so many of us the chance to learn from each other,” said Humphreys. “However, like anything, we need reflection - where are we not landing the way we would want to? Why are so many people losing interest in diversity, even while in theory supporting its aims?
“These are not easy or comfortable issues but our guests have given us a chance to candidly talk through the good, the bad and the ugly of D&I with a wealth of insight and a good dash of humour."
