APA convenes diversity & inclusion working group; releases UniMelb ‘baseline’ survey results

The Australian Publishers Association (APA) has released the results of a ‘baseline’ survey of the Australian publishing industry undertaken by University of Melbourne researchers, and convened a Diversity & Inclusion Working Group, charged with developing an industry action plan in response to the survey findings.

The Australian Publishing Industry Workforce Survey on Diversity and Inclusion, which attracted 989 respondents, returned demographic data very similar to Books+Publishing’s recent workplace survey: the Melbourne University researchers found 84% or respondents were women, with 2% identifying as non-binary or other, while 21% identify as LGBTQ+, compared with estimates of 11% in the Australian population. More than 85% of respondents hold a degree, and more than half hold at least one postgraduate degree, compared to 24% of the Australian population holding an undergraduate degree.

‘The industry is largely white, including a high percentage who identify as British; less than 10% identify with an Asian culture, and less than 11% with a European (non-British) heritage,’ reports the APA, adding that fewer than 1% of Australian publishing industry professionals identify as First Nations.

Just over 5% of respondents have a disability, compared to 9% of the Australian workforce.

And while women make up the majority of the Australian publishing workforce, representation from women and non-binary people declines in more senior positions, the survey found.

Of the results, APA president James Kellow acknowledged: ‘our workforce doesn’t always represent the breadth of our culture. This plays into what and how we publish and the extent to which we reach, or don’t reach, all potential readers … This survey’s hard data tells us we have a great deal of work ahead and provides a solid base from which we can lead change as an association, as publishing houses, and as individuals.’

Other findings from the survey included that 24.8% of respondents were located in places other than Sydney or Melbourne; 33.6% of respondents ‘come from backgrounds that could be described as lower middle or working class’ and 48% of respondents attended private schools, compared to around 30% in the Australian population.

The survey also found that more than a third (35.4%) of respondents were experiencing mental health conditions at the time of responding to the survey; with 24.7% of publishing professionals reporting having a long-term health condition or disability including a physical or mental health condition.

Susannah Bowen, joint principal researcher alongside Beth Driscoll, said the Australian research was ‘built on the work that’s gone before from Australia and around the globe, including a survey of the UK Publishing industry that informed our survey design’.

‘We all want to understand our sector and see improvements, so we’re pleased that this research allows us to benchmark against other industries and internationally and supports the ability to track change over time.’

The working group established by the APA in response to the survey is chaired by Astrid Browne, managing director of Hardie Grant Explore. The group ‘will encourage participation from across the industry, with senior leaders supporting publishing staff to participate and propose ideas for action’, according to the APA.

The Australian Publishing Industry Workforce Survey on Diversity and Inclusion is co-sponsored by the APA and University of Melbourne.

Category: Local news