BBC pay gap report: ethnic minority staff have higher median pay in six of seven bands
The BBC's annual pay gap report shows ethnic minority staff with higher median pay than white staff in six of seven bands, though white staff are paid 0.7% more overall. The BBC says this does not indicate unequal pay; Sir John Whittingdale says pay should reflect merit.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 2The BBC's annual pay gap report shows that black, Asian, mixed and other ethnic minority staff have higher median pay than white colleagues in six of its seven pay bands. Daily ExpressR “white employees have lower median salaries than ethnic minority colleagues across six of its seven pay bands” Read at Daily Express ↗ GB NewsR “Only one band - Band F - bucked the trend, with white workers earning a marginal 0.6 per cent more.” Read at GB News ↗ Right · 2The largest difference, 13.2%, is in the lowest pay band, and ethnic minority staff in the highest band had median pay 5.3% above white counterparts; in the one band where white staff earn more, Band F, the gap is 0.6%. Daily ExpressR “At the other end of the scale, ethnic minority workers in the highest band had median salaries 5.3% above their white counterparts.” Read at Daily Express ↗ GB NewsR “In Band A, ethnic minority staff earned 13.2 per cent more” Read at GB News ↗ Right · 1GB News reported the other band differences as 5.4% in Band C, 4.3% in Band E, 3.5% in Band D and 1.3% in Band B; it also gave the senior-leader figure as both 5.3% and 5.4%. GB NewsR “Band C showed a 5.4 per cent difference and Band E stood at 4.3 per cent. Band D recorded a 3.5 per cent disparity, with Band B at 1.3 per cent.”“Senior leaders from an ethnic background earn 5.3 per cent more than white workers.” Read at GB News ↗
Right · 2Across the whole workforce, white staff still earn more: the overall ethnicity pay gap is 0.7% in favour of white workers, and the gender pay gap is 7.6% in favour of men. The BBC says this is because white staff and men hold a larger share of the highest-paid roles. Daily ExpressR “The corporation's overall ethnicity pay gap remains 0.7% in favour of white workers because a greater proportion hold some of its higher-paying positions.” Read at Daily Express ↗ GB NewsR “It says that white workers earn 0.7 per cent more than other ethnic groups, and men benefit from 7.6 per cent difference.” Read at GB News ↗ Right · 2The report also found women in senior leadership paid 1.4% more than senior men, disabled managers paid 7.5% more than non-disabled staff, and the highest-paid LGBTQ+ staff paid 8.8% more than non-LGBTQ+ colleagues. Daily ExpressR “women in senior leadership roles paid 1.4% more than senior men on average, while disabled managers were paid 7.5% more than non-disabled staff” Read at Daily Express ↗ GB NewsR “the highest-paid LGBTQ+ staff were remunerated 8.8 per cent more than their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts” Read at GB News ↗ Right · 1The BBC said more ethnic minority staff moved into higher-paying jobs last year, producing the "largest year-on-year movement" in its figures. It said its 50:20:14:25 Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Strategy sets goals, not quotas, with no connection to pay, and that the differences should not be read as unequal pay for the same work. Daily ExpressR “The BBC said the proportion of ethnic minority employees in higher-paying jobs increased last year, producing the "largest year-on-year movement" in its figures.”“The BBC says these are goals rather than quotas and insists they have no connection to how employees are paid.” Read at Daily Express ↗
Right · 2A BBC spokesman said: "The BBC is committed to fair and equal pay for all. We continue to monitor our pay gaps closely and do expect to see small fluctuations year-on-year." Daily ExpressR “A BBC spokesman said: "The BBC is committed to fair and equal pay for all.” Read at Daily Express ↗ GB NewsR “We continue to monitor our pay gaps closely and do expect to see small fluctuations year-on-year.” Read at GB News ↗ Right · 2Sir John Whittingdale, the former culture secretary who helped draw up the BBC's 2016 charter, said the BBC should pay staff entirely on the basis of the value and merit they contribute, and that the fair pay principle applied to gender should apply to race and sexuality too. Daily ExpressR “I would expect the same principle of fair pay to apply to all characteristics, be it race, sexuality, or indeed gender.” Read at Daily Express ↗ GB NewsR “the BBC should be paying employees "entirely on the basis of the value and merit they contribute for the job they are doing."” Read at GB News ↗ Right · 2Both outlets link the figures to earlier criticism this year of the BBC's diversity approach, citing a review that found audiences felt diversity was "shoe-horned" into programmes. Daily ExpressR “a review published earlier this year found some viewers felt representation was being "shoe-horned" into programmes” Read at Daily Express ↗ GB NewsR “audiences felt diversity was being "shoe-horned" into programming” Read at GB News ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets lead with white staff being paid less than ethnic minority staff, presenting it as a revelation that raises questions about how the BBC sets pay, and place the BBC's explanation lower down.
- Emphasis
- Band-by-band gaps favouring ethnic minority staff, Whittingdale's call for merit-based pay, and the earlier review on 'tick box' diversity.
- Leaves out or plays down
- The BBC's explanation that the overall gap favours white staff because they hold more senior roles appears only after the headline figures. Neither outlet quotes a person who defends the pay structure beyond the BBC spokesman.
- Charged language
- “staggering salary gap”“Fury”“tick box”“shoe-horned”
- For example
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“raising fresh questions about how the publicly funded broadcaster determines staff salaries across its workforce” — GB News
“Fury as BBC pays white staff less as staggering salary gap revealed” — Daily Express
“the BBC was urged to abandon "tick box" diversity casting” — GB News
What every side reports
- Ethnic minority staff have higher median pay than white staff in six of seven BBC pay bands.
- The gap is 13.2% in the lowest band; white staff earn 0.6% more in one band.
- Overall, white staff are paid 0.7% more and men 7.6% more.
- The BBC says its diversity targets are goals, not quotas, and do not affect pay.
Where accounts differ
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Figure for the most senior band
- Right
- GB News gives both 5.3% and 5.4% for senior ethnic minority staff; the Daily Express gives 5.3%.
BBC organisation
The BBC says it is committed to fair and equal pay, expects small year-on-year fluctuations, and that its diversity targets are goals, not quotas, unconnected to pay. It says white staff and men earn more overall because they hold more senior roles.
“The BBC has stressed that differences identified in its pay-gap statistics should not be interpreted as unequal pay for people doing the same work.” — Daily Express
“The BBC has maintained these are goals rather than quotas, with no bearing on pay decisions.” — GB News
Left0 articles
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Centre0 articles
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Right2 articles
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GB NewsR ·
BBC pays white staff less in every pay band except one as staggering salary gap revealed
Critical Presents the pay gap as a striking revelation questioning how the BBC sets salaries, linking it to criticism of its diversity casting.
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Fury as BBC pays white staff less as staggering salary gap revealed
Critical Frames the figures as drawing 'fury' and fresh scrutiny of the BBC, though it states more clearly that white staff earn more overall.
- 7 Oct 21:44 First GB NewsR BBC pays white staff less in every pay band except one as staggering salary gap revealed
- 8 Oct 09:18 +11h 34m Daily ExpressR Fury as BBC pays white staff less as staggering salary gap revealed
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.