Essay: Doing Diversity of, in and with Media – Challenges and Potentials

Abstract

Diversity is understood and practiced differently in different contexts. This essay does not focus on the question of what diversity is, but - influenced by the work of British scholar Sara Ahmed - explores what diversity 'does' or what we 'do' and 'can do' with diversity. Initially, the essay will address the current state of diversity and how diversity has become integrated into a 'performance and audit culture'. This integration can lead to practices where diversity policies within institutions are managed as a form of capital, while the actual inequalities and the need for their rectification fade into the background. The essay will also discuss the impact of diversity on individuals who embody it. Subsequently, the essay will shift its focus towards the act of engaging with diversity in media, both within media platforms and through media usage. To better understand the complex, context-dependent and ambiguous nature of diversity work within the media, the essay will explore the key criteria of critical diversity literacy developed by South African researcher Melissa Steyn.