180 non-white speakers you need at your next journalism event to avoid 'whanels'

'Whanels' - or all-white panels - are still way too common at media conferences.

The publishing industry is often criticised for its lack of diverse voices. Although many events have now started to feature more women, few are paying the same level of attention to non-white speakers.

We have been guilty of this ourselves at Newsrewired, our twice-yearly digital innovation conference. Although we have a 50:50 gender representation policy in place, which means that we want at least half of our speakers to be women and avoid 'manels', we have not been equally intentional about the proportion of non-white experts. That is set to change.

One of the problems we - as a media industry - have is that our networks are not diverse enough. When it comes to searching for event speakers, we tend to tap into our contacts and, unsurprisingly, we end up with people from a similar background.

To help event organisers connect with and get to know diverse media experts, we compiled this list of non-white speakers and linked to their social media profiles. Following them will already put new stories and perspectives on your radar which can also inspire your event agenda.

Most of the experts featured below are based in or near the UK. This is intentional as we hope that physical events will return soon after the covid-19 pandemic ends. Also, there are a few databases of diverse US journalists out there we did not want to be reinventing the wheel.

To make the search simpler, we categorised the speakers by their main field of expertise but many are active in different areas. A podcaster can also be a mobile journalist. A reporter can be an academic. We encourage you to explore their profiles to learn more about their work.

Finally, this is absolutely not a complete list. It features experts whom we have worked with over the past couple of years, as well as those who were recommended to us by our community. Please get in touch with us at @journalismnews to let us know about anyone who should be featured below - we want this to be the start of a much larger project that will contribute to raise the profile of these fantastic speakers.

Business and leadership

Bola Awoniyi, co-founder, Black Ballad | UK

Sharon Pian Chan, VP of philanthropy, New York Times | USA

Madhav Chinnappa, director of news ecosystem development, Google | USA

Tamala Chirwa, director, Women In News | Malawi

Mukul Devichan, executive editor, BBC Voice and AI | UK

Sharan Dhaliwal, editor, Burnt Roti Magazine | UK

Barkha Dutt, editor, Mojo | India

Glenda Gloria, managing editor, Rappler | The Philippines

Violet Gonda, freelance journalist | UK/Zimbabwe

Nina Goswami, creative diversity lead, BBC | UK

Ria Hebden, TV presenter | UK

Nancy Kacungira, journalist, BBC | UK

Dima Khatib, managing director, Al Jazeera+ | Qatar

Ronke Lawal, PR expert | UK

Liv Little, founder, gal-dem | UK

Gary Liu, CEO, South China Morning Post | Hong Kong

Anthony Lorenzo, journalist and entrepreneur | UK

Jasmine McNealy, academic | USA

Kiran Nazish, founder, Women in Journalism | Canada

Luz Mely Reyes, journalist, Efecto Cucuyo | Venezuela

Tobi Oredein, founder of Black Ballad | UK

Hina Pandya, journalist, writer, trainer | UK

Martin G. Reynolds, co-executive director, Maynard Institute | USA

Meera Selva, director of the Journalist Fellowship Programme, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism | UK

Cristina Silva, enterprise editor, USA Today | USA

Kalpesh Solanki, group managing editor, Asian Media Group | UK

Otegha K. Uwagba, consultant | UK

Sisi Wei, director of programs, Open News | USA

Lauren Williams, senior vice president and editor-in-chief, Vox Media | USA

Audience engagement and newsroom strategy

Yusof Abdul-Rahman, associate consultant, Fathm | UK

Ayomikun Adekaiyero, social media editor, PressPad | UK

Eliza Anyangwe, managing editor, The Correspondent | UK

Joyce Adeluwoye-Adams, editor, newsroom diversity, Reuters | UK

Aaqil Ahmed, advisor | UK

Priscilla Baffour, global head of diversity and inclusion, FT | UK

Vedika Bahl, journalist, France24 | France

Jendella Benson, head of editorial, Black Ballad | UK

Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, head of editorial, Gal-dem | UK

Kim Bui, director of audience engagement, Arizona Republic | USA

Tauhid Chappell, project manager, Free Press | USA

Serena A. Chaudhry, senior manager, Dataminr | UK

Kassy Cho, journalist and social & audience strategist | UK

Emma Carew Grovum, newsroom and product strategist | USA

Reg Chua, executive editor, editorial operations, data and innovation, Reuters | USA

David Dunkley Gyimah, journalist and filmmaker | UK

Solomon Elliott, founder, Student View | UK

Catherine Gicheru, editor and ICFJ Knight Fellow | Kenya

Simi Jolaoso, journalist, BBC | UK

Vinod Jose, executive editor, The Caravan | India

Nimesh Joshi, programme and digital editor, ITV Central | UK

Natalie Koh, china editor, South China Morning Post | Singapore

Adriana Lacy, senior associate, audience and growth, Axios | USA

Tara Lajumoke, managing director, FT Strategies, FT | UK

Anthea Lee, producer | UK

Aurore Malval, reporter, Nice-Matin | France

De'Graft Mensah, presenter, BBC Newsround | UK

Bruce Mutsvairo, PhD, professor of journalism, Auburn University | USA

Sameer Padania, consultant, Macroscope London | UK

Mariel Richards, CEO, gal-dem | UK

George Ruddock, managing director, The Voice Online | UK

Millie Tran, chief product officer, Texas Tribune | USA

Jenny Wong, senior project manager | UK

Karen Yin, editor, Conscious Style Guide | USA

Mobile journalism

Imran Azam, mobile journalist | UK

Abdul Kabil Khan (Jamil Khan), assistant professor, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh | Bangladesh

Sumaiya Omar, co-founder Hashtag Our Stories | UK/South Africa

Yusuf Omar, co-founder Hashtag our Stories | UK/South Africa

Nina Robinson, founder Soundtruism | UK

Davidson Rodrigues, owner, Davidson Rodrigues Media | The Netherlands

Umashankar Singh, foreign affairs editor, NDTV | India

Viasen Soobramoney, journalist and trainer | UK/South Africa

Technology and science

Imelda Abano, content co-ordinator, Earth Journalism Network | The Philippines

Crystal Chow, freelance journalist | Hong Kong

Nahla Davies, tech writer | USA

Pablo M. Fernández, director of innovation, Chequeado | Argentina

Joydeep Gupta, director, The Third Pole | India

Robert Hernandez, journalist and academic | USA

Christine Izuakor, founder and CEO, Cyber Pop-up | USA

Mun-Keat Looi, international features editor, The BMJ | UK

Tawanda Kanhema, tech and media innovator | USA

Konan Kouassi, co-founder, The Newscene | France

Admire Mare, journalist and academic | Zimbabwe

An Nguyen, academic | UK

Hannah Ojo (Hannah Ajakaiye), data and innovation | Nigeria

Akshat Rathi, climate and energy reporter, Bloomberg News | UK

Sérgio Spagnuolo, founder of Volt Data Lab, developer of The Science Pulse | Brazil

Audrey Tan, environment and science writer, The Straits Times | Singapore

Benét J. Wilson, aviation journalist | USA

Ed Yong, science writer, The Atlantic | UK

News and investigative reporting

Tufayel Ahmed, digital editor and culture journalist | UK

Dayo Aiyetan, investigative journalist, ICIR | Nigeria

Rana Ayyub, global opinions writer, Washington Post | India

Patricia Campos Mello, investigative journalist, Folha | Brazil

Mona Chalabi, data editor, Guardian US | USA

Ronson Chan, deputy assignment editor, Stand News | Hong Kong

Theo Chikomba, broadcast journalist, BBC | UK

Joanna Chiu, journalist, Toronto Star | Canada

Rukshana Choudhury, Europe news editor, The Muslim Vibe/freelance broadcast journalist | UK

Miraj Chowdhury, editor, Global Investigative Journalism Network | Bangladesh

Marverine Cole, broadcaster and academic | UK

Nic Crosara, regional editor, Black Ballad | UK

Joe Davidson, columnist, The Washington Post | USA

Aasma Day, investigative journalist, HuffPost | UK

Audrey Dias, journalist, BBC Midlands Today | UK

Scarlette Douglas, TV presenter, Channel 4/BBC | UK

Elaine Dunkley, education correspondent, BBC | UK

Tomiwa Folorunso, regional editor, Black Ballad | UK

Vicky Gayle, journalist and regional editor, Black Ballad | UK

Barbara George, broadcaster, Liverpool TV | UK

Nikole Hannah-Jones, journalist, NYT Magazine | USA

Majdolin Hassan, editor, Global Investigative Journalism Network | USA

Kesewa Hennessy, journalist, FT | UK

Ben Hunte, LGBT correspondent, BBC | UK

Emmanuel Igunza, correspondent, BBC Africa | Kenya/Ethiopia

Hawwah Jiddare, freelance journalist | UK

Ashley John-Baptiste, reporter, BBC | UK

Ashish Joshi, correspondent, Sky News | UK

Reha Kansara, journalist, BBC Three | UK

Shirish Kulkarni, news storytelling researcher | UK

Antoinette Lattouf, senior journalist, Channel 10 | Australia

Jill Lupapa, regional editor, Black Ballad | UK

Wesley Lowery, journalist, 60 Minutes | USA

Elaine Ly, producer and presenter, South China Morning Post | China

Livia Manywounds, associate producer, CBC | Canada

Clive Myrie, presenter, BBC | UK

Alexi McCammond, reporter, Axios | USA

Jay McGregor, editor-in-chief, Point | UK

Christine Ochefu, regional editor, Black Ballad | UK

Rebecca Omonira-Oyekanmi, investigative reporter, Shine a Light | UK

Julett Pineda, journalist, Efecto Cucuyo | UK

Solomon Serwanjja, investigative journalist | Uganda

Camomile Shumba, freelance journalist | UK

Darshna Soni, journalist, Channel 4 News | UK

Annalisa Toccara, regional editor, Black Ballad | UK

Community reporting

Siana Bangura, writer and producer | UK

Angelo Boccato, freelance journalist | UK

Barnie Choudhury, columnist | UK

Russell Contreras, journalist, Associated Press | USA

Afua Hirsch, writer and broadcaster | UK

Naresh Kaushik, senior journalist, BBC | UK

Katie Orchard, journalist, ITV/Reuters | UK

Kat Stafford, race and ethnicity writer, Associated Press | USA

Nadine White, reporter, The Independent | UK

Gary Younge, journalist and academic | UK

Podcasting and documentary

Adwoa Aboah, podcast host | UK

Bim Adewunmi, producer, This American Life | USA

Linda Adey, podcast presenter and reporter, BBC | UK

Waad Al-Kateab, filmmaker, Channel 4 | UK

Sadia Azmat, podcast co-host, BBC | UK

Suchandrika Chakrabarti, journalist and podcaster | UK

Marvyn Harrison, strategy consultant | UK

Marcus Harun, producer, MSNBC | USA

Chanté Joseph, podcast host, Channel 4 | UK

Imriel Morgan, podcaster | UK

Hayley Mulenda, podcast host, speaker and author | UK

Soledad O'Brien, broadcast journalist | USA

Jayisha Patel, filmmaker | UK

Jessie Aru Phillips, multimedia producer, BBC | UK

Joey Qi, podcaster | China

Damaso Reyes, founder, Clarify Media | USA

Roshan Roberts, broadcaster and producer, BBC1 Extra | UK

Mugabi Turya, producer and reporter, BBC | UK

Otegha Uwagba, podcast host and writer | UK

Culture and sport

Yomi Adegoke, author and columnist | UK

Kirk Asiedu, co-founder, Reveal | UK

Anne-Marie Batson, sports broadcaster | UK

Chris Chohan, news and sports producer, Good Morning Britain | UK

Reshmin Chowdhury, sports broadcaster, BBC Sport/BT Sport | UK

Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi, sports reporter | USA

Reni Eddo-Lodge, author and journalist | UK

Nicole Krystal Crentsil, cultural curator | UK

Hanna Fauzie, sports writer | Indonesia

Chrystal Genesis, journalist and curator | UK

Patricia Hizon, journalist | Philippines

Ekta Khanchandani, data and sports freelance journalist | UK

Stephen Lyle, lead executive, BBC Sport | UK

Leon Mann, consultant and filmmaker | UK

Soraya Nadia McDonald, cultural critic, The Undefeated | USA

Tola Onanuga, journalist | UK

Felicia Pennant, founder and editor-in-chief, Season | UK

Rica Roy, TV host, NDTV | India

Dharmesh Sheth, reporter and presenter, Sky Sports News | UK

Elizabeth Uviebinené, author and columnist | UK

Other resources:

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