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Head of Â鶹ԼÅÄ Outreach & Corporate Responsibility, Diane Reid, gives an insight into the recent Media CSR Forum and reflects on the Â鶹ԼÅÄ’s history of social responsibility.

The other week I set up my stall under the watchful eyes of Lord Reith – beneath an imposing portrait of the Â鶹ԼÅÄ’s first Director-General. The occasion was the annual conference of the Media CSR Forum – an event which brings together big media organisations from across the UK and further afield to discuss corporate responsibility and the common interest of working in an ethical environment.

It was appropriate then that we were meeting in the Â鶹ԼÅÄ’s Council Chamber in the heart of what’s now known as Old Broadcasting House, the scene of many such principled discussions and debates over the years.

Within a rapidly changing world this great room held debates on a number of global issues including the Â鶹ԼÅÄ’s role in reporting on events including WW2 and the Suez crisis, the launch of the first national radio networks and perhaps most significantly, the birth of television.

The momentous decisions taken in this very room required a strong moral compass. And, the best part of a century later, the Â鶹ԼÅÄ still holds fast to the guiding principles set by Lord Reith.

All that the Â鶹ԼÅÄ does is driven by our Charter, and our Public Purposes as a broadcaster. For me personally, and professionally, they remain inspiring, exciting, fresh, challenging and ethical.

So with a great wealth of history surrounding us, and with Lord Reith looking over me, we took to more contemporary issues. The theme for the Forum was ‘Mirrors or Movers’ – does modern media content mirror or move society? Is it just a reflection of current norms or does it actively change who we are and how we see things?

Christian Toennesen, Manager of the Media CSR Forum Secretariat, for the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Outreach & Corporate Responsibility blog last month.

Personally, an important theme throughout the day’s discussions was the evolving relationship with audiences as technology facilitates more engagement and challenges the established norms. This has recently been on the Â鶹ԼÅÄ agenda as we undertook a major restructuring of how we deal with audience enquiries. Something which has proven to be a great success.

Another interesting discussion was about the role of women in the media. While initiatives like the have helped develop and nurture female talent within the industry, the guest speakers and various participants agreed that there is more to do to grow and promote women in the media.

For Â鶹ԼÅÄ Outreach & Corporate Responsibility, the event reinforced the importance of the work we do which introduces our programme makers to people with a very wide range of backgrounds and experience, something which helps us make our output richer, more informed and relevant.

Diane Reid is Head of Â鶹ԼÅÄ Outreach & Corporate Responsibility

• Read more about the debates staged at the Media CSR Forum on the

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