ITV shares internal stories to combat bullying

ITV has launched a joint anti-bullying schools project with Stonewall, the lesbian, gay and bisexual charity, and is sharing employee stories to do so.

ITV is an integrated producer broadcaster and the largest commercial television network in the UK, operating a family of channels including the rebranded ITV. It also delivers content across multiple platforms either directly or via itv.com and ITV Player. ITV Studios is an international production and distribution business which produces and sells programmes and formats in the UK and worldwide.

This new initiative has seen them partner with Stonewall to sponsor three London schools and raise awareness around homophobic bullying.

Internal network
ITV Pride, ITV’s internal network for lesbian, gay and bisexual employees, will invite students at the schools to create their own anti-bullying campaigns.

The winning campaign from each school will be created professionally by ITV Creative, and launched at the school. The winning group of students will also enjoy an exclusive studio tour at ITV’s London Studios.

To launch the campaign inside each school, ITV Pride and ITV Creative have produced a short film involving ITV employees alongside ITV faces including Emmerdale’s Alicya Eyo, X Factor finalist Marcus Collins, and TOWIE’s Bobby Norris.

A spokesperson for ITV said: “The film features inspiring stories, which will hopefully encourage some of the reported three quarters of gay pupils who experience verbal abuse and almost three-in-ten who are physically bullied.

“Our involvement with Stonewall over the last five years has ensured that ITV continues to be an LBGT friendly employer, as we understand that our people are our greatest asset.”

You can see the film here:

Chair of ITV Pride, Stephen Barber, said: “Making a difference in the community is something ITV Pride are passionate about. I’m thrilled we’ve been able to find a creative way to do just that. It’s crucial that students who are being bullied know that they shouldn’t have to endure it, and that it does get better.”

Stonewall’s Head of Education, Luke Tryl, said: “This is just the latest example of ITV’s fantastic commitment to supporting lesbian, gay and bisexual staff as well as to tackling homophobia in Britain. This film will send a powerful message that will inspire young people to be themselves.”

As the only broadcaster to make it into the top 100 Stonewall Workplace Employers Index for three consecutive years, ITV says it is “proud to use the power of our reach to inspire, engage and empower young people to address homophobic bullying within schools.”

Well done to ITV and everyone involved in this campaign. I think this is an excellent initiative, and as we increasingly see the lines between internal and external communication blurring, I expect to see more internal storytelling being communicated externally.

I’d love to see other examples, you can Tweet them to me @AllthingsIC or comment below.

How are you showcasing your employees’ stories in your organisation? Could you share your internal stories to support an external campaign? Have you done so already?

I recently wrote about how HSBC is using social media for internal communication, featuring HSBC Now, which features internal stories being shared externally.

ITN Productions events

Want to explore using video in your internal communication? Following on from the ITN Productions event I wrote about last year, they are holding two more workshops for IC pros to explore using broadcast techniques for internal communication.

See full information about the free workshops on 24 and 31 March in London. You can find them on Twitter @ITNProductions.
Post author: Rachel Miller.

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