Writing Our Own Story The VICE Media Group
2019 Diversity & Inclusion Report
2019 Diversity & Inclusion Report
A Letter From Our CEO
Throughout history, young people have driven many of society’s most powerful and profound changes. This is why, at VICE Media Group, our voice and purpose are focused on the ways we live, work, connect, inspire, inform and entertain our audiences. Who we are directly correlates with how we fulfill our mission and values.
As we look to connect with the world through stories, content and journalism, in all its beautiful diversity of thought, background, and perspectives, it’s imperative that our makers and reporters authentically bring a point of view that also reflects the world around us. Our content is only as bold and culture-defining as our people which is why we are so fortunate to be comprised of a truly global workforce located in 35 cities around the world, writing, producing and reporting in 25 languages.
I’m most proud of the fact that among our new employees this year, 56% are women and, in the US where we can collect this data, 50% are people of color. The people at VICE are growing in diverse representation, and as a result the things we make have even greater relevance and impact. Employee-born projects put us on the frontier of defining how media can move culture forward. A few standout examples include the award-winning Q, the world’s first AI genderless voice that VIRTUE created and the Gender Spectrum Collection, the world’s first free trans and non-binary photo stock library, made by the VICE editorial team. And from Refinery29, Unbothered is a community created by and for black millennial women that showcases how threading allyship throughout the entire company results in groundbreaking work that connects us all.
In 2020 we’ll be focused on best practices in recruiting and hiring to build a robust pipeline of diverse talent for not only our own business, but for the industry at-large. As part of this effort we will double the number of participants in our Apprentice Program, which you can read about in this report. We are also revamping our Summer Intern Program to prioritize recruiting young people with diverse backgrounds and educational experiences, including community college students. Not everyone can attend a four-year college, but that should not limit anyone’s potential and we’re committed to leveling the playing field.
Diversity and Inclusion is woven into the everyday fabric of who we are — from our Community Groups that engage all of us through activities and thought leadership to our Diversity and Inclusion Board that helps us build systems to elevate these values in all forms, to our employees that drive change through our many VICE platforms. There is always more that we can do and this report is another first of new and continued commitments that will keep us moving in the right direction.
Nancy Dubuc, CEO
Dive Deeper
Stories That Elevate The Underrepresented
We have an audience that is trying to understand this world and it’s our responsibility to guide them. At VICE we do this through award-winning storytelling and journalism, and it’s the people here that make all of that possible. Our diverse teams are always looking deeper, seeking out the fascinating, unreported and underrepresented to find the complexity in every situation. Ultimately, we want to challenge preconceived notions and widen the world for ourselves and our audience.
Challenging Industry Standards
VICE strives to be a challenging force, pushing ourselves and those around us to do better and do more. This same formative DNA is found across each of our businesses and within the creative work we do. We aspire to break boundaries and challenge others to do the same.
Supporting New Voices
VICE’s responsibility does not stop with the stories we tell. As we look up and out to the communities around us, we want to ensure that we use our position as the world’s largest youth media company to create a more equal and inclusive work environment.