INCLUSIVE POLICIES AND LEADERSHIP CHECKLIST: Review and Adjust Recruitment Practices Actively seek to include participation of First Nations and other negatively racialised voices in recruitment efforts for journalists and staff positions within the newsroom, content teams, and leadership. Consider working with current staff with lived experience as a remunerated leadership opportunity and or cultural consultants. Implement strategies such as targeted engagement and outreach, partnerships with community organisations, and proactive networking to attract diverse talent. Cultural and Psychological Safety Create support networks or affinity groups (Employee Resource Groups) where First Nations employees, as well as other negatively racialised employees, can share experiences and offer mutual support. Staff leading Employee Resource Groups should have their time and efforts recognised by capturing these in their formalised KPIs and adequately compensated. Establish trust within the organisation to ensure authentic cultural safety that then creates an opportunity for an authentic open-door policy and robust and transparent grievances mechanisms, through which First Nations and other negatively racialised staff can feel safe to voice concerns or report incidents without fear of retaliation. Strive for diversity of thought and lived experience within leadership positions to ensure that decision-making reflects a range of perspectives and experiences. Establish mentorship programs pairing First Nations and other negatively racialised staff with senior employees, preferably with lived experience of racism and/or high racial literacy, to provide guidance. Consider working with the MDA team for further assistance. Include First Nations and other negatively racialised staff in key decisionmaking processes and ensure their voices are heard and valued in shaping newsroom policies and practices. Conduct comprehensive Bias and Anti-Racism Training for all staff, beginning with the organisational leadership team. This should be an ongoing measure and not one-off actions only implemented in response to specific incidents. Ensure that training materials and facilitators are culturally sensitive and representative of diverse perspectives. | CHAPTER 06 49