The Wanganui Chronicle masthead has turned rainbow today to celebrate parent company NZME becoming the first Kiwi media company to be awarded the Rainbow Tick, acknowledging its effort to be a diverse, innovative and inclusive organisation.
NZMEs other mastheads and brands - including the New Zealand Herald, Newstalk ZB, the Northern Advocate, Bay of Plenty Times, Daily Post, Hawkes Bay Today, ZM, The Hits, Coast, Mix, Hauraki, Hokonui, Flava and GrabOne - are also turning rainbow coloured.
The tick is awarded to organisations that make their workplace a safe environment for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation. Rainbow groups encompass people in the LGBTI+ community who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, takatpui and intersex.
The certification is a result of NZMEs wider diversity strategy, which encompasses all aspects of having a multicultural workforce.
To receive the validation, an evaluation was held across five key areas that involved significant work to ensure that the company paid more than lip service to diversity.