Report: TV news doesn't focus on ethnic issues

More than half of the ethnic minority panel interviewed for a new YouGov survey said issues that affect them are dealt with poorly by TV news services.

The poll, which surveyed 780 British people from ethnic minorities, was carried out for the Culture Diversity Network (CDN), which includes all the major UK broadcasters.

When asked about the coverage of the Forest Gate police raid in June, 47% said it was "too sensational", with 58% saying broadcasters jumped to conclusions too quickly.

However, the poll did reveal that fewer than just 31% of ethnic minority viewers wanted a news programme aimed at them alone.

Simon Shaps, CDN chairman and ITV's director of television, told The Guardian: "Making sure our news output adequately mirrors British society is something that is critically important to all broadcasters.

"In an age where broadcasters are facing challenge from other outlets for their viewers' eyeballs, we really can't afford to be complacent.

"We need to take responsibility and initiate a significant sea change in the culture of our newsrooms that is reflected in the make-up of employees, how stories are sourced and ultimately in the way stories are told."

The research concluded that Channel 4 News did the best job in covering ethnic minority issues. Trevor McDonald was voted the most trusted broadcaster, with the BBC the most watched provider of news.