Women working at Telegraph Media Group (TMG) get paid 35% less than men on average, the biggest gender pay gap of any UK newspaper publisher or broadcaster to have reported official figures to date.
Nick Hugh, the chief executive of Telegraph Media Group, said the pay gap was unacceptable and he committed to closing the gap to zero by 2025. Hugh said the publisher would work to close the gap by introducing 50:50 gender shortlists for all vacant positions and would do more to promote women to top jobs.
“While we are moving in the right direction, we have much to do,” Hugh said in a statement on the company’s website. “As of April 2017, our gender pay report shows an unacceptable gap between the average pay for men compared with women. The main reason for this has been a lack of female representation at the most senior levels, something which we have already started to address.”
Almost three-quarters of TMG’s highest-paid staff are male, with women making up just 26.9% of the top quartile of earners. At the other end of the pay scale, women make up 61.6% of the bottom quartile. Men also received bonuses of almost twice those paid to women on average.
Hugh, who joined TMG last summer, said the company had already made some progress in reducing the pay gap but it would take years to reach equality.
He said there were more women in senior roles at the publisher than ever before. “We are stronger for it, but to achieve gender parity we have to go much further,” he added. “Our aim of a zero gender pay gap by 2025 clearly demonstrates where we see the future of the Telegraph.”
The Telegraph did not respond to requests for details on the number of women holding senior positions.
Kate McCann, the paper’s senior political correspondent, said on Twitter that it was “pretty disheartening to discover the Telegraph’s gender pay gap is 35%”.
Pretty disheartening to discover the Telegraph's gender pay gap is 35 per cent. Nearly three quarters (73 per cent) of the most senior staff are male and 63 per cent of the most junior are female. Hmm. https://t.co/a4SWs9Xk3G
— Kate McCann (@KateEMcCann) March 26, 2018
Anita Singh, the Telegraph’s arts and entertainment editor, said: “As I’ve spent a lot of time hammering the BBC for its gender pay gap, it would be hypocritical of me not to say that the Telegraph’s 35% pay gap is woeful.”
As I've spent a lot of time hammering the BBC for its gender pay gap, it would be hypocritical of me not to say that the Telegraph's 35% pay gap is woeful
— Anita Singh (@anitathetweeter) March 26, 2018
The Telegraph’s pay gap is highest of all of its large news rivals to have reported official figures before the 4 April deadline. The second-highest mean pay gap in media companies so far reported is the Economist Group with 32.5%, followed by Channel 4 with 28.6%.
Hugely dispiriting to find women at The Telegraph are being paid 35 per cent less than men. And astonishing to hear it will take seven years to put right. Have sudden desire to throw myself under a horse.
— Sarah Knapton (@sarahknapton) March 26, 2018
The pay gap at the Guardian is 11.3% and it is 10.7% at the BBC. At Trinity Mirror, owner of the Daily Mirror, the gap is 18% and it is 19.6% at ITN. The national average is 14.1%.
Capita, a outsourcing company that advises other companies on their pay gaps, on Monday reported its own figures which show a mean pay gap of 26.8%. Also, 73% of Capita’s best paid staff are male.
