‘I would love for brown people on TV to be normalised’: Former SBS host Jan Fran says we have ‘a long way to go’ in achieving diversity in the industry
She’s a passionate advocate for diversity in media.
And in The Sunday Telegraph’s Stellar magazine, former SBS host Jan Fran said we still have ‘a long way to go’.
The 35-year-old, real name Jeanette Francis, told the publication that she would love for ‘brown people’ to be normalised on TV.
‘I would love for brown people on TV to be normalised’: Former SBS host Jan Fran, real name Jeanette Francis (pictured), 35, said we have ‘a long way to go’ in achieving diversity in the industry, in The Sunday Telegraph’s Stellar magazine
‘I would love to get to the point where I’m not talking about ‘brown people on TV’, [but] where brown people on TV is normalised,’ she said.
‘But to have that normalised, we have to have brown people on TV, and to have brown people on TV, you have to agitate. It doesn’t just happen.’
Jan, who was born in Lebanon and grew up in Sydney, went on to say that while many have been lobbying for change, there is still more work to be done.
‘It’s a good step in the right direction and it’s credit to the people who have been pushing for this for decades. But we still have a long way to go,’ she said.
‘It doesn’t just happen’: Jan, who was born in Lebanon and grew up in Sydney, went on to say that while many have been lobbying for change, there is still more work to be done
Jan, who joined podcast The Briefing in late April, and is a guest presenter on The Project, announced she was leaving SBS’ The Feed in July last year.
The current affairs program features documentaries, investigations, interviews and political satire.
At the time of her departure from the network, Jan said in an official statement: ‘I started as an SBS cadet and the fact that I lasted as long as I did is a testament to one, how lazy I am, but two, how good SBS has been to me this last decade.
Jan explained: ‘It’s a good step in the right direction and it’s credit to the people who have been pushing for this for decades. But we still have a long way to go’
‘I’ve had so many opportunities, worked with so many wonderful people and made friends for life.
‘SBS gave me so much room to grow and I thank all the bosses I’ve had who trusted me and/or were too busy to go over what I’d actually written until it went to air.
‘I wouldn’t be the person nor the journo I am today if it wasn’t for SBS. Honestly, who else is going to let me say half the s**t I say on air?’
Read more: Jan’s full interview is featured in The Sunday Telegraph’s Stellar magazine