Streaming and social regarded as most inclusive media by LGBTQ+ people
An in-depth survey of LGBTQ+ audience perceptions of media has shown a clear preference for streaming platforms for offering the highest degree of inclusivity.
Nielsen found that 10% of respondents are more likely to find streaming sources to be the most inclusive option
In Seeking Authenticity: A View of International LGBTQ+ Media Perceptions, Nielsen found that 10% of respondents are more likely to find streaming sources to be the most inclusive option compared to their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts.
Social media, meanwhile, enjoyed a net 5% positivity rating among the LGBTQ+ community amid demands that the media industry and marketers do more to accurately portray all sections of society.
While a clear majority (69%) believe inclusivity is improving, a sizeable minority (27%) have not observed any change, and several respondents even claimed inclusion had declined in recent years – suggesting that while inclusion has come a long way, it still has far to go.
Newer marketing channels, such as social media, ranked higher than traditional ones for LGBTQ+ inclusion. But the gap between perceptions of LGBTQ+ people and those who are not is much smaller for individual ad types than it is for the ad industry overall. For example, 73% of LGBTQ+ people view newspaper ads as very non-inclusive, compared with 67% of non-LGBTQ+-identifying people.
Separate research conducted by Gracenote Global Video Data backs this up, noting that of over 817,000 unique titles cataloged across TV and streaming outlets, just over 1,000 were classed within the LGBTQ+ genre.
Sandra Sims-Williams, Nielsen’s chief diversity officer, said: “Our survey shows that the members of the LGBTQ+ community are ready to share their needs and lived experiences, so advertisers and media publishers can start a conversation and build content that is true to the community.”
GLAAD president and chief executive Sarah Kate Ellis added: “As content becomes increasingly borderless, global inclusion and accurate portrayals of the LGBTQ+ community are critical and can have a lasting impact. Nielsen’s groundbreaking report not only provides insight into how the media industry can best engage with LGBTQ+ audiences in nine countries, but also a clear incentive to create more nuanced global narratives and to grow the diversity of LGBTQ+ talent both on-screen and behind-the-scenes.”
The Nielsen survey of 5,500 people across nine key markets across Europe and the Americas was conducted during the first quarter of 2022.
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