Teale Failla

Funded by the Royal Holloway Doctoral School and Department of Media Arts, my PhD project is on the wellbeing crisis faced by workers in the UK television industry, the barriers leaders face in improving wellbeing issues, the effects Covid has had, and solutions that create a positive and sustainable working environment for both workers and organisations.

This study is born out of my my own experiences and observations working in the US television industry for over 15 years on both sides of leadership, as well as my MBA dissertation on leading creative teams in UK television. What was most notable in that study was not just the positive effects of good leadership on creativity, profit and sustainability, but the devastating effects of poor leadership which has led to a wellbeing crisis that the industry is now beginning to take seriously.

Bullying, sexual harassment, systemic bias, work precarity, long hours and low pay are relatively unregulated, providing a working environment no other industry would tolerate. The Film and Television Charity made waves with their first Looking Glass Report in 2020 which found that 63% of both freelance and full-time workers seriously considered leaving the industry, and over half have contemplated suicide due to these problems. Covid, strikes and the cost of living crisis have exacerbated these pre-existing issues, which has produced an unsustainable situation for both workers and companies.

Whilst report after report surfaces outlining the problems, my project will be the first to investigate solutions from a leadership point of view, using interviews from leaders and case studies of companies that provide a nurturing and equitable work environment and positive leadership techniques that result in better wellbeing, more creativity and higher profits.

I am currently looking for participants for my study which would involve a semi-structured interview of about 40 minutes to an hour, either in person in the London area or online. I am interested in people of all roles who are willing to discuss their experiences with both good and bad leadership, the structure of the industry, their effects on wellbeing, and possible solutions, whether they have been implemented or are just ideas. I am especially keen to hear from leaders and the barriers they face in addressing these problems.

Great care is taken in the research design to promote and protect the wellbeing of all participants. All interviews are completely anonymised, protecting the identity of all participants. Any questions can be skipped and interviews can be stopped or cancelled at any time.  Questions are designed to allow participants to offer their own ideas and speak about topics they wish without being probed about anything potentially triggering. Rather, this is an opportunity for television leaders to offer their own opinions about wellbeing in the television industry and offer their ideas on how to best address them. This PhD project has been through an ethics review by the Doctoral School Ethics Board at Royal Holloway University of London. Any concerns regarding its design or implementation can be directed toward the Ethics Board at [email protected].