View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

News UK reveals gender pay gap of 15.2 per cent rising to 24.8 per cent at The Sun

By Charlotte Tobitt

News UK has revealed it has a mean gender pay gap of 15.2 per cent, which rises to 24.8 per cent at The Sun and The Sun On Sunday.

The Times and The Sunday Times have a lower gender pay gap, with hourly pay on average 14.3 per cent lower for women, and News UK-owned radio station Talksport had a 15.1 per cent gap.

Across News UK Group companies, including the newspapers and TLS, corporate and commercial staff and print sites, 72.3 per cent of the top paid quartile of staff were men, rising to 83.6 per cent at News Group Newspapers  (The Sun and The Sun on Sunday).

At Times Newspapers, 73.2 per cent of the top earners were men.

Some 70 per cent of all employees at The Sun were men, compared to 63 per cent at The Times and Talksport.

Overall News UK had a mean bonus gap favouring men of 11 per cent, rising to 49 per cent at Talksport, 41 per cent at The Times and 21.5 per cent at The Sun.

Chief executive Rebekah Brooks said: “I am proud that we have senior women across a variety of key editorial and commercial roles at News UK and half of my executive team is female.

Content from our partners
Free journalism awards for journalists under 30: Deadline today
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition

“In technology, our chief technology officer Christina Scott made a concerted effort to improve the percentage of women in her team and has increased the ratio by 6 per cent in the last two years.

“On The Sun’s digital team, we have hired as many women as we have men in the last year. And as we hire into more junior roles, we will have a pool of talent to promote from in future.

“The News Academy has for several years now been making inroads into recruiting young people from diverse backgrounds to get a foot in the door in journalism.

“I have always felt that News UK is a meritocracy and I want people to be promoted on the basis of their ability.

“Equal pay for equal jobs is incredibly important and we are committed to ensuring that men and women from all backgrounds have equal opportunities for promotion and are remunerated fairly.”

The mean gender pay gap breakdown among national news publishers and broadcasters so far is as follows:

  • Telegraph Media Group – 35 per cent
  • Economist Group – 32.5 per cent
  • Channel 4 – 28.6 per cent
  • The Financial Times – 24.4 per cent
  • Reuters – 20.23 per cent
  • ITN – 19.6 per cent (encompassing Channel 4 News, ITV News and Channel 5 News)
  • Trinity Mirror – 18 per cent (5.8 per cent at Local World, 17.8 per cent at Mirror Group Newspapers and 19.4 per cent at Media Scotland)
  • Express Newspapers – 17 per cent
  • News UK – 15.2 per cent (24.8 per cent at The Sun, 14.3 per cent at The Times and 15.1 per cent at Talksport)
  • Sky – 11.5 per cent (5.2 per cent within broadcasting division)
  • Guardian News and Media – 11.3 per cent
  • BBC – 10.7 per cent

Picture: Reuters/Toby Melville

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network