Chatty Duck Creative

Season’s greetings from #TeamDuck! 🎄 May your day be merry and bright. ⭐️ #HappyChristmas

Tomorrow, #TeamDuck will be downing keyboards for a jolly good rest until Thursday 2 January. We hope you have some time to relax over the festive period, too! 🎄 Before we go, we wanted to share a little tongue-in-beak carol from our quacking choir of winged wassailers. 🦆 We hope you enjoy the 12 Days of Duckmas! 🎁 #MerryDuckmas #contentagency #contentwriting

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! 🗞️ 📢 🔔 Do you struggle to write attention-grabbing leads for your organisation’s PR materials? In our latest blog, #TeamDuck’s Vikki Morgan offers a few tips on how to craft a killer headline for your next press release. Link in comments. 👇 #publicrelations #pressreleases #copywriting

Many happy returns for tomorrow, Domenica S.! ❤️ While it's extremely selfish of you to book annual leave, everyone at #TeamDuck hopes your birthday SLAPS! 🔥 Enjoy your cake. 🎂

British Black History Month 2024 may be drawing to a close, but the reality for black people across the UK is that racism, prejudice and misrepresentation will remain a permanent fixture in their lives. Earlier this year, I and many others were shocked and saddened to see riots breaking out across our country in response to a perceived threat posed by immigration. For many people, these events proved that racism and xenophobia are still extremely rife in the UK, despite being constantly downplayed. Over the past month, I have produced a series of posts exploring the underrepresentation of black people in the British media and pioneering black figures from this sector. However, I have barely scratched the surface – especially in terms of contemporary black talent. Some of my personal inspirations, who I have not yet mentioned, include Ade Adepitan, Adelayo Adedayo, Akala, Andi Peters, Charlene White, Daniel Kaluuya, Gamal Fahnbulleh, Idris Elba, Indiyah Polack, John Boyega, Judi Love, Michelle Cole and Reggie Yates. Black History Month offers an opportunity for black people to reconnect with their roots, celebrate their culture, learn more about themselves and, most importantly, have their voices heard. With this in mind and against the backdrop of the riots, this year’s theme of ‘Reclaiming Narratives’ has proved particularly emotional for me. Black people have been mistreated for centuries and left completely out of conversations at times when they should have been uplifted and recognised for their talents, contributions and strength. As such, these posts have been both enlightening and difficult to draft. Nevertheless, I feel it is vital that this information is spread. For a full rundown of Chatty Duck Creative's Black History Month 2024 content, follow the link below: https://lnkd.in/e_9jD5uS Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to learn a little bit more about black culture and the roles of black people in the British media. Domenica Smithies Content Manager Chatty Duck Creative #BlackHistoryMonth #ReclaimingNarratives ❤️💛💚

In line with the theme of this year’s Black History Month, ‘Reclaiming Narratives’, Chatty Duck Creative is focusing on the underrepresentation of black people in the British media throughout October. Today, we will shine a spotlight on black media pioneers from the 20th century. From newsreaders and documentary makers to comedians and actors, many black media figures have had to contend with a broad array of barriers, unjustified criticism and – in some cases – flat-out racism. Nevertheless, a wide range of celebrated and influential black media personalities have succeeded in overcoming prejudice and carving out thriving careers, providing black people across the UK with crucial representation. Here are just a handful of individuals and shows that had a transformative impact on British broadcasting: ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 Born in Guyana in 1919, Cy Grant became one of the first black people to appear regularly on British TV in the 1950s. An actor, musician, writer and poet, Grant remained a lifelong opponent of marginalisation and cultural supremacy. ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 In 1951, Earl Cameron made his screen debut in ‘Pool of London’, one of the first British films to feature an interracial relationship. Cameron went on to star in numerous high-profile films and TV shows, ranging from ‘Thunderball’ to ‘Jackanory’. ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 Sir Lenny Henry CBE is a renowned comedian, actor and writer who burst onto the British entertainment scene in the 1970s. Co-founder of Comic Relief, Henry received a knighthood for services to drama and charity in 2015. ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 In 1976, ‘The Fosters’ became the first British comedy series on UK television to feature an entirely black cast. ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 In 1981, Dame Jocelyn Barrow DBE, a founding member of the Campaign Against Racial Discrimination, became the first female black governor of the BBC. While there are far too many black pioneers to mention in a single social media post, these individuals – and others like them – proved instrumental in combating the perception that black people should not appear on British screens, successfully reclaiming this narrative through their talent, professionalism and sheer determination. Together, we can continue to help build a more equitable, diverse and inclusive media landscape by supporting current and future generations of black talent. #BlackHistoryMonth #ReclaimingNarratives ❤️💛💚

In line with the theme of this year’s Black History Month, ‘Reclaiming Narratives’, Chatty Duck Creative is focusing on the underrepresentation of black people in the British media throughout October. Today, we will examine diversity in news broadcasting. Although by no means perfect, today’s British news media features greater diversity than at any point in history. Historically speaking, however, this sector has been dominated by white broadcasters. It took the talent, hard work and determination of several trailblazers – coupled with changing societal attitudes – to pave the way for other black people to break into an industry that was previously closed off to them. Such pioneers included Barbara Blake Hannah, the first black female reporter to appear on UK television, Sir Trevor McDonald OBE, ITN’s first black reporter, and Moira Stuart CBE, the first black woman to be featured as a newsreader and presenter on British TV. Despite the various obstacles they had to overcome, these individuals went on to enjoy long and illustrious careers, breaking down barriers and opening up new opportunities for black people everywhere. Today, black journalists and broadcasters play a pivotal role in the British news media, providing positive representation and empowerment to black people across the UK and beyond. Together, we can continue to correct and reclaim the narrative that news broadcasting is the preserve of white people by pushing for even greater diversity and championing black professionals in the British media. #BlackHistoryMonth #ReclaimingNarratives ❤️💛💚

#TeamDuck would like to thank everyone who popped over to our stand at Let’s Do Business. We had a great time at the show and we really enjoyed chatting with you all. Thanks very much to Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce and Uttoxeter Racecourse for putting on such a great event! And last but not least, please let us know in the comments if you picked up one of our free rubber ducks. We’d love to find out how far they’ve travelled! 🙂 🗺️ 🦆 #copywriting #Staffordshire #LetsDoBusiness2024

In line with the theme of this year’s Black History Month, ‘Reclaiming Narratives’, Chatty Duck Creative is focusing on the underrepresentation of black people in the British media throughout October. Today, we are going to talk about blackface. Practised by non-black actors, who drew on negative stereotypes to portray caricatures of black people, blackface describes the painting of one’s face to imitate darker skin. With roots stretching back to medieval Europe, it grew increasingly popular as a form of entertainment in the US during the early 19th century. Indeed, many agree that ‘blackface minstrels’ played a significant role in proliferating racist attitudes. Despite its controversial nature, blackface remained commonplace on British television until relatively recently, with examples ranging from ‘The Black and White Minstrel Show’ (1958-1878) to ‘Little Britain’ (2003-2006). After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, protests demanding change around the globe resulted in a widespread culling of outwardly offensive materials. In the UK, all characters depicted in blackface were permanently deleted from ‘Little Britain’, and other British shows such as ‘The Mighty Boosh’ and ‘The League of Gentlemen’ were also edited to reflect changing attitudes. Historically, blackface was regularly dismissed as being ‘just a joke’. Some modern viewers have even expressed their dismay at the practice’s demise, claiming that society’s refusal to accept blackface has been detrimental to British comedy. Regardless, the negative and lasting impact that this harmful practice has had on black audiences is too significant to ignore. Racist caricatures, portrayed in the name of entertainment, diminish black people’s emotions, experiences and culture. Together, we can correct and reclaim the narrative that blackface is ‘harmless fun’ by acknowledging its offensive origins and the damaging effect it has had on black people across the UK and beyond. #BlackHistoryMonth #ReclaimingNarratives ❤️💛💚

As the theme of this year’s Black History Month is ‘Reclaiming Narratives’, Chatty Duck Creative will focus on the underrepresentation of black people in the British media throughout October. Historically, black people have been purposely neglected in the general media, both through negative stereotyping and a lack of black actors and writers. In the 1960s and 1970s, several programmes stereotyped and ridiculed black people (and other minority ethnicities). These shows serve as troubling reminders of how comfortable society was with racist and bigoted portrayals of people based on the colour of their skin. While diversity in the British media has increased significantly in recent years, black characters are still often subject to tokenism and negative portrayals. According to a survey conducted as part of the Black British Voices Project (BBVP), 93% of respondents feel that both black men and women are negatively stereotyped by the media. So, have attitudes really changed? Well, while it’s no longer acceptable to publicly shame entire groups for arbitrary reasons, that’s not to say that similar views are no longer held privately. Together, we can reclaim narratives surrounding the representation of black people in the British media by challenging false, offensive and racist depictions when they arise. #BlackHistoryMonth #ReclaimingNarratives ❤️💛💚