Seetha Kumar's NDI 2009 speech in full
Post categories: 91Èȱ¬ Online
| 12:40 UK time, Monday, 27 April 2009
As some of you I accepted the challenge of being the 91Èȱ¬'s Online Access Champion. I'm speaking today at the - together with Lord Carter and the government's first ever digital inclusion minister, Paul Murphy.
I see this as a great opportunity to share the story about our work around making new technologies more accessible for our audiences and to explore what more the 91Èȱ¬ can do in partnership with others, to inspire and enable the 17 million people currently not using the Internet to get connected. I am sharing my speech with you. I am interested in your reactions and suggestions on what can be done particularly around access in order to close the divide.
The Challenge
Nobody likes being excluded. That's just a fact. Yet, today nearly one third of society is currently excluded - around 17m adults are not using computers and the internet.
These 17 million are not part of the national or global conversations - they are unable to access Government services online, less able to find out information about their local community and unable to undertake activities such as finding and applying for jobs online. As our world becomes increasingly connected, those who lack these key skills may find themselves even more excluded, lonely and alienated. This does not feel right- it is just wrong.
And, as we shift ever faster to a knowledge based economy - exchanging ideas, information, music, games, images - to be a vibrant part of this society and not be left out, the onus is, I realise on us to work together to find effective solutions to close the digital divide.
As Controller of 91Èȱ¬ Online, responsible for the overall editorial direction and strategy for bbc.co.uk, I'm well placed to make a difference. Whatever level one is at, or whatever extent one wishes to interact, as a minimum, media or digital literacy material must be available.
I am passionate about bringing the benefits of getting online to as wide an audience as possible, and I am determined that the 91Èȱ¬ will do more to encourage the unconnected to develop the skills they need.
How can the 91Èȱ¬ help promote online access?
The 91Èȱ¬ has done a great deal in the past. The 91Èȱ¬ has a strong track record in helping people join the communications revolution. Approximately one in 10 internet users cite 91Èȱ¬ Online as one of the main reasons they first got connected, opening the door to a new world of skills and opportunities. But I believe we can do even more in the future. [Source:TNS, Dec 2007]
This is why I agree with Lord Carter that the 91Èȱ¬ must continue to play a key role, just as it has in digital broadcast, to support the take up of broadband and promote online access.
Digital inclusion and literacy is not a one-off project but a fundamental shift in how we do everything. If we put universal access at the heart of our commitment to the country as a whole - the very best available to all - then a truly digitally literate Britain could actually be achieved.
The 91Èȱ¬ can provide unique scale, the programmes we make act as the access or touch points for audiences. What we need to do now is to look at what more we can achieve through our unique platform of television, radio and online services and also by acting as a catalyst for industry-wide partnerships.
And that's why I'm privileged to stand here today as the 91Èȱ¬'s first 'Online Access Champion'. I have three key priorities: make our services accessible and attractive and communicate the benefits and utility of being online, better understand audience needs and fears so we can ensure the tools we offer are relevant to their lives, and as a starting point play our part in maximising the strength of partnerships. I am fortunate that I have a useful background in running major social action campaigns and have learnt that one of the most effective ways to achieve impact and real difference is through the power of partnerships.
One of the first things I would like to do is explore how we can use the energy that partnerships bring to unlock what can be done to promote online access.
The 91Èȱ¬ has a history of innovative partnerships: from Acorn and the 91Èȱ¬ Micro, to our community buses which worked with local groups to bring new technology and the internet to hard to reach groups like the elderly and unemployed. We also did this through creative magic - projects such as Digital Storytelling, People's War and over the last 18 months piloting Memoryshare.
We will build on our existing partnership with libraries and explore the potential for further partnerships to provide on-the-ground support for those inspired to take their first steps into going online. The 91Èȱ¬, through its literacy offer 'Raw', has also partnered with UK Online Centres. I am aware we can do more. We can do more to encourage access to content beyond the 91Èȱ¬: from enabling higher traffic from our website to others; to opening up the iPlayer to other broadcasters; to sharing and syndicating 91Èȱ¬ content more widely and using our broadcasts to tell people what's available online, excite their interest and overcome their fears.
Later this year, we will convene an Online access forum, further building on the 91Èȱ¬'s existing relationships and partnerships across the sector.
My key priority will be to listen and hear what you have to say about the role we can play and how we might work together.
The second key priority is to gain a deeper understanding of audiences through new research.
This is why we are conducting new audience research to gain better insight of why different groups do not use the internet and what more can be done to stimulate take-up. We will share this research with government, Ofcom and other bodies working in the field.
This research will be invaluable in understanding the 17 million currently not connected - the barriers that are stopping them from getting online, and how we can work together to overcome them.
Thirdly and no less important : we will develop our services and work with our partners to make online services as accessible and attractive as possible to a wide audience, to communicate the benefits and to give people a reason to get online
Accessibility is not an optional extra. We'll continue to improve our services to make them even more accessible, regardless of ability or disability. I'm talking here in terms of giving the user more control of display features such as font sizes, page layout, contrast and colour, The 91Èȱ¬ has led the way in terms of accessible web pages - you can set all this up for yourselves from the accessibility link in the top left corner of the 91Èȱ¬'s homepage.
What we will also do is explore what more can be done such as:
- Developing new content and products unique to broadband that could encourage people to get online
- Supporting new internet users with advice on navigating the web
- Using our TV and radio programmes to drive interest in what the 91Èȱ¬ and others already offer online.
- Using developing platforms such as mobile and broadband-connected television (IPTV) as a means of getting internet content without needing a PC.
I don't underestimate the scale of the challenge - but I'm inspired and energised by it and keen to get round the table with our partners and get to work.
Seetha Kumar is Controller, 91Èȱ¬ Online.
Comment number 1.
At 27th Apr 2009, Alison wrote:Whilst its good the 91Èȱ¬ is reaching out, what about providing access for all people who actively use the internet first. E.g. there's no subtitles on video on your news pages (different from iPlayer). Same goes for live streaming.
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Comment number 2.
At 28th Apr 2009, acairns_uk wrote:It's good to see the 91Èȱ¬ get involved with moving the community online.
We run a local news-based website to try and inspire people to get online to find out whats happening at their local universities or event venues.
If you would be interested to hear more of our plans Seetha, drop me a line.
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Comment number 3.
At 28th Apr 2009, Tramp wrote:The 91Èȱ¬ is already paying for people to get digital TV. Surely broadband access is more important than digital TV. The 91Èȱ¬ should use some of our licence fee money to encourage broadband take-up - you could close down 91Èȱ¬3 to pay for it, broadband has to be more important than the rubbish that serves up.
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Comment number 4.
At 16th Aug 2009, Ancient Brit wrote:Seetha,
Think about it.
I knew nothing of you or your appointment until I got a message on h2g2 about the MOT test.
/dna/h2g2/brunel/F77636?thread=6821762&latest=1
I wish you the best of luck.
Most of what you are looking to do will only be possible when households have one set top box a keyboard and a monitor.
When the set top box becomes speech controlled we will be home and dry. For the time being. :-)
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Comment number 5.
At 19th Mar 2010, U14390976 wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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