Reporting Barriers in the Creative Industries: Why People Still Don't Speak Up

The creative industries thrive on innovation, collaboration and talent. Yet across film, television, music, publishing, advertising, gaming and the wider creative sector, one challenge continues to undermine healthy workplace cultures: people still don't feel safe speaking up.

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Despite growing awareness of workplace bullying, harassment and misconduct, many creative organisations are discovering that implementing a reporting process alone is not enough. Policies can be updated, reporting channels can be launched and leadership teams can communicate the importance of speaking up, yet reports remain low and concerns continue to go unaddressed.

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This challenge was explored during a webinar hosted by Culture Shift’s CEO, Gemma McCall, in partnership with CIISA (Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority). During the discussion, CIISA's Director of Stakeholder Engagement, Niyi Akeju, and Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Medlock, shared insights from their work with organisations across the creative sector, highlighting the barriers that continue to prevent people from reporting concerns.

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Their message was clear: reporting systems matter, but culture matters even more.

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The biggest barrier? People need to see that reporting leads to change

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One of the most common concerns raised by workers is the fear that speaking up will achieve nothing. As Niyi explained:

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"A big barrier is if it feels like things are going into a void."

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For many employees, freelancers and contractors, uncertainty begins the moment a report is submitted. Questions quickly emerge:

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• Has anyone received my complaint?
• Is anything happening?
• Is this within the organisation's remit?
• What happens next?
• Will I ever hear about the outcome?

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When organisations fail to answer these questions, trust erodes. A reporting process should not begin and end with the submission of a concern. Employees need transparency, communication and clarity around what will happen throughout the process. Even when confidentiality limits what can be shared, people need reassurance that their concerns have been heard and are being taken seriously.

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This is particularly important in sectors where trust has already been damaged by high-profile misconduct cases. Workers are increasingly looking for evidence that organisations act on concerns rather than simply collecting reports.

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The unique challenge of short-term work

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While many reporting barriers exist across all sectors, the creative industries face additional challenges due to the prevalence of temporary, freelance and project-based work.

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People often move between productions, projects and organisations quickly, making it less likely that concerns will be formally reported. If someone believes they'll be leaving in a matter of weeks, speaking up can feel like more effort and risk than simply moving on. This creates a significant blind spot for organisations. Rather than waiting until someone leaves to gather feedback, organisations should create opportunities for people to raise concerns throughout their time with the business. As Niyi explained:

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"Another way of overcoming that barrier is giving individuals opportunities to feedback through regular check-ins."

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Regular check-ins, onboarding conversations, midpoint reviews and exit feedback all signal that organisations genuinely want to hear from people. More importantly, they create opportunities to identify concerns before they become embedded in workplace culture. As Niyi put it:

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"A barrier is if nobody asks. It's like 'don't ask, don't tell.'"

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Power imbalances remain deeply embedded

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One of the strongest themes emerging from CIISA's work is the role of power. The creative industries often operate through networks, reputation and relationships. Success can depend on access to influential individuals, creating significant power imbalances between senior figures and those earlier in their careers. According to Andrew:

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"The core one that we hear time and time again is about power imbalances and the very distinct way that manifests itself across the creative industries."

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This dynamic can make reporting feel particularly difficult. Individuals may worry about damaging future opportunities, losing contracts or being labelled as difficult.

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Andrew highlighted a phrase that continues to surface in conversations across the sector:

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"'You'll never work in this industry again.'"

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Whether explicitly stated or simply implied, this fear creates a powerful deterrent to reporting. When employees believe that speaking up could harm their career prospects, even the most sophisticated reporting process may struggle to gain traction.

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Why systems alone don't solve the problem

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Many organisations respond to reporting challenges by introducing new systems, policies or whistleblowing channels. These are important steps. However, Andrew warned against assuming that infrastructure alone will drive reporting.

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"You can have as many systems and processes and speak-up lines as you want; if there is a cultural barrier behind those, then they won't be utilised."

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This is a critical lesson for organisations investing in workplace culture. Reporting platforms create opportunities for people to raise concerns safely and confidentially. However, employees still need confidence that they will be treated fairly, listened to respectfully and protected from retaliation.

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Without that foundation of trust, reporting channels often become underutilised. The most effective organisations recognise that reporting mechanisms and culture change must work together.

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Challenging the "that's just how it is" mindset

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One of the most damaging barriers identified during the webinar was the normalisation of poor behaviour. Andrew described a long-standing attitude that still exists within parts of the creative sector:

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"If you want to make it in this business, sometimes you're going to come across something quite bad and you have to accept it and move on."

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When problematic behaviour becomes accepted as part of industry culture, people stop questioning it. New entrants quickly learn what is tolerated by observing those around them.

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Niyi highlighted how this affects younger professionals entering the industry:

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"If they're seeing people that have been in the industry for a long time accepting things that they really shouldn't be accepting, they're learning, 'Oh, that's how it should be.'"

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This demonstrates why culture change requires more than compliance. Organisations must actively define acceptable behaviours, challenge harmful norms and create environments where people feel empowered to question conduct that falls short of expected standards.

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Building a responsive learning culture

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One of the most powerful themes from the discussion was the concept of a responsive learning culture. Rather than treating reports as isolated incidents, organisations should use them as opportunities to learn, improve and strengthen culture. Niyi explained:

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"We talk about learning not just from the types of concerns that are raised, but also the impact of those concerns on everyone involved."

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Employees want to know that lessons have genuinely been learned. Generic statements about improvement rarely build trust. As Niyi put it:

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"We often hear something happen and someone comes out with a statement: 'Lessons have been learned; this won't happen again.' It's like, what lessons were learned?"

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Transparency matters. Where appropriate, organisations should communicate themes, trends and actions emerging from reports. Doing so demonstrates accountability while reinforcing confidence in the reporting process.

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Gemma reinforced this point, arguing that organisations should be more transparent about the issues being raised and the steps being taken to address them.

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"We know this kind of stuff happened. We're not going to tolerate it. This is how we're going to challenge that behaviour in the future."

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In sectors where trust has been damaged, visible action is often the most effective way to rebuild confidence.

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Moving beyond zero-tolerance slogans

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The webinar also explored the limitations of zero tolerance messaging. While often well-intentioned, blanket statements can create unrealistic expectations about how organisations respond to concerns. As Gemma noted:

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"Zero tolerance sounds like a fantastic commitment to make, but as Mary Poppins said, it's a pie-crust promise: it's easily made and easily broken."

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The reality is that workplace behaviour exists on a spectrum. Some situations require formal disciplinary action, while others may require education, coaching, mediation or restorative approaches.

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Employees need clear expectations about how concerns will be handled and what outcomes may be possible. Trust is built through transparency and consistency, not slogans. Organisations that communicate clearly about their processes and potential outcomes are far more likely to maintain trust than those that rely on broad commitments they may struggle to deliver.

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Creating the conditions for speaking up

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The discussion reinforced a reality that many organisations are beginning to recognise. It starts with accessible reporting mechanisms that provide clarity, confidentiality and trust. Platforms such as Report + Support play a vital role by giving employees, freelancers, contractors and creative professionals a safe and structured way to raise concerns, seek support and understand their options.

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As Andrew observed, the real challenge lies in addressing what sits beneath the reporting process. Organisations must tackle the cultural and behavioural factors that prevent people from coming forward in the first place.

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That means investing in manager training, leadership development and ongoing education. It means creating opportunities for feedback, encouraging dialogue and helping people understand what good behaviour looks like in practice. It means embedding learning into everyday culture through initiatives such as Communities of Practice, culture clinics and practical conversations that help organisations move from policy to action.

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Most importantly, it means demonstrating that speaking up leads to meaningful change. When organisations combine trusted reporting systems with a genuine commitment to culture transformation, they create the conditions where people feel safe to raise concerns and confident that their voices will be heard.

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Because ultimately, people don't speak up simply because a reporting channel exists. They speak up when they trust the culture behind it.

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Watch the full, on-demand webinar with CIISA for more insights.