BBC Radio 6 Music launches initiative to raise awareness of online abuse faced by artists

BBC Radio 6 Music has announced Change The Tune, a new programme aimed at raising awareness around the impact of online abuse on artists.

The initiative will take place on-air, on its website, and on social media, where artists, presenters  and mental health professionals will share their experiences and discuss the effects of such personal attacks on their wellbeing. SHERELLE, Jamz Supernova and Afrodeutsche are among the artists that have shared their stories for the launch. 

“You might do something that people might not like or have an opinion on,” SHERELLE said. “It puts you in a very awkward and vulnerable position. It’s something that you go through but annoyingly, you have to have some form of resilience. I recognise that people don’t necessarily have that and it can affect their careers and mental health.” 

Along with Change The Tune, Radio 6 Music has also implemented a new code of conduct for its social media accounts. The guidelines encourage the comment sections to stay warm and uplifting, discourages people from posting if they don’t like the music, and confirms a no-tolerance policy for discrimination based on disability, gender, race, religion, or sexuality.

Read more about the Change The Tune and BBC 6’s new code of conduct on its website.

Back in March, a report conducted by the UK Musicians’ Census from Help Musicians and the Musicians’ Union revealed that half of women in the music industry have experienced some form of discrimination. Last year, a similar report revealed that one-third of UK-based musicians suffer from poor mental wellbeing.