Black campaigners demanded greater equality beyond gender yesterday after the House of Lords called for more women to be “encouraged” to join news broadcasters.

A House of Lords communications committee inquiry into women’s experiences in current affairs found that there were “simply not enough” female staff.

Activists welcomed the recommendation but insisted that more should be done to combat race discrimination as well as sexism.

Media Diversified founder Samantha Asumadu, a long-time correspondent for companies including CNN and Deutsche Welle, told the Star: “Any announcement is encouraging because they are finally addressing long-held concerns.

“(But) for every black and minority ethnic person who left the media industry in the last few years, two white people have been employed.”

Ms Asumadu said she had often felt that the industry could be inherently racist and that she had herself experienced discrimination based on her skin colour.

The House of Lords report showed “a double-whammy for women of colour,” she said.

Channel 4 News anchor Cathy Newman and TV presenter Miriam O’Reilly were among those who gave evidence to the committee.

Ms O’Reilly won an employment tribunal case against the BBC in 2009 after having been sacked from Countryfile due to her age.

The inquiry reported that men outnumber women four to one when asked for expert comment on both TV and radio.

Committee chairman Lord Best said: “Despite the fact that women make up just over half the population, they are underrepresented, both as staff and as experts, in news and current affairs broadcasting.”

He called on regulator Ofcom to work to improve gender equality.