diversity & inclusion

For the fifth year in a row, representation of people of color in local TV news improved overall and, for the fourth year in a row, a record high percentage of the local TV news workforce are people of color. However, work remains.

The National Association of Broadcasters has signed the Diversity in Government Relations Coalition Pledge to make sure that diversity is reflected not only in the industry, but in those advocating for industry policy positions.

On Tuesday, GroupM announced that an inaugural group of 20 clients has pledged to spend at least 2% of their total annual media budgets in Black-owned media companies through the firm’s recently launched Media Inclusion Initiative. The program is designed to help clients invest in diverse media companies and content creators with an initial focus on Black-owned media.

Human resources executive Courtney Williams is promoted to the newly created postion of leading companywide efforts to expand diversity in hiring, promotion and retention.

The unprecedented number of TV outlets in need of shows and growing pressure for inclusive fare is a one-two punch that’s creating opportunities for overlooked writers and ignored perspectives.

In this newly created position, Yasmine Osborn is tasked with further developing D&I programs across its stations in 26 markets.

Newsrooms have been dominating the news lately. Just last week alone, both ABC News and CBS News named new leaders and Reuters News Service tapped a new editor-in-chief. Earlier this year, MSNBC installed a new president to succeed veteran Phil Griffin, who had worked at the network since its launch in 1996. The recent changes in the senior ranks of these various news outlets reflect a much more diverse field of executives — a welcome change to what has largely been a white male-governed business for decades.

Attitude, accountability, education and lack of role models explain many of the reasons for entry-level difficulty and long-term broadcast careers.

Diversity and inclusion within the media industry were moving ahead at a respectable clip. Then the pandemic happened. How should organizations get back on track with their hard-fought efforts?

ABC’s Owned TV Stations division has launched a new race and culture content team that will oversee an expansion in the group’s coverage of underrepresented communities. The new initiative launched with the docuseries Our America: Living While Black, and has since staffed up to expand its output with several more specials in the works.

Jay Leno has apologized for anti-Asian jokes he made on The Tonight Show stemming back two decades. In a joint press statement released Wednesday with the Media Action Network for Asian Americans, Leno admitted that he knew in his heart the jokes were wrong.

After Tegna rejected its proposed board members, minority owner Standard General, one of the company’s largest shareholders, is soliciting proxies for the Tegna annual shareholders meeting so it can seat those candidates anyway. That is according to an SEC filing Wednesday, March 17, in which Standard General said it is seeking to place three board members to help diversify the board, and cited the withdrawal of their fourth candidate, former FCC official and top ad association executive Adonis Hoffman, as a reason for needing to add that diversity.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association said in a statement Saturday that it would focus on adding Black and other underrepresented members to its organization in addition to increasing transparency around its operations.

Harassing emails. Demeaning comments. A struggle to climb the corporate ladder. In interviews with The Washington Post, 17 former and two current employees of Golf Channel describe sexism and misogyny they endured at the network.

The streamer commissioned the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative to analyze its 2018 and 2019 original, live-action films and series, and presented the results to members of the press Thursday in a video presentation. The results were, as Annenberg Inclusion Initiative founder and director Stacy L. Smith noted, far more positive than most Annenberg reports, which have typically found only slow, sporadic improvement in the most popular films.

The media and entertainment industry has disproportionate influence over society’s attitudes, feelings and behaviors. When we take time to embrace and mentor people of color in our business, as the late Jeana Stanley of Hearst did, good things happen — we foster advancement while combatting stereotypes. Here’s to the time in our country when everyone can clearly see what they can be.

NBCUniversal said Friday that actors with disabilities will be included in auditions for all new productions by the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, NBC network and Peacock streaming service. Above, actress Eileen Grubba in a scene from New Amsterdam.

Four days after CBS put two of its local television executives on administrative leave for alleged racist and sexist conduct, the ViacomCBS-owned company has instigated an external investigation into the potentially damning matter. “We are committed to creating a company culture that is diverse, equitable and inclusive for all of members of our CBS and ViacomCBS community,” said Entertainment Group boss George Cheeks in an email to CBS Stations staff on Friday.

Kamala Harris’ inauguration is an inspiring sign of progress — but it’s also a reminder of how challenging it is to increase racial diversity in the highest ranks of leadership. Sadly, the television station business stands as a sobering example.