Written by The Location Guide on Feb 26, 2025. Posted in General Interest

Resetting the diversity, equity and inclusion agenda

The role of the diversity, equity and inclusion executive in the media and entertainment industry has often been a vulnerable one. While progress is being made for greater diversity behind and in front of the camera, are the production companies and streamers as committed to the cause? The Location Guide speaks with leaders in the Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) field to discuss this and the road ahead for their successors.

 

Jeanell English, former executive VP of impact and inclusion at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a position newly created in July 2022, said at the time: “I’ve never had more job offers in my life.” But just one year later she had left the role, amid a notable dwindle in demand and retreat from the industry on the diversity agenda.

“There were people in positions of power who feared change, feared losing relevance, feared losing money… and feared being cancelled,” English said in a column she wrote for the LA Times recounting her experience at the Academy. “It prevented artists, executives, advocates and allies from being able to sincerely listen to understand without becoming defensive. And it provoked resistance to collaboration and creative thinking, a stance that slowed or halted shifts not only at the Academy, but across the entire industry.”

DEI has been a powerful and ongoing conversation in the creative industry for years. Following the 2020 murder of George Floyd during a pandemic period of isolation and reflection, many major studios, networks and music companies stepped up to show their solidarity by pledging millions of dollars to support social justice programmes, sharing social media statements, and creating executive positions for the push of diversity from within the corporate structure.

“There was an urgency that came over people, and often when people are doing urgent things, they don't also know that they need to be doing long term things, so they don't deeply understand the problem,” comments Verna Myers, diversity consultant and former vice president of inclusion strategy at Netflix. “They thought that it was correctable with a statement, an event, a policy or with dollars. So in their hurry they reached out to everyone. And it was important for them to listen. But DEI work is a discipline. It is based on frameworks, studies and understanding about human behaviour, organisational behaviour, leadership, and draws from psychology, sociology and leadership. It’s also strategic.”

 

 

But in 2023, English and Myers, along with Warner Bros. Discovery’s Karen Horne and Disney’s Latondra Newton would either depart from their roles or be laid off, leaving onlookers perplexed at the shift in the US, while in the UK Joanna Abeyie became the third creative diversity executive to leave the BBC in two years.

A troubling pattern that suggests diversity, equity and inclusion is no longer a priority at the highest levels of the film industry.

Whilst the departures of Myers and Amazon MGM Studio’s global head of DEI Latasha Gillespie came with swift replacements, screen industry diversity and inclusion has shown a “troubling pattern that suggests diversity, equity and inclusion is no longer a priority at the highest levels of the film industry, where decisions are made and institutional change happens,” said Californian state senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas during a press conference on 13 July held by lawmakers with the California Legislative Black Caucus.

As the entertainment industry continues its efforts towards promoting a more representative industry, with Amazon initiating a quota of 50% of above the line roles held by women and
50% from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups, the role of the DEI executive has become more prominent, yet also fraught with challenges and complexities. In the screen sector, where representation both on and off-screen shapes societal narratives and perceptions, DEI leaders and the companies they work for face intense scrutiny, expected to evoke changes quicky, potentially leading to burnout.

“It's not always straightforward. It has unpredictable impacts on the industry,” says Myers. “Change has to actually be the type of change that will make it more possible for more people to be successful, because ultimately the whole organisation is successful when the underrepresented groups, the folks who have not actually enjoyed inclusion and equity start to have a positive experience. That's going to raise the experiences of all within that organisation because people are paying attention and being intentional.”

Their responsibilities range from reshaping hiring practices and fostering inclusive workplaces to ensuring that on-screen portrayals reflect the diversity of global audiences. However, the perception of their role, its effectiveness, and the obstacles they encounter reflect broader cultural tensions within the industry and beyond.

The variety OF ways in which these roles are structured and how they interact amongst the ecosystem of their companies should be given greater significance.

“I sat in the crossfire between the communities I was advocating for and those I was calling onto champion change. On both sides, there was fear,” English adds.

“Roles can be less valued when you can't really see the value,” says professor Angela Chan, head of inclusive futures for the new Co Star National Lab at Story Futures.

During her time on the BBC’s production training programme, Chan, a mixed ethnicity British-Chinese woman, says she faced some prejudice, including being asked: “Are you sure you’re not supposed to be on the ethnicity scheme?”.

Fueled by that experience and drawn to practical roles, Chan embarked on jobs such as head of creative diversity and special projects for Channel 4 and leading BBC television’s diversity activity off and on screen. But she says she is still approached on places liked LinkedIn as if she is in HR, believing there to be an outward misconception and lack of clarity on DEI roles.

Often seen as “hidden work,” according to Chan, DEI roles are company specific, leaving room for flexibility and adaptability, but also disregard for the long-term internal impact. The variety in ways in which these roles are structured and how they interact amongst the ecosystem of their companies should be given greater significance.

Working in these roles draws not only on the business, but also the human consideration, a complex balance between responsibility and emotional health. Many DEI leaders bring with them lived experiences of discrimination or bias, giving them unique insight into the challenges faced by marginalised communities, but also creating an overwhelming sense of pressure.

“One of the traits you need is a passion for fairness, not necessarily a passion for one particular characteristic, but a deep love of natural justice,” says Chan. “You need some corporate skills. You need to understand how organisations work and know when to step into that and when to step out of that, always using your own judgement.”

This personal understanding helps these leaders empathise with those they work with, fuelling their passion for fostering inclusion. During her five years at Netflix, Myers played an integral role as the first head of inclusion, building awareness throughout the company and launching the first inclusion report for the company in 2021. Now as a consultant, her work continues with more widespread reach, steering companies towards a more representative environment for all employees.

One of the traits you need is a passion for fairness, not necessarily a passion for one particular characteristic, but a deep love of natural justice.

“These roles really benefit when there are people who've got deep experience of production and you understand the challenges that producers face in actually doing what's asked of the broadcasters,” Chan says.

“Entertainment, in particular media, are areas where there's been extensive exclusion for long periods of time,” says Myers. “But if you want to future proof your business, if you want to be financially prosperous, you need to figure out how to not only understand other people different from yourself, but you need to figure out how to respect and reflect them in your product. And so this work is definitely about recognising that when you care for humans that you work with, that's going to help your consumer base, that's going to help the people who invest in you, and that's going to create an innovative and exciting product.”

These experts in the field insist personal stories strengthen DEI leaders’ abilities to connect with diverse teams, their leadership styles often rooted in authenticity, using their experiences of
how challenges have shaped their careers, to make their roles critical to the integrity of the business. DEI leaders in the screen industry play an essential role in driving transformative change, both within the corporate structure, as well as trickling down influence to storytelling that reflects the full spectrum of human experiences.

Through their advocacy for inclusivity in hiring, casting, and content creation, they are challenging long-standing inequalities and promoting greater representation on and off screen. Their efforts contribute to a more equitable and authentic portrayal of diverse communities, which not only benefits the industry but also enriches audiences worldwide. As the demand for inclusive content grows, DEI leaders are crucial in shaping a film and television landscape that is both diverse and impactful.

The hope is that more media and production companies see and understand this and appreciate the value of DEI leaders to their business and future.

 

This article was first published in the FOCUS 2024 issue of makers.

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