In this article, we will examine what his administration has done to roll back protections for marginalised people. We will also unpack what these actions could mean for the entertainment industry and its workers.

Eroding Work Protections

In January, Trump signed three executive orders. These orders mainly focused on rolling back Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programmes. Along with affirmative action and protections for trans people. High, Jordan and Ostrager note that though the orders were aimed mainly at federal agencies, they instruct agencies to make “reports identifying…private sector companies with the most ‘egregious and discriminatory’ DEI programs.” Along with “potential civil compliance investigations of publicly traded corporations and large non-profits.” Meaning they will have wide-reaching effects.

What This Means

These orders are meant to send the message that measures being taken to protect and cultivate better working environments for marginalised people and address systemic hiring biases that often disadvantages people who are marginalised because of, “their race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin,” will be vilified by the Trump administration. Companies that voice inclusive policies even face potential legal action. Meaning this is being done to create an intimidating environment for marginalised people. Crucially, although these orders frame themselves as anti-discriminatory, the ACLU says these orders “weaponize civil rights laws’ to reverse decades of progress for women, people of color and for all communities.”

Company-implemented programmes around diversity measures have been criticised for how businesses often use them to whitewash their image over taking concrete steps to address company discrimination. However, they still help many marginalised people. These orders aim to destroy even these small protections that make businesses consider their hiring practices, employees’ talents and well-being.

How Companies Are Responding

Big media companies like Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount, Disney and Amazon have already changed their policies significantly. Amazon excluded a section from a 2024 report that indicated the company was focused on “diversity and inclusion in hiring”. They also said they are “winding down outdated programs and material,” relating to DEI initiatives. Disney is changing its Disney+ content warnings, shifting its “talent strategy” to centre on business outcomes over fostering diversity and inclusion, and closing a website celebrating the contributions of underrepresented voices at the company. Paramount has rolled back its targets to attract more diverse employees and has removed website content speaking to DEI initiatives. WBD are also changing their language to revolve around “inclusion”. In addition, it is making its application process “uniform and consistent”.

Many of these companies are trying to make it clear that they still value diverse perspectives and inclusive environments. That said, these measures, coupled with Amazon creating content around the Trump family and WBD having reportedly had similar suggestions made, Paramount’s potential merger on the way, and Disney pulling content featuring diverse characters, indicate these companies are just trying to garner favour from the Trump administration to protect their financial interests. All while trying to hold onto marginalised audiences and workers, despite capitulating to policies made to make them feel unwelcome.

The Future

We will have to wait and see how these orders affect the whole American film industry, as well as the film industry broadly and if workers and companies will fight these orders. However, these actions also reiterate a dark truth. The film industry has long dragged its feet on improving on-screen and behind-the-scenes representation. Now that high-profile companies have retreated from commitments to diversity and protecting marginalised groups, it has the potential to alienate diverse creatives from the entertainment industry further. Thereby depriving them of a voice within culture and their workplace. Plus, if these companies bow to pressure, the number of productions pandering to the Trump administration will undoubtedly rise over the next few years. Which will serve to normalise its hateful rhetoric. For that, these companies should be ashamed.

The post How Film Studios Are Responding To Donald Trump’s Attack On Diversity, Equity & Inclusion appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

And although Gaza must remain in focus it’s worth looking at the ramifications this destruction has had on communities across the world. Today we’re going to look at the Film and TV Charity’s recent report analysing the mental health impacts the events in Gaza are having on UK Arab, Muslim & Jewish film and TV workers.

Disclaimer

This survey doesn’t give any details on the respondent’s views on the Gaza genocide. Therefore any claims that results are skewed by bias towards actions taken by any group is unacceptable. Israel’s actions don’t represent the worldwide Jewish community. To claim they do is antisemitic. Similarly, to make any hostile inferences based on the contributions of Arab and Muslim respondents is racist and Islamaphobic.

Findings

From December 2023 until early January 2024 the Film and TV charity distributed an online survey among specific industry groups. Intending to find out how the events in Gaza and Israel had affected particular industry workers. As well as to form a picture of prior discrimination faced by Muslim, Arab and Jewish workers.

The final report found Jewish; Arab and Muslim workers overwhelmingly felt their mental health had deteriorated since October 7th 2023. Both cohorts overwhelmingly said that UK media organisations treated their community unfairly (80% of Arab and Muslim workers and 68% of Jewish workers). Also, similar percentages of both groups felt the events of October 7th and beyond resulted in the deterioration of how they are treated by others in the workplace (41% of Arab and Muslim workers and 40% of Jewish workers).

Additionally, 40% of Arab and Muslim respondents said they had already had negative industry experiences because of their identity pre-October 7th. 80% of the same communities agreed the industry was institutionally discriminatory towards them. While over half felt unsupported by employers after October 7th and thought the industry was unwelcoming and unsafe. 

A significant number of Jewish and Arab and Muslim participants reported the events on and after October 7th as having impacted their work well-being in some way. Plus both were likely to encounter regular hostility towards their community in the workplace. However, a greater percentage of Muslim and Arab respondents reported being negatively impacted in both cases.

Recommendations

After compiling the findings the charity organised several discussions with industry leaders to propose solutions to these problems.

Some of the main solutions included (among other things):

• Providing training and education across the industry on what islamophobia, anti-Arab discrimination and antisemitism are. Clear guidelines on how to spot and report incidents (as well as robust reporting systems). With a zero-tolerance policy towards these attitudes.
• Carrying out schemes to ensure diverse on-screen representation to all the discussed communities. As well as creating programming specifically aimed at being inclusive to “‘Muslim’, ‘Asian’ or ‘Arab'” communities. 
• Fostering inclusive industry attitudes. This can be done by respecting important holidays for Jewish staff and education on religious and cultural practices relating to Muslim and Arab staff. Creating Jewish, Arab and Muslim work groups as well as an industry-wide Arab and Muslim group to act as advocates for community issues. Recognising the diverse spectrum of Jewish identity (race, ethnicity, identity, or religion). Setting up hiring targets for Muslim and Arab staff within industry hubs, and enforcing the rights of Muslim and Arab workers to join police-approved marches and post information from recognised sources on social media without fearing for their professional security.
• An independent review of news content across major channels relating to what is happening in Gaza and how it impacts staff from all discussed communities.

In Closing

These recommendations definitely are a good thing. That said other measures should be considered regarding the current tragedy in Gaza.

Over the past year, the UK media has consistently misrepresented or demonised Palestinians as well as Muslims and Arab people. Framing the Israel-Palestine “conflict” as stemming from religious hatred of Jewish people rather than oppression and occupation. With demonstrations concerned about Palestinian safety often framed around questions of them being hateful or potentially antisemitic. Thereby conflating denouncement of Israel’s actions with Jewish people’s safety, despite many Jewish communities speaking out against Israel.

If the industry is to rebuild trust with these communities it must ensure safety for all these groups, educate workers on how to root out bigotry, it must stop the conflation of Jewish identity with Israel’s actions, recognise the experiences and humanity of Palestinians, along with Muslims and Arab cultures generally, and stop framing their rights as conflicting with Jewish people.

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