Warner Bros., HBO to press staff diversity in all projects

WarnerMedia, which includes HBO, Turner Broadcasting and Warner Bros. Entertainment, said Wednesday that it will use its “best efforts” to ensure diversity among crews and actors hired for all future film and TV projects, as well as hiring directors and producers who share similar aims.

“We all must ensure there is greater inclusion of women, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, those with disabilities and other underrepresented groups in greater numbers both in front of and behind the camera,” WarnerMedia said in a statement released Wednesday. 

{mosads}“To that end, in the early stages of the production process, we will engage with our writers, producers and directors to create a plan for implementing this commitment to diversity and inclusion on our projects, with the goal of providing opportunities for individuals from under-represented groups at all levels,” the statement explained.

“And, we will issue an annual report on our progress,” it read.

WarnerMedia is still discussing how it will assess whether a project is sufficiently diverse and by what mechanism diversity will be enforced. 

“Our policy commits us to taking concrete action to further our goals, to measure the outcomes and to share the results publicly,” Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara said.

However, it is evident any policy change from the media giant could have sweeping effects on the industry.

WarnerMedia will be the first major entertainment company to institute a companywide diversity policy, according to the Associated Press.

“This is the next logical step to improve our content and cement our leadership in contributing to positive change in the industry,” WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey said.