More and more companies in media and entertainment have embraced diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and most have done so with the intent of making their companies more welcoming to people of different races and cultures. It’s a concept akin to “a rising tide lifts all boats” -- and it benefits leadership as well. But in June 2023, DEI took a hit in the form of a legal challenge brought against Harvard by a group called SFFA (Students for Fair Admissions), which claimed Harvard was discriminating against Asian applicants in favor of Black applicants with lower GPAs. In this edition of Office Hours, Kelley Drye’s Barbara Hoey explains how the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of SFFA set off a wave of legal action by conservative groups against DEI programs within law firms, law schools, corporations and even nonprofits, putting DEI initiatives at risk.
Hoey, who notes she has benefited from DEI in her own career, also discusses how companies are now handling DEI initiatives, which includes changing prerequisites for programs such as internships. “[Companies] haven’t suddenly given up on diversity,” she said. “They’ve just decided to make the prudent decision. We’re still going to try to diversify our workforce. We recognize the value of having more women or more people of color managing our employees, because then the employee and the entry level rank sees someone who looks like him or her in a senior management job.” Hoey also explains how she advises her clients who are looking to keep their DEI programs how they can make some modifications that will avoid opening themselves up to a lawsuit, but continue to promote DEI.
You can listen to this new podcast episode of MFM’s Office Hours as part of the MediaVillage Podcast Network lineup on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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