TV Academy Releases Report Highlighting Members Inclusion Concerns

The Television Academy has released a new Industry Data Report, which represents the organization’s most thorough look into its own shortcomings related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The report, which was conducted with DEI consulting firm ReadySet, surveyed 4,128 Television Academy members (including 61 governors) to better understand the concerns currently affecting diverse television professionals. Its findings showed that while the industry is clearly moving in the right direction, many minorities do not feel as if the increased understanding of DEI issues has always translated to tangible benefits.

The takeaways from the report were divided into three categories: underrepresentation, which focused on the number of people from various demographics in certain jobs; exclusionary lived experiences, which explored how people who do get those coveted jobs feel like they experience microaggressions at work; and insufficient action, in which members of the relevant demographics don’t feel as if the actions of people in power match their words.

The report is a precursor to the Television Academy’s DEI Summit on December 1, where members of the Academy will gather to discuss the data in greater detail and propose potential actions based on the findings. The team behind the survey expressed excitement about the possibility of digging deeper into all three of these issues at the summit.

“This report will help us frame meaningful conversations aimed at developing actionable initiatives at our December gathering,” said Television Academy Chairman Frank Scherma. This isn’t a ‘one and done’ exercise. We want to not only put into place a set of actions that are comprehensive, lasting and meaningful at the Academy, but we want to play a role in helping DEI professionals across the industry do the same, collectively sharing learnings and best practices.”

“Change is long overdue.” said ReadySet’s CEO and founder Y-Vonne Hutchinson. “The findings in this report will likely not surprise some. And we hope it is a wake-up call to others. Television has the power to shape the way we see the world, others, and ourselves, and we believe that sharing the experiences of Academy members is a critical step towards impactful change. We look forward to supporting the Academy as it pushes for more action to address these issues.”

See the full report here.

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