Netflix Has Raised The Bar For Representation, But Many Stories Are Still Untold
The streaming giant s original programming leads the industry in some areas of inclusion but falls short on many levels, a new study finds.
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Every year, Netflix produces hundreds of original movies and shows, many of which have been touted for their inclusion and representation. A new study released Friday shows that the streaming giant has helped raise the bar for gender equity and Black representation with its storytelling, often doing better than the entertainment industry at large. But the company, which prides itself on prioritizing inclusion in its content and its hiring, has also fallen short in several areas of diversity, with many identities remaining largely invisible on-screen, the report said.
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Netflix Hits Gender Parity for Lead Roles, But Lags in Latinx and LGBTQ Representation, Study Finds
Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s Dr. Stacy Smith led overview of 126 original movies and 180 scripted series from 2018 and 2019Brian Welk | February 26, 2021 @ 6:00 AM Last Updated: February 26, 2021 @ 7:46 AM
In the first major overview of Netflix’s original movies and series, Dr. Stacy Smith’s USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that the streamer reached gender equality in leading roles but lagged in others measures of diversity, particularly when it came to representation for Latinx and LGBTQ+ individuals.
In a report issued Friday (read an executive summary here and the full report here), Smith analyzed 126 original movies and 180 original scripted series Netflix released between 2018 and 2019. One notable finding was that among women in leading roles in both film and TV, Netflix reached gender parity that not only surpassed the industry
| Credit: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX
Netflix is doing its part to help diversify the entertainment industry.
Ted Sarandos, co-CEO and chief content officer for Netflix, announced in a blog post on Friday of the creation of the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, which will invest $100 million over the course of five years to support underrepresented communities looking to work in the TV and film industries. Get push notifications with news, features and more. + Follow
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Netflix did not share which specific organizations it would be donating towards, but did note it has previously contributed to nonprofits like Project Involve and Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival s Latinx Inclusion Fellowship Serie
Netflix Productions Are More Diverse Than Studio Films, Study Shows
The study, which the streaming giant commissioned, looked at films and TV series from 2018 and 2019.
Ali Wong and Randall Park star in “Always Be My Maybe” on Netflix.Credit.Netflix
Feb. 26, 2021
Fifty-two percent of Netflix films and series in 2018 and 2019 had girls or women in starring roles. And 35.7 percent of all Netflix leads during that span came from underrepresented groups, compared with 28 percent in the top 100 grossing theatrical films.
Those findings were released on Friday by the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which Netflix commissioned to look at its own U.S.-based scripted original films and series. The study analyzed 126 movies and 180 series released during 2018 and 2019.