Now, in a blistering open letter, Hollywood s top publicists are demanding swift action. The letter, which was also published on The Hollywood Reporter, opens by explaining that the publicists who have signed it represent the vast majority of artists in the entertainment industry. It calls on the HFPA to swiftly manifest profound and lasting change, accusing the association of discriminatory behaviour, unprofessionalism, ethical impropriety and alleged financial corruption. Page 1 of the letter – the second page includes dozens more signatories. The letter speaks of a seismic reckoning in the entertainment industry, and demands transformative change within the HFPA. To reflect how urgent and necessary we feel this work is, we cannot advocate for our clients to participate in HFPA events or interviews as we await your explicit plans and timeline for transformational change, it continues.
BBC News
Published
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image captionA man protested on the night of the Golden Globes last month, outside the LA hotel where the awards were filmed
Organisers of the Golden Globe film and TV awards have pledged to increase diversity by making sure at least 13% of its membership is black.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has been criticised after a report said none of its 87 members are black.
More than 100 Hollywood PR firms have signed a letter to say they will advise the stars they represent not to work with the HFPA until changes are made.
They accused the organisation of discriminatory behaviour .
Photo: Robyn Beck for AFP (Getty Images)
After the Academy and BAFTA implemented systemic changes resulting in their most diverse awards nominees yet, this year’s Golden Globe awards looked even worse than usual. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association was heavily criticized, yet again, for its lack of diversity both in its voting body and nominees. Paired with last month’s damning exposé in the
Los Angeles Times, which investigated the organization’s questionable ethics and revealed that there is not a single Black member among the 87 journalists who make up the HFPA, time was well beyond up for the Golden Globes. That sentiment was underscored yesterday by the publication of an open letter signed by over 100 publicity firms, demanding the HFPA “swiftly manifest profound and lasting change to eradicate the longstanding exclusionary ethos and pervasive practice of discriminatory behavior, unprofessionalism, ethical impropriety and alleged financial corruption endemic”