The Directors Guild of America's recently released study of the 2000-2001 top 40 prime time series in television shows that:
- A mere 20% of the 663 episodes were directed by women or minorities
- Women and minority directors were totally missing from many of the best-known series line-ups, such as Friends, Law & Order and The Drew Carey Show
- Nearly half of the shows employed either no women or no minorities
For years, the DGA has tracked and challenged the entertainment industry's hiring practices. And for years, the story has remained the same: The employers continue to refuse to open the doors of opportunity to African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans or women.
CALL TO ACTION: During these next few weeks, showrunners, studios and the networks will be making their hiring choices for the new television season. The Directors Guild of America asks them to keep an open mind about the choices they are making – and not making. And we remind the employers that there are creative, professional people out there who may not look like they do, but whose talents can deliver the highest-quality product to their audiences. All we are saying is, give them a chance.
For more information please call the Directors Guild of America at (310) 289-2036 or email diversity@dga.org.
