Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) have been a hot topic for the past few years, particularly in the entertainment industry. In a time where media is becoming a global hotspot of ideas and collaborations, it is more important than ever for industry professionals to be trained and familiar with the concepts of DEI.
Still, we see a lot of segregation, lack of professionalism, and areas where improvement can be made in regard to this concept. Moving forward, solid DEI will be a critical factor in determining the overall growth of the entertainment industry for these reasons.
Production Value
DEI is a critical component for increasing production value and one that many production houses are still ignoring today. Research shows that consumers are highly sensitive to forms of media that exhibit more of this principle.
Consumers not only respond better to DEI-intensive media but they also develop a more favorable attitude towards the developer of that content. As media in all forms finds its way across the globe, the diverse global audience demands to see more DEI.
Consumer Demand
There are several communities and groups of individuals that are still underrepresented in media. This is partly because media houses don’t realize the value of broadcasting these groups and partly because they have operational difficulties in working with them. For many media producers, DEI Training is still very important and necessary if they want to reach a broader audience. Simply including underrepresented groups isn’t enough.
They need to be presented in an authentic way so they can have the best possible impact on audiences. They want to see things in a clear and realistic way, not from the perspective of media production companies.
Business Development
Production companies are businesses at the end of the day and profit is a core objective of their operations. Ads and commercials are a form of media designed specifically to help businesses boost their sales and revenue. According to recent research, customers are more willing to engage with ads and commercials that show more DEI. This trend is also true for purely entertainment-based content such as movies, cartoons, and even music.
Even today media producers are struggling to fluidly integrate DEI in their operations and it is a roadblock to development that not all companies recognize.
Barrier To Entry
Media production, like any industry, requires new talented individuals to join the workforce to keep it moving forward. When audiences don’t see themselves represented in the media they consume they naturally feel like there isn’t room for them in that space.
While media production companies might want to expand in a certain direction, they don’t have the human capital needed to make that move because they haven’t put in the efforts to attract that kind of workforce. Therefore lack of DEI becomes a barrier to entry for the people that want to work in media and for companies that want to expand and grow in new demographics.
Even with all the globalization that has happened, and continues to happen, diversity, equity and inclusion are still challenges in the media industry. The lack of DEI is proving to be a hindrance for both the businesses and individuals in this industry as well as the audiences that purchase the content. Better development in the future is only possible through more effective implementation of DEI.