Research uncovers racial inequality in writer pay and showrunner opportunities

As of 2019, Think Tank for Inclusion and Equity, a diverse consortium of television writers, has launched its first official project, Behind the scenes: a state of participation and equality in television writing A report that surveyed 282 colleagues, about a tenth of the writers recruited at the time, about barriers to advancing in their profession.

Since then, TTIE, now a funded project in women’s cinema, has been launched. ენის Beyond the stage Every year, the fourth edition, released today in partnership with the Gina Davis Institute in Gender Media, has tripled the sample size, with more than 875 working television writers painting a vivid picture of enduring inequality in the industry.

Key findings include inequality in the pay of writers for developing original projects, as well as who will get the chance to present their own series. Among writers who created new shows in the last five years, 70% of historically excluded desks did so for free, compared to 53% of emerging writers in the undeleted class. And among senior writers who created their own shows, 81% of white writers were recognized as being from show business despite having no previous management experience, compared to 67% of BIPOC writers who do.

Also, the assistant writer pipeline continues to flow smoothly for whites. While 68% of white men and 56% of white women participating in the survey received their first television writing job through promotion, only 26% of BIPOC men and 20% of BIPOC women, who are also alumni, were successful. In this way they became scribes.

Forty-eight percent of respondents said they could use help with best practices related to diversity, equality and inclusion, while 76 percent said they received no management training before or during their shows.

Other memorable findings include two-thirds of respondents (67%) who were offended by the show’s producer guilt, while more than half (56%) of low- and mid-level writers never had the opportunity to cover the majority. from the series The Last Show.

TTIE’s research findings include many best practices for improving equality in the field of television writing:

• Pay writers from historically excluded backgrounds when they develop series and cover more projects.
• Offer veteran writers the opportunity to make their own shows from historically excluded backgrounds, especially when they already have transferable skills, such as previous management experience.
• Create an accessible training program for new and experienced co-executive and showbiz producers that includes instruction on how to manage a diverse and inclusive writing room.
• Conduct confidential third-party exit interviews for copywriters to help identify a hazardous work environment and prevent bias and discrimination in the hiring, firing, and rehiring process.
• Offer writers of all levels the opportunity to gain experience with theater, production and post-production.
• Continue to provide zoomed and hybrid writers’ rooms for deaf and hard of hearing writers, as well as access without financial privileges.

“We are delighted to see the industry moving in the right direction,” said TTIE co-founder and co-chairman I. Shirin Razak in a statement. “Future work will ensure that EDI initiatives and promises lead to real cultural change and better stories. We invite our colleagues to use TTIE’s findings and recommendations for guidance.