Amazon made the decision to walk back some of its diversity and inclusion efforts prior to President Donald Trump taking over the White House. And now that he’s officially coming after DEI with executive orders, the studio is explaining its preemptive choice.
“We’ve said from the beginning that our efforts to ensure diverse and inclusive storytelling would be fluid and change over time,” an Amazon spokesperson told TheWrap on Thursday. “We continue to evolve this vital work in concert with our commitment to keep our global audience of viewers at the center of everything we do. Above all, we strive to tell the very best stories, while empowering diverse voices in our storytelling wherever possible.”
Additionally, a source close to the company said that the public-facing inclusion playbook was removed from the Amazon Studios website back in September 2024.
In 2021, the company instituted a playbook that aimed to reflect the diversity of their worldwide audience. According to reports, the standards included boosting racial, ethnic and gender diversity for casting and speaking roles. Other initiatives were to increase the number of women and people of underrepresented ethnic and racial groups by 30%. Productions were also tasked with casting actors to match the identities of the characters they would be playing. Seeking at least one bid from both woman-owned and minority-owned businesses were also included in the original initiative.
While Amazon’s shift in DEI policies went into effect back in the fall, a number of media companies have scaled back on their diversity measures following Trump’s executive order last month.
Disney quietly removed the “Reimagine Tomorrow” program from its DEI section; the program’s website previously said it had a mission to amplify “underrepresented voices and untold stories as well as championing the importance of accurate representation in media and entertainment.” The company also announced it would be updating trigger warnings on old movies such as “Dumbo” and “Peter Pan.”
The current warning that content “includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of peoples or cultures” will now read: “This program is presented as originally created and may contain stereotypes or negative depictions.”
PBS shared that the company would be closing its diversity, equity and inclusion office following the DEI executive order. CEO Paula Kerger insisted the move was made to “comply” with ruling but that PBS remains a “welcoming place for everyone.”
According to PBS’ most recent annual DEI report from 2022, “BIPOC employees comprised 48% of new hires and 35% of promotions. It is unclear how many employees overall will lose their jobs as a result of the DEI office closing down.
Shockingly amid all of these roll backs on DEI measures, a number of advocacy groups including the NAACP, GLAAD and even the ACLU have remained quiet on the executive order’s immediate effect on Hollywood. Hollywood has long been criticized for its lack of inclusion, and many viewed these diversity measures as the first step to achieving full equity in the industry.
While it remains to be seen how media company will be penalized for maintaining DEI measures, companies like Comcast and NBCUniversal have already come under fire from newly appointed FCC chair Brendan Carr.
Carr accused Comcast and NBCUniversal of promoting DEI efforts in a way that failed to comply with the Trump administration’s new regulations. Carr specifically noted that the company’s website called DEI a “core value,” which violated FCC regulations and civil rights laws. The investigation remains ongoing.
In response, a Comcast spokesperson told TheWrap: “We have received an inquiry from the Federal Communications Commission and will be cooperating with the FCC to answer their questions. For decades, our company has been built on a foundation of integrity and respect for all of our employees and customers.”
On his first day in office, President Trump terminated “illegal DEI and ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility’ (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear.”
