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The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the besieged organization behind the Golden Globe Awards, has passed a series of sweeping reforms that it hopes will appease those who effectively boycotted the organization in the aftermath of February 21. Los Angeles Times presentation on the demographics and conduct of the organization.
Time’s Up and a coalition of more than 100 PR firms on both sides of the Atlantic waged a lobbying campaign that got talent, studios and networks to declare that they would not work with the HFPA until significant changes would not have been adopted. And NBC, the HFPA’s longtime broadcast partner on the Globes, has said it will not broadcast the ceremony in early 2022.
The list of new statutes, which was presented to the organization’s 84 members by its board in May, needed the support of at least two-thirds of the members – or 56 members – to pass. The board had threatened to resign if members did not vote yes. The vote took place on Wednesday evening and was certified by Ernst & Young.
“Three months ago, we pledged to embark on transformational change, and with this vote, we delivered the last and most important promise to reinvent the HFPA and our role in the industry,” said the president. of the HFPA Board of Directors. Ali sar said in a statement. “All of these promised reforms can serve as a benchmark for the industry and allow us to re-partner in a meaningful way with Hollywood moving forward.”
Following the vote, the board will meet on Thursday and set an election date to choose a new board, which will be made up of 12 HFPA members and three non-members. The organization has also posted an application on its website through which any journalist who meets the new membership criteria can apply to join the organization. The newly adopted measure calls for the admission of “at least 20 new members in 2021, with particular emphasis on recruiting black members” and with “a goal of increasing membership by 50% during the 18 next months “. Under the new statutes, new members will be selected by an accreditation committee which will now consist of five non-HFPA members, three HFPA members and the chairman of the board.
NBC responded to the reforms in a statement Thursday: “We are encouraged by the adoption of the amended articles of association. This marks a positive step forward and signals the HFPA’s willingness to do the work necessary for meaningful change.
Globes producer Dick Clark Productions added, “We applaud the adoption of new statutes and the significant policy revisions over the past few months as the HFPA strives to reform itself. We look forward to seeing continued urgency, dedication and positive change to create a more diverse, equitable, inclusive and transparent future. “
The HFPA is opening up to a larger pool of applicants by removing its SoCal residency requirement and expanding eligibility to any qualified journalist living in the United States who works for a foreign publication, including “in media beyond of the written press ”; eliminate the “sponsorship requirement” for new members; and removing restrictions on the number of members who can be admitted per year, while explicitly stating that “there are no limits on the number of members from each territory”, which the HFPA has recently been accused of. ‘have applied in a lawsuit brought by a journalist who had been refused admission to the group. (The lawsuit was dismissed.)
Under the new statutes, there will also be a “review of membership eligibility and reaccreditation criteria” and “all current members will be required to meet the same standards as new members for re-accreditation of their membership.” As of Friday, all current members will have 15 days to apply for re-accreditation as members and will have to show a higher level of journalistic production than ever before.
And, now members will have to adhere to a stricter code of conduct, parts of which have already been approved before Wednesday’s vote, including a ban on members accepting freebies. (The HFPA has long been accused of effectively accepting “bribes” – in the form of expensive gifts and travel – in exchange for votes.)
It remains to be seen whether those who boycott the HFPA will be sufficiently satisfied with the reforms to resume business with the organization. The most likely scenario, according to conversations with publicists whose companies were part of the coalition that led the boycott, is that PR firms will continue to discourage talent from attending HFPA events unless and until what the organization is implementing the changes it has now approved. , notably by adding black journalists to their ranks.
“These new statutes bring accountability, inclusion and transparency to our association, and today’s vote is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our members to thinking, educating and building a better organization “, vice-president of the HFPA Helene hoehne said in a statement. “But we know the hard work begins now, and we invite our industry partners to join us on our mission to bring Hollywood to the world in a more inclusive and diverse way.”
The HFPA will now also have to decide whether it wants to hold a vote to determine the nominees and Golden Globe winners, although the Globes will not be broadcast this awards season. Even some PR firms seem receptive to the idea, especially given the number of Oscar-nominated musicals this year that could get a boost from the Globes musical (or comedy) categories.
(DCP is a division of MRC, which is co-owner of Hollywood journalist via a joint venture with Penske Media called P-MRC.)
Aug 5, 9:50 a.m. Updated to include statements from NBC and Dick Clark Productions.
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