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The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. is preparing for its annual Golden Globes this Sunday and responding to criticism for failing to cultivate an inclusive and diverse membership body. The group currently has no black journalists among its 87 members. In fact, the organization had not had a black member since at least 2002, when former HFPA chairman and board chairman Meher Tatna joined it.
In an interview for VarietyInterview with the heads of the big four awards organizations – Oscars, Globes, SAG and BAFTA – Tatna responded to the criticism. “As a person of color, this is important to me,” Tatna says. “It’s just that there are nuances, as an immigrant organization, who write for our country of origin, who seek [for international Black journalists] hasn’t been easy, but that doesn’t mean we’ll give up. We will keep trying and we will be part of the solution. “
When asked about the last black member of the HFPA, she could not remember when there was a black member or who it was, saying, “It was before my time, but I don’t remember when. country he came from. ” A spokesperson for the HFPA says the last black member was from Belize but did not provide dates for membership.
A spokesperson for the HFPA stressed that all journalists of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds based in Southern California and writing for international media can apply, and also noted that the group’s members are predominantly female, with 35% of its members come from non-European countries. including Egypt, North Africa, Japan, India, Bangladesh, Philippines, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Chile. The HFPA is also considering potentially changing its rules to expand its pool of applicants.
However, membership criteria and qualifications make the mission of finding diverse members difficult. On the Golden Globes website, instructions for new member apps read in part:
Applicants must be working journalists based in Southern California covering the entertainment industry for a legitimate foreign publication and must be sponsored by of them current members of the HFPA. Applicants must submit 24 sample newspaper clippings of their work from the past 3 years. They have also been on the MPAA Journalists Directory for two years.
For a foreign journalist based in Los Angeles, forming relationships with this small group, largely unknown to the public, is difficult due to its strict and exclusive membership policies. Greater transparency would help reduce the public’s perception that the group is not seeking to be inclusive.
On Friday afternoon, the activist organization Time’s Up tweeted a photo with the hashtag #TimesUpGlobes. Presenter Sterling K. Brown also posted the Time’s Up photo, saying: “The fact that any governing body of a current Hollywood awards show has such a lack of electoral representation illustrates a level of irresponsibility that should not be taken. ignore.
A spokesperson for Time’s Up responded to Variety for a comment stating, “We refer you to the HFPA.
In recent years, the HFPA has said it has had no black candidates. In May 2013, The Wrap reported that Samantha Ofole-Prince, “a very experienced black British journalist based in Los Angeles who writes for the predominantly African, Caribbean and black British press,” as described by an anonymous member of the HFPA , was denied membership, with one insider saying the organization said it was “not qualified on the basis of any evidence.”
At the time, a spokesperson for the HFPA said: “Any allegation about the organization that claims racial issues is outrageous.”
On Thursday, the HFPA released a statement saying, “We are fully committed to ensuring that our members reflect the communities around the world who love film, television and the artists who inspire and educate them. We understand that we need to attract black members, as well as members from other under-represented backgrounds, and we will work immediately to implement a plan of action to achieve those goals as soon as possible. “
The HFPA has not made current President Ali Sar available for comment.
The Golden Globes will air on Sunday, February 28 at 8:00 p.m. EST.
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