The besieged Hollywood Foreign Press Association has responded to new calls for deeper reforms by putting “several more key pieces in place,” its board said today.
The HFPA updated its Code of Conduct and hired a diversity consultant in May after taking flak from many sides for weeks over the lack of diversity in its ranks and its poorly received initial statement about it and subsequent plan for “transformational change.”
The group behind the Golden Globe Awards said today it “remains dedicated to the transformational change it outlined in its May reform plan and timeline” and revealed more reform plans.
Here is today’s statement from the HFPA board:
HFPA membership approved the draft bylaws for a final vote with no amendments, demonstrating its continued commitment to foundational change. Official ballots will now go out via mail to the membership, with a final vote tally in early August.
The HFPA also approved new gift, travel and conflict of interest policies. Under these new policies, HFPA members shall not be permitted to accept promotional materials or other gifts from studios, publicists, actors, directors or others associated with motion pictures and television programs.
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With these updates, our members have completed virtually all of the reforms agreed upon in May — including establishing a functioning hotline (with grievances to be investigated by an outside group), approving a new code of conduct, and bringing on trusted DEI advisors.
We will continue to update the industry on our progress as we vote on new bylaws that will create an inclusive, diverse, and accountable organization — one that our members, stakeholders, and partners will be proud of.”
The announcement comes two days after the owner of longtime Globes producers dick clark productions made a radical proposal for change to the group of foreign journalists who cover Hollywood. Eldridge Industries, dcp’s parent, essentially wants the HFPA to strategically splinter into a real business as well as maintain its current nonprofit status in hopes of implementing a near-total re-engineering of the entity.
That came as the blowback has continued over the HFPA controversy. NBC in May canceled the 2022 Golden Globe Awards amid the controversy and many individuals and groups have ripped the organization. Among them are Time’s Up — which has lashed out at the group multiple times and penned a pair of scathing post-Globes letters — Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Ava DuVernay, Ellen Pompeo, Kerry Washington, JJ Abrams, Jurnee Smollett, Jennifer Aniston, Damon Lindelof, and Shonda Rhimes, the DGA, SAG-AFTRA and GLAAD.