On Monday afternoon, in the aftermath of NBC’s decision to not air the Golden Globe Awards in 2022, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association — the 78-year-old organization of SoCal-based journalists for foreign media outlets that is behind the Globes — issued a statement suggesting it will proceed with efforts to reform itself throughout the coming year, even including a timeline with bullet points of specific agenda items and goals.
The latest Golden Globes saga began after the HFPA came under the microscope in a Feb. 21 Los Angeles Times piece which revealed that the organization counted zero Black journalists among its 87 members (now down to 86 after the April 20 expulsion of former president Philip Berk), among other demographic and ethics concerns. Time’s Up quickly launched a pressure campaign, which was amplified by numerous Hollywood A-listers via social media. The HFPA acknowledged that it needed to change in a written statement and during a brief segment on the Feb. 28 Globes telecast, and then on March 9 announced that it had retained a diversity consultant and a law firm to conduct an internal review.
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This was not enough to tamp down concern on the part of Time’s Up and representatives of some of Hollywood’s leading personal PR firms, which began emailing with each other on March 9 and scheduled a March 10 meeting on Zoom. On March 15, 104 PR firms — virtually every major one on both sides of the Atlantic, save for Sunshine Sachs, which represents the HFPA — signed on to an unprecedented missive. “We call on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to swiftly manifest profound and lasting change to eradicate the longstanding exclusionary ethos and pervasive practice of discriminatory behavior, unprofessionalism, ethical impropriety and alleged financial corruption endemic to the HFPA,” the letter read in part. “We cannot advocate for our clients to participate in HFPA events or interviews as we await your explicit plans and timeline for transformational change.”
Last week, the HFPA’s board proposed and full membership approved a plan for sweeping reforms, which was endorsed by both NBC and the HFPA’s longtime producing partner on the Globes, Dick Clark Productions. But the fact that it was to take effect “over the next 18 months” was not fast enough for Time’s Up and the coalition of PR firms, which said they would continue to boycott HFPA events unless and until reforms are actually enacted; Netflix, Amazon and WarnerMedia, all of which announced that they would take the same position; Scarlett Johansson and recent Globe winner Mark Ruffalo, who issued critical statements; and Tom Cruise, who returned the three Golden Globe statuettes that he has won. And so NBC reconsidered its position and decided that it would not facilitate a telecast in 2022 in order to allow the HFPA adequate time to address its problems.
See the full HFPA statement below.
Regardless of the next air date of the Golden Globes, implementing transformational changes as quickly — and as thoughtfully — as possible remains the top priority for our organization.
We invite our partners in the industry to the table to work with us on the systemic reform that is long overdue, both in our organization as well as within the industry at large.
Our below timeline demonstrates our commitment to achieving these goals with extreme urgency:
HFPA – Reform Milestones
Week of May 3
- Members meet, consider, and overwhelmingly vote to approve and implement the Board’s plan for transformational change
- Board continues to meet with advocacy groups to develop initiatives to fulfill the HFPA’s commitment to add at least 20 new members by August 2021 and increase membership by 50% in 18 months
- Eradicating the new member one year moratorium on voting; All new members will have all voting rights day 1.
- Board and members approve hiring of Ropes & Gray to amend and restate Bylaws and other governing documents to implement member-approved plan for transformational change
Weeks of May 10 and 17
- Revise and approve new Code of conduct in consultation with Publicists and studios
- Continue outreach to potential new member candidates
- Publish Code of Conduct and establish Hotline for reporting of violations
- Engage independent third party investigator to review and respond promptly to all Hotline claims
- Interview candidates and engage new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (“DEI”) consultant
- Identify and recruit independent, outside professionals and non-Board members and form Accountability/Oversight Board (“Advisory Board”) to oversee HFPA Board in implementing plan for transformational change
- Interview Executive Search Firms to commence search for Chief DEI/HR Officer and identification of potential CEO/CFO and other executives to lead HFPA
- HFPA website to be continuously updated to show progress against plan and to list promised Member information (biographies, publications, affiliations, etc.)
Weeks of May 24 and 31
- New DEI Consultant and other outside experts conduct mandatory member trainings for DEI and sexual harassment
- Board and Advisory Board continue work on identification of applicants to fulfill commitment to add at least 20 new members by August 2021
- Grants Officer and subcommittee of members continue work to increase support of internship, mentorship, and scholarship programs for students from underrepresented backgrounds interested in international journalism
- Identify and recruit independent, outside professionals for new Credentials Committee, which will oversee new membership application process and reaccreditation of current members based on same criteria as new members
- Continue review of committee structure / compensation
- First reading of Bylaw Amendments at General Membership Meeting (“GMM”)
Weeks of June 7, 14, and 21
- Focus groups with members, Advisory Board, and Ropes & Gray to review amendments to Bylaws and other governing documents
- Board assesses and evaluates recommendations of Executive Search Firm for new Executive Officer team
- Form new Credentials Committee
- All above work streams on trainings, mentorship, and recruitment continue
Week of June 28
- Second reading of Bylaw Amendments at GMM
- Ballots for voting on Bylaw Amendments mailed to members
- Implement new policies on Gifts, Travel, Conflicts of Interest, and Press Conferences
Week of July 5
- Members vote on Bylaw Amendments by ballot
Weeks of 12 and 19
- Approved Bylaw Amendments become effective
- New Officer and Board elections under amended and restated Bylaws
- New membership process opens per new criteria enacted in amended and restated Bylaws
- All existing members required to meet same standards as new members for reaccreditation of their membership
Week of July 26
- New member process continues
- Reaccreditation continues
Week of August 2
- New members admitted to HFPA
- New Board elected, including independent members, in accordance with amended and restated Bylaws
- New CEO/CFO and other Executive Team approved and engaged to manage HFPA
- Existing Board and Officers resign upon election of New Board and hiring of Executive Team
