Special Report: Broadcast, Cable and Streaming Media Responds To George Floyd's Death

In the past week, in response to the death of George Floyd, after a police officer pressed his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes, while handcuffed on the ground and repeatedly said “I can’t breathe,” a new wave of Black Lives Matter protests unfolded throughout cities across the nation. Different Television networks and have released statements of support for the protesters and the Black community. The audience is calling out and holding the networks accountable, by asking which social justice causes the networks support and the monetary commitment to those causes. By holding the networks accountable, an equal and diversified industry might finally begins to come true.

AT&T: HBO changed their Twitter descriptions to “#BlackLivesMatter” and quoted James Baldwin in their pinned tweet—“Neither love nor terror makes one blind: indifference makes one blind.” As a joint venture with CBS, The CW also released a statement of support for the movement on twitter. Warner Media released a series of statements sharing how they are going to hold themselves accountable. To start, they are offering on-air inventory to Color of Change and NAACP, with the promise of others to be added in the weeks to come. Warner Media also took “an additional step to help more Black and other underrepresented creators break through by expanding our content innovation program OneFifty with an additional $500k to seed issue-focused creative ideas from communities who often go unheard.” 

Comcast: NBC released a statement in solidarity with the Black community in “outrage ay acts of racism.” Comcast Chief Executive Brian Roberts previously said Wednesday the nation’s largest cable provider and owner of NBCUniversal has committed $500 million to support employees as coronavirus quarantines temporarily shut down business units. Roberts, NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell and other top leaders at Comcast donated their salaries to coronavirus-related relief efforts. As of June 6, Comcast hasn’t pledged donation to any organization supporting the nation wide protest.

The Walt Disney Company: ABC wrote on twitter—“We believe in liberty and justice for all. We stand with Black colleagues, creators, performers, storytellers, viewers and every ally of the Black community against systematic racism, racial injustice, senseless violence and oppression.” FX added “Our nation cannot be healed until all of our rights are truly equal under the law.” 

Bob Iger, Disney executive chairman shared a joint statement from him, CEO Bob Chapek and Chief Diversity Officer Latondra Newton, stating “We intend to focus our efforts and resources to compassionately and constructively talk about these matters openly and honestly as we seek solutions. We intend to keep the conversation going, not just today, but for as long as it takes to bring about real change.” On June 3, The Walt Disney Company pledged $5 million to support nonprofit organizations that advance social justice (with emphasis on NAACP), followed by the Disney Employee Matching Gift program, which increases employees’ impact in their community.

ViacomCBS: CBS released a simple but to-the-point statement on twitter, “Black lives matter. Black culture matters. Black communities matter.” ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish announced that the company would be donating $5 million to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Equal Justice Initiative, Amnesty International, National Bail Out, The Bail Project, Community Coalition and others on June 5, who also reminded employees of ViacomCBS’ donation matching program in a company-wide email about recent events. 

Netflix, one of the first entertainment giants to release a statement in response to George Floyd demonstrations on twitter, wrote “To be silent is to be complicit…We have a platform, and we have a duty to our Black members, employees, creators and talent to speak up.” Previously, the streamer pledged $150 million to the out-of-work production community mid-March due to the global coronavirus pandemic. Regarding the financial donation for organizations that pushes racial justice, Netflix has yet to pledge.

Hulu has also shown support for the movement by saying “We support Black lives. Today, and every day. You are seen. You are heard. And we are with you.” Hulu is owned by The Walt Disney Company, with NBCUniversal and Comcast.

Productions on hold due to the pandemic and the nation wide George Floyd demonstration births the perfect cultural reset for the television industry’s belated changes to come. More and more people from the marginalized community, empowered by the movement, are speaking out about the unfair treatment they underwent in the entertainment industry. After the exposure of sexual harassment culture in Hollywood, a revolution calling for diversity and safety for women and women of color is long overdue in action. The power of the Black Lives Matter protest lies within the courage, which is now awakened in people who didn’t have a voice before. Witnessing and supporting the Black community who has been brutalized by this country, signifies an outcry for justice in the world. Activism takes form in many ways, but corporations who have benefited from the system that has been standing on the back of the oppressed, need to do more than sharing words of solidarity and comfort.

The reality is, radical change is never comfortable. What we can do in action unavoidably will be filled with discomfort and pain, which many have endured for generations. The lesson from this movement is the unrest spirit and the everlasting pursue of justice; the next step for the entertainment industry is to be proactive in efforts supporting underserved communities. Putting money where your mouth is doesn’t conclude a movement, it’s only the beginning.