As DEI buckles under President Donald Trump, Amazon Studios — along with its parent company, the broader tech industry, and much of corporate America — has discontinued its Inclusion Policy and Playbook unveiled in the summer of 2021 to codify its existing diversity, equity and inclusion practices with the aim, it said then, of creating content that is more representative of U.S. audiences.
“We’ve said from the beginning that our efforts to ensure diverse and inclusive storytelling would be fluid and change over time. We continue to evolve this vital work in concert with our commitment to keep our global audience of viewers at the center of everything we do,” an Amazon spokesperson said. “Above all, we strive to tell the very best stories, while empowering diverse voices in our storytelling wherever possible.”
A person familiar with the situation said Amazon had removed the public-facing inclusion playbook from its website in September, a move they said was reflective of Amazon’s “overall approach to inclusivity always being focused on education and ensuring opportunity – while never being grounded in any restrictions or rules.”
The studio’s policy had covered four primary areas that offer actionable recommendations to continue to seek out storytelling that amplifies diverse voices throughout all aspects of the production process: Developing Stories and Characters, Hiring and Production, Reporting and Documentation, and Meeting Goals with a list of objectives.
“With the establishment of our Inclusion Policy and Inclusion Playbook, Amazon Studios has committed itself to being a thought and action leader in the transformation of our industry,” said studio head Jennifer Salke then. “We know how much work there is to be done to improve representation both on camera and behind the scenes, and it starts at home, with us. With clear directives and a commitment to accountability, these guides provide a path toward a more equitable future, both on- and off-camera.”
One of many U.S. companies to embrace DEI after the police murder of George Floyd in 2021, Amazon published progress reports in 2022 and 2023. But companies have been rolled them back as the administration of President Donald Trump seeks to root it programs through executive orders and investigations.
PBS and NPR parent has disbanded its DEI, Disney has rolled it back and the FCC is investigating diversity initiatives at NBCUniversal parent Comcast.
Big tech companies were among the first to retreat.Amazon eliminated all mention of DEI from its latest annual report. Meta was among the first to cut such programs. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, along with Apple CEO Tim Cook and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai were prominently featured at Trump’s scaled-down indoor inauguration.
Candi Castleberry, Amazon’s vice president of inclusive experiences and technology, told employees in a December memo that the company was in the process of “winding down outdated programs and materials” as part of a broader review of hundreds of initiatives, according to CNBC.
