Women, POC directed half of television episodes in the last year (finally)

Tracee Ellis Ross for "Black-ish." Variety

While there have been many criticisms over the lack of diversity and exclusivity in Hollywood and the media in recent years, it appears the industry is moving in the right direction.

The Directors Guild of America reported on Nov. 19 that for the first time, half of all TV episodes in the 2018-19 season were directed by women or people of color.

This number has vastly improved over the last five years, with the guild reporting only 21% of shows directed by women or people of color in the 2013-14 season.

The guild looked at more than 4,300 episodes produced during the most recent TV season for the report. It found that 31% of TV episodes were directed by women, up 6% from the season before, and 27% of TV episodes were directed by people of color, up 3% from the season before.

To break down the report even more, 8% of the episodes were directed by women of color and 22% of episodes were directed by white women. Moreover, men of color directed 19% of all episodes.

The only category that saw a decrease was the percentage of episodes directed by Caucasian men, which dropped from 57% to 50% in one year.

The Directors Guild of America noted in the report that a possible reason for the increase was that many women and minority directors were first-time directors. According to the report, 49% of first-time hires in the latest TV season were women and 29% were directors of color.

As television shows with women or people of color take over the small screen, viewers may sense a shift in content that some argue better represents America as a whole.

“When They See Us,” co-written and directed Aba DuVernay, debuted in May of this year and explored the lives and families of the five male suspects who were prosecuted on charges of rape and assault of a woman in Central Park, New York City. Based on true events, the series received 11 Emmy nominations for its portrayal of the men as they filed a suit against the city for wrongful convictions.

In addition, the award-winning sitcom “Black-ish,” known for its discussion on difficult topics such as the n-word and police brutality, has seen a number of diverse directors this year including Tracee Ellis Ross, Anthony Anderson, Anya Adams and Eric Dean Seaton.

While this news may be exciting for feminists and diversity activists everywhere, the guild made a point in the report to state this may not be evident of long-lasting change since many first-time directors do not go on to pursue a directing career.

Many of Hollywood’s critics are celebrating the guild’s report but one can only hope this trend becomes the norm in the entertainment industry.

Read the full report from the Directors Guild of America here.