Following months of blowback, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has released a new, revised Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct, after the organization approved the guidelines on Thursday. “Our Association was founded under the motto, ‘Unity Without Discrimination of Religion or Race.’ Our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion, therefore, stems from the founding of our Association, and this Code of Conduct serves to reinforce, expand, and renew that commitment,†they say in the six-page document. “We must act with intention to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, not only among our members and within our Association, but we must become leaders within our journalistic and entertainment communities, so that we encourage and celebrate the authentic, varied voices, experiences and viewpoints of those behind and in front of the screen.â€
In addition to pledging transparency and accountability when it comes to their professional conduct, the code requires HFPA members to maintain ethical relationships with third parties, take part in principled Golden Globes voting, and comply with the organization’s anti-harassment and discrimination policies. The document also points members to the new email address and phone number members can use to report “unprofessional or unethical conduct.†You can read the guidelines in full over at Deadline.
Since February, the nonprofit organization of entertainment journalists behind the Golden Globes has scrambled to respond to wave after wave of criticism about its self-serving company culture and blinkered approach to diversity, specifically its complete lack of Black members, among other systematic problems. While HFPA has repeatedly pledged to update its outdated and exclusionary ethos, it might be too little, too late for many. Earlier this month, NBC decided it won’t be airing the Golden Globes in 2022 after all, and Netflix announced their decision to stop “any activities with your organization until more meaningful changes are made.â€