‘Access Hollywood’ Honored With Award For Diversity And Inclusion On TV
“Access Hollywood” is being honored for its commitment to diversity and inclusion.
“Access Hollywood” and “Access Daily” were awarded at the CultureX Conversation Conference with the award for Program Reflection of Inclusion in Television by Multichannel News and Broadcasting and Cable.
Host Scott Evans accepted the CultureX award on behalf of the show during a virtual event on Tuesday. CultureX Conversations offers a unique breakthrough conference for television industry and media leaders who are engaged in diversifying their workplace and ensuring that the service and content they provide to customers is inclusive of those who identify by their ethnicity, nationality, language, special needs, or sexual orientation.
“The audience sees a reflection of themselves,” senior executive producer Maureen FitzPatrick told Multichannel News. “We needed our staff and our storytellers to reflect the viewers. The viewers are diverse.”
Access Hollywood aired a 30-minute special in June following the death of George Floyd called “A Celebration Of Black Voices.,” highlighting Black viewpoints from the perspective of those both on screen and behind-the-scenes.
Evans shared his thoughts after attending Los Angeles protests during the special, saying, “I was encouraged to speak authentically about what I was experiencing. A lot of shows, particularly entertainment shows, wouldn’t use that kind of content.”
Evans added that the show’s everyday programming has also made way for more diverse voices. Segments on hair styling have become more inclusive, he says. “It’s kinky, wavy, curly and straight. It feels honest and authentic.”
While the Covid-19 pandemic has shifted the workflow for the show’s staff, FitzPatrick is confident in how the program handled its audience’s changing priorities during the last year. “In times of change, we shift our programming to meet the needs of our audience,” she said.
“The key is knowing who the audience is,” she added. “That’s our country. Those are our viewers.”