Name: 100 Hollywood PR Firms Pull Celebrity Clients From HFPA Events Pending 'Explicit Plans' for Change
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100 Hollywood PR Firms Pull Celebrity Clients From HFPA Events Pending 'Explicit Plans' for Change

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More than 100 Hollywood public relations firms demanded on Monday that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the organization that hands out the Golden Globes,&nbsp;enact “profound and lasting” change otherwise their clients will not “participate in HFPA events or interviews” going forward.The scathing email from the leading publicity firms in the entertainment industry read:“We call on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to swiftly manifest profound and lasting change to eradicate the longstanding exclusionary ethos and pervasive practice of discriminatory behavior, unprofessionalism, ethical impropriety and alleged financial corruption endemic to the HFPA, funded by Dick Clark Productions, MRC, NBCUniversal and Comcast.”It continued: “In the last decade our industry has faced a seismic reckoning and begun to address its failure to reflect and honor the diversity of our community, yet we have witnessed no acceptance of responsibility, accountability or action from the HFPA, even as systemic inequity and egregious behavior are allowed to continue.“To reflect how urgent and necessary we feel this work is, we cannot advocate for our clients to participate in HFPA events or interviews as we await your explicit plans and timeline for transformational change.”Also Read:The action came on the very day that Academy Awards nominations were announced, usually a day of celebration in Hollywood.The HFPA responded quickly on Monday night and promised “to increase membership to a minimum of 100 members this year, with a requirement that .”On Sunday, that Hollywood public relations firms were organizing a mass action against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, warning that if the group behind the Golden Globes does not diversify, their celebrity clients will be off-limits to the group until at least May 6. The May 6 date coincides with when the HFPA said it would deliver a detailed action plan to diversify its ranks and address issues of alleged corruption inside the organization. Until that date, the insider told TheWrap, Hollywood stars from major PR agencies will not be participating in HFPA press conferences.The threatened blackout could be devastating to the HFPA, whose members make their living writing articles from press conferences and movie junkets with Hollywood stars. For example, the Marvel blockbuster “Black Widow” comes out on May 7, starring Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz and others. Under this action, the stars would not be available for a press conference.The 104 participating PR companies include ID, Viewpoint, The Lede Company, True Public Relations, R&amp;C-PMK, Shelter PR, Relevant, Kovert Creative, Narrative, ImPRint, Slate PR, Independent Public Relations, Wolf Kasteler Public Relations and many others listed below.Recent reports have&nbsp;noted that the 87-member group has no Black members, despite the push for diversity in Hollywood since the #OscarsSoWhite campaign launched in 2015. As far back as 2013, TheWrap&nbsp;Black applicant from the U.K. was rejected by an overwhelming vote. However, observers say the recent Black Lives Matter movement has made the focus on the lack of Black members impossible to ignore in 2021.Also Read:Just days before last month’s ceremony, the Time’s Up organization launched a&nbsp;&nbsp;protest campaign over the group’s lack of diversity. Hollywood influencers like Ava DuVernay, Judd Apatow and Shonda Rhimes joined in posting statements calling on the organization to make a commitment to diversify.The organization hired a diversity consultant and an outside law firm after sent emails to the Board of Director asking for them to resign.A spokesperson for the HFPA has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment.See the full letter below.March 15, 2021Greg Goecker, COO &amp; General CounselAli Sar, PresidentMeher Tatna, Board ChairHollywood Foreign Press Association646 N. Robertson BlvdWest Hollywood, CA 90069Via emailAs publicists we collectively represent the vast majority of artists in the entertainment industry.We call on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to swiftly manifest profound and lasting change to eradicate the longstanding exclusionary ethos and pervasive practice of discriminatory behavior, unprofessionalism, ethical impropriety and alleged financial corruption endemic to the HFPA, funded by Dick Clark Productions, MRC, NBCUniversal and Comcast.In the last decade our industry has faced a seismic reckoning and begun to address its failure to reflect and honor the diversity of our community, yet we have witnessed no acceptance of responsibility, accountability or actionfrom the HFPA, even as systemic inequity and egregious behavior are allowed to continue. We collectively and unequivocally agree that transformative change in your organization and its historical practices is essential and entirely achievable. We want to be part of the solution. To reflect how urgent and necessary we feel this work is, we cannot advocate for our clients to participate in HFPA events or interviews as we await your explicit plans and timeline for transformational change.While we stand ready to support your good faith efforts, please know that anything less than transparent, meaningful change that respects and honors the diversity and dignity of our clients, their colleagues and our global audience will result in immediate and irreparable damage to the relationship between our agencies, our clients and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and those who sanction the institutional inequity and insular culture that currently define it.The eyes of the industry and those who support it are watching.Respectfully,42WestAdvantage PRAgence Contactalign Public RelationsAmerican EntertainmentMarketing (AEM)Anderson Group PublicRelationsArrayAscend Public Relations GroupBazanPRBespoke PublicityCarol Marshall Public RelationsCassandra Butcher PR &amp;MarketingCinematic Red PRCLD CommunicationsCore PR GroupDawBellDDADetail PRE2W CollectiveElzer &amp; AssociatesFlash Forward PublicityForefront MediaFull Coverage CommunicationsGuttman Associates PublicRelationsHeidi Schaeffer Public RelationsHerring PRHive CollectiveICON PRIDImage Management PRimPRintIndependent Public RelationsIndie PRIntegrated PRJCPR(continues on the following page)JDSJill Fritzo Public RelationsJonas PRJONESWORKSJoy Fehily Management +ConsultingKatrina Wan PRKatz Public RelationsKovert CreativeLongstreetWorksLSG Public RelationsLuna EntertainmentMain Stage Public RelationsMarleah Leslie &amp; AssociatesMarque PRMcClure &amp; Associates PublicRelationsMeghan Prophet PublicRelationsMLC PRMPRM CommunicationsMRC Publicity and MarketingNancy Seltzer &amp; AssociatesNarrativeNMA PRPatricola Public RelationsPaula Woods ConsultantsPersona PRPersonal PRPinnacle Public RelationsPlatform Public RelationsPMG-Platform Media GroupPolaris PRPortrait PRPR MachinePremierPRStudio USAPresse Public RelationsPrincipal CommunicationsGroupPrism Media GroupProsper PRPublic Eye CommunicationsRebel PRRed Sea EntertainmentRelevantRogers &amp; Cowan/PMKRosenfield Media GroupRowe PRSchure Media GroupSechel PRShelter PRSlash AgencySlate PRStrategic Heights MediaStrategic Public RelationsSYStrategies &amp; PRTCOPRTencer &amp; AssociatesThe Chamber GroupThe Collins Jackson AgencyThe Initiative GroupThe Lede CompanyThe Oriel CompanyThe Samonte GroupTrue Public RelationsTS CollectiveVanIden Public RelationsViewpointVision PRWolf KastelerZTPR&nbsp;YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT.WANT TO KEEP READING?SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKETHANK YOUFOR SIGNING UP!Loyal readership ofWant to keep reading?Continue Here* You have also unlocked a free 7-day Trial Membership to WrapPROWANT TO GO DEEPER?FOR YOUR

More than 100 Hollywood public relations firms demanded on Monday that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the organization that hands out the Golden Globes,&nbsp;enact “profound and lasting” change otherwise their clients will not “participate in HFPA events or interviews” going forward.The scathing email from the leading publicity firms in the entertainment industry read:“We call on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to swiftly manifest profound and lasting change to eradicate the longstanding exclusionary ethos and pervasive practice of discriminatory behavior,...

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100 Hollywood PR Firms Pull Celebrity Clients From HFPA Events Pending 'Explicit Plans' for Change

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