Sue Obeidi, Director of MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau, Speaks at Women in Television Summit!

 

Our team is thrilled to have secured a very important panel discussion for our client, Sue Obeidi – Director of MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau.

This afternoon, Sue spoke out on the topic of Inclusion & Unconscious Bias at the Women in Television Summit, hosted by Women in Entertainment and the Television Academy Foundation. The event took place at the Television Academy headquarters in North Hollywood, CA.

Sue was joined on stage with Sarah Kate Ellis (President & CEO of GLAAD), and Codie Oliver (Executive Producer of Black Love on OWN). The discussion was moderated by Deborah Tropp (President of Audience Theory).

 

Speaking out to hundreds of audience members, mostly writers on major television shows and films, Sue, Sarah and Codie spoke on the following subjects:

• The idea of unconscious bias, what it means to each of them and the impact it has for the entertainment landscape.
• Trends they are seeing around inclusion, and how is it countering bias. 
• How the #MeToo and other movements have altered the discussion around inclusion and bias.
• Examples of where they feel TV/film are heading in the right direction.
• Good examples of inclusion from TV/film today, and why these movies/shows/characters resonate with audiences.
• What role does pop culture play in helping to create/counter bias in film/TV.
• Fostering more positive change in this area.
• Ways we can counter unconscious bias in all the “rooms”? (ex. the boardroom, the writers room, etc.)
• Advice to give people in the writer’s room to foster inclusion.
• Fostering inclusion behind the camera.
• Ways we we will see the influence of #MeToo and other movements play out in the writer’s room/behind the camera/at the executive level.