The 78-year-old Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the group behind the annual Golden Globe Awards facing an unprecedented existential crisis, released a six page new code of conduct on Friday. “This is an overarching, living document meant to evolve as we move forward with our reform plan and as we continue to elicit feedback from interested outside parties,” an accompanying statement read. “We have been troubled by reports that certain members have engaged in unacceptable behavior in the past, and we are deeply committed to ensuring that it does not happen again,” the statement continued.
Bullet points in the document range from a proscription of verbal or physical harassment, to a ban on “using or attempting to use membership in the HFPA for personal profit, including by selling tickets or credentials received.”
Additionally, the HFPA has hired Convercent, which touts itself as “the leading ethics and compliance cloud platform” to run an online and telephone hotline concerning “unprofessional or unethical conduct.” It adds that reports can be given anonymously.
Earlier in the month the HFPA announced they would be hiring a new CEO as well as a Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer. Friday’s statements did not have anything specific to add to those points, but did say that “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.”
The HFPA’s current crisis began last year with accusations of corruption, followed by a Los Angeles Times report in February that noted there was not one Black person in its voting body. This led to a cascade of criticism, ultimately leading to A-list talent like Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johannson, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, and Amazon’s Jennifer Salke recently announcing their intention to refuse engagement with the Golden Globes. Tom Cruise reportedly mailed back his three Golden Globe statues (Best Actor trophies for Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire, and a Best Supporting Actor trophy for Magnolia, if you were wondering) and the knockout punch was delivered by NBC, who said they would not be airing the awards show in 2022.
Last week over 100 public relations firms advised their clients not to engage with the HFPA until there is “transformational change.” It remains to be seen if Friday’s release and any forthcoming announcements are enough to fit that bill.
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