The spring/summer edition of the “M&E Journal,” published by MESA and geared toward senior media and entertainment executives who oversee their companies’ digital futures, is now available online.
The 170-page publication features insights from nearly four dozen MESA members, from ATMECS to Xcapism Learning, with the issue’s main focus centered on how productions have evolved due to the challenges presented by the pandemic.
Along with the cover section — “It’s Showtime!” — the issue offers industry insights for several crucial industry areas, including “Diversity & Inclusion,” “New Workflows,” “Smart Content” and “Security.” Additionally, the “M&E Journal” also features columns from MESA’s executive leadership.
Here’s a quick look at what’s included in the “Diversity & Inclusion” section:
• “Pursuit of Diversity” by Devendra Mishra, chief strategist for MESA, and founder of the Hollywood IT Society. He argues that striving for equality and inclusion requires we return to our cultural roots.
• “Using Technology to Improve Character Diversity” by David Ingham, M&E lead for Cognizant. It’s no secret Hollywood has struggled with on-screen diversity and representation. But this issue of appropriate inclusion needs to be addressed among the creatives behind the camera as well. Today, technology exists to identify and measure problematic areas of a script, leading to greater authenticity, avoidance of stereotypes, and helping audiences connect with characters more meaningfully.
• “Cybersecurity Benefits From Diverse Hiring” by Ciaran Byrne, head of platform operations for Edgescan. Sans an HR department, Edgescan has a unique approach to ensuring its staff, in an industry overwhelmingly white and male, is di- verse. And if there’s any industry that can benefit from a more diverse staff, it’s cybersecurity.
• “Our Evolution with Diversity, Equality and Inclusion” by Kathy Sealman, director of human resources for Richey May, and John-Thomas Gaietto, executive director of cybersecurity services for Richey May Technology Solutions. With diversity, equality and inclusion efforts continuing to evolve, the cybersecurity industry — similar to media and entertainment — is striving to uncover unconscious biases and recognize where they impact our hiring practices, as well as our employee and client relationships. We outline the process Richey May has followed thus far, sharing useful strategies and tactics that transcend industry.
• “Diversity Drives Engagement in Period Content and Beyond” by Maryl Widdows, VP of product for Gracenote, and Charlene Polite Corley, VP of diversity, equity, and inclusion for Nielsen. In order for TV content to meet its full potential to entertain, educate and engage, it must equitably reflect the makeup of audiences and the broader population. Here we cover the current state of diversity in programming and what’s possible based on data and insights designed to foster more inclusive content.
Beginning Monday, June 7, look for stories from the winter edition of the “M&E Journal” every week in the “M&E Daily” newsletter.