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In yet another shocking move, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that another one of its executives is being laid off.
This is just the latest in a string of recent announcements to come from the company, following last week’s announcement that almost all of the executives for Turner Classic Movies were being let go and the network would be undergoing a complete overhaul. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has made a series of strange and confusing news in recent weeks, following the merger with Discovery Media last year and their subsequent rebranding of HBO Max, elimination of various other networks, and elimination of several hundred positions.
This time, they’ve followed a worrying trend in the industry and have let go of Karen Horne, a diversity, equity, and inclusion executive, according to The Hollywood Reporter. News of her split with the company comes just a week after Disney announced their Chief Diversity Officer, Latondra Newton, was being let go and Netflix’s own inclusion and diversity executive Verna Meyers was leaving as well.
The official announcement from Warner Bros. states that the decision was not part of a widespread cost-saving move, but was due to the reorganization of the division. However, it’s concerning that yet another studio has eliminated their head of diversity position as a cultural war is waged between audiences and the concept of “wokeness,” and it’s unclear if these moves are an effort to appease certain viewers or just a quiet money-saving tactic.
As the industry faces a significant halt due to the writers’ strike and upcoming actors’ strike, it’s clear that the entire industry is undergoing a major upheaval on all fronts. Whether this will actually affect the studios’ upcoming projects or future releases is unclear, but it is safe to say that Zaslav is making a series of unpopular moves that could have unforeseen consequences.
Stay tuned to Inside the Magic for the latest updates!