"However, this year, the pendulum has swung violently in the opposite direction. Essentially, leadership told many of us to "reword or avoid any mention of DEI," be leery of explicitly mentioning the communities most harmed by inequality or inequity in our work, and avoid citing who is committing the harm out of fear of retribution. Many of us knew the backlash to the media industry's embrace of DEI during the pandemic was brewing."
"So when we saw media organizations quickly capitulate and cave in 2025, we weren't totally surprised. There's a cyclical nature of DEI being embraced and shunned in the U.S. That doesn't mean, however, that we are numb to any shock, especially when we see people lose their jobs after being promised support just a few years ago because those in power said diversity mattered. I expect more whiplash in 2026, albeit slower."
2025 produced severe setbacks for diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across many media organizations. Leadership instructed staff to avoid explicit DEI language, to be cautious about naming harmed communities, and to stop identifying perpetrators due to fear of retribution. The backlash built after the 2023 Supreme Court decision and 2024 political shifts prompted rapid institutional rollbacks and job losses for people previously promised support. DEI acceptance in the U.S. continues to cycle between embrace and rejection. Anticipated 2026 developments include slower but notable whiplash, potential regret from institutions that dismantled DEI work, and some accountability driven by consumer responses.
Read at Nieman Lab
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