WGA Reports Little Diversity Among TV Writers

According to a Writers Guild of America report employment for women, minorities and older writers has declined in the last year. This is in stark contrast to a decade or so ago when the number of minority writers was higher. This is an old story in the television industry as minorities have historically struggled to get staff writing positions even on shows that featured a majority black cast.

Prior to Shondra Rhimes the perception in the industry was "black writers can't write for white characters". (Daytime soap operas have, reportedly, employed one black writer in the last 30 years.) However, with that notion dispelled, (Rhimes has produced 4 hit shows), how will the television industry fix its diversity problem. With an increasingly diverse audience, and a growing abundance of viewing choices, will the need to remain competitive outweigh old practices. 

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