DGA highlights diversity trends in TV directorial hiring

Analyzing the latest data from 2023-2024

The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has released its latest analysis of hiring trends in episodic television for the 2023-2024 season. The findings indicate that employment rates for women and directors of color have remained relatively stable over the past three years, even in light of recent strikes.

Positive trends over the past decade

The data revealed notable increases in hiring rates for women and directors of color across the past decade. In addition to focusing on these groups, the report also examined the representation within directorial teams of LGBTQ+ individuals and those with disabilities—a new inclusion since data tracking began in 2022.

“The industry has seen measurable gains in employing women and directors of color in episodic television over the past ten seasons,” said the DGA’s President. “While these gains have held steady into early 2024, maintaining this progress is crucial as production scales back. Our diversity and inclusion data is essential for pushing the industry to better support historically marginalized communities. We are committed to expanding our data to include trends for LGBTQ+ and disabled communities, fostering an equal playing field for all.”

Women and directors of color in the 2023-2024 season

Analysis of 1,430 DGA-covered episodes from the 2023-2024 season showed promising numbers:

• 37% of episodes were directed by women, a 16% increase compared to a decade ago.
• 39% of episodes were directed by people of color, consistent with the last two seasons and reflecting an 18% rise over ten years.

Since the 2014-2015 season, hiring rates for women of color have surged from 3% to 13%, and for men of color from 15% to 26%. Likewise, white women’s representation has climbed from 13% to 20%.

Impact of strikes on episodic production

Despite the strikes leading to a downturn in production during the 2023-24 season, the data from 1,430 episodes revealed hiring statistics across six of seven demographic categories. This period saw:

• 8.6% of content directed by LGBTQ+ community members
• 0.6% directed by those with disabilities

Continued efforts for representation

Co-chair of the DGA’s Television Diversity Task Force emphasized the need for studios to build on the progress made over the previous decade. “As production levels rebound from recent disruptions, our focus remains on increasing behind-the-camera representation for the Latino community, which has seen slower progress despite being a significant marginalized group.”

In the 2023-2024 season, women made up 41% of directorial teams, while directors of color constituted 21%.

“The diversity within directorial teams in episodic television is still low, especially compared to the gains in hiring episodic directors,” noted another member of the Task Force. “To cultivate a profession that genuinely reflects a broad spectrum of viewpoints, studios must prioritize inclusion across all levels. The DGA is dedicated to creating pathways that expand employment opportunities for underrepresented directorial team members.”

Looking ahead

As the television industry navigates its recovery and adaptation post-strikes, the emphasis on diversity and inclusion remains imperative. While progress has been made, the necessity for vigilance and sustained efforts to support and expand opportunities for marginalized communities is clear.

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