Description
Following the publication of its first diversity report, Netflix has positioned itself as a driver of inclusion and representation within the global entertainment industry, pledging to create more pathways for talents from underrepresented communities, and to showcase more diverse stories from around the world (Sarandos, 2021). Recent research (Asmar et al. 2023) shows that, in an attempt to position itself as a transnational broadcaster, the emphasis on cultural diversity (i.e. gender, race, etc.) is for Netflix a crucial strategy of distinction. At the local level, this diversity strategy is, on one hand, deployed by the streamer to presents itself to (local) audiences as the voice of a new generation committed to more inclusive stories; on the other hand, this strategy is used by Netflix to attract (local) talents worldwide by promoting the service as a key partner for the visibility and representation of local creatives.Yet, while the disruptive impacts of Netflix on local television industries, as well as the strategic responses of national players, have been extensively studied within television studies, the focus of existing research remains centered on economic and policy approaches. However, few¬—if any—existing scholarship examine how local television industries attempt respond and adapt to Netflix’s diversity strategy. Therefore, taking Flanders (Belgium) as case study, this contribution explores a) how Netflix localizes its diversity strategy, and b) how national players negotiate seemingly conflicting understandings of diversity and representation, torn between showcasing national specificity and striving for universalism.
Hence, this contribution is based on in-depth interviews with creatives (i.e. writers, directors, etc.) and content commissioners (i.e. public/commercial broadcasters) from Flanders. The preliminary results show firstly that Netflix’s diversity strategy and the inclusive practices the streamer appears to be setting in its local productions and content, seem to be putting pressure on local legacy media; we find that local creatives, especially young creatives, while being disgruntled by the streamer’s aggressive tactics, are also critical of the perceived conservatism of national players, especially with regards to the on/off screen representation and inclusion of sexual and racial diversity. Secondly, the preliminary results highlight how diversity, especially for content commissioners, becomes a key tool to attract young audiences yet is very often carefully circumscribed to the most ‘marketable’ aspects of cultural differences, which raises questions as to the potential consequences such use of diversity could have for the local television industry.
| Periode | 26 sep 2024 |
|---|---|
| Evenementstitel | ECREA 2024 Conference: Communication & social (dis)order |
| Evenementstype | Conference |
| Locatie | Ljubjana, Slovenia |
| Mate van erkenning | International |