Slate Voice reading: TV writing rooms still lack diversity.

The Writers of Popular TV Shows Aren’t Nearly As Diverse As the Characters They Portray

The Writers of Popular TV Shows Aren’t Nearly As Diverse As the Characters They Portray

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Nov. 10 2015 12:00 PM
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Slate Voice: “Same Old Script”

Listen to Aisha Harris read about the lack of diversity in writing rooms of major TV networks. 

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Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Thinkstock.

From Empire to Jane the Virgin, the new faces of prime-time TV have attributed their success to their diverse characters—with voices, which echo the experiences of people of color. Behind the scenes, however, major networks seriously under-hire writers of color. In this audio piece exclusively for Slate Plus members, writer Aisha Harris explores the effect of tokenism in television writing rooms, its implications for authentic storytelling on screen, and more.

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