Paramount Global has announced changes to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs to comply with the Trump administration’s directives. The company cited the need to adapt to new mandates requiring “changes in the way the company approaches inclusion moving forward.” As a result, some policies have been eliminated or altered.
Paramount Global co-CEOs George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy, and Brian Robbins stated that they would no longer set or use aspirational numerical goals related to the race, ethnicity, sex, or gender of hires. The company has also stopped collecting data on these metrics from U.S. job applicants on its forms and careers page, except in markets where it’s legally required.
The media company has replaced a DEI qualitative metric with a new “Workforce Culture and Development” metric, which focuses on building a high-performing and inclusive culture through leadership development and workforce engagement. The executives emphasized that they will continue to evaluate their programs and approach to ensure they attract talent from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
Other companies affected by the Trump administration’s efforts include Amazon Studios and Disney. Paramount Global continues to expect the $8 billion merger with Skydance to close in the first half of 2025, pending FCC approval.
The Trump administration has been applying pressure on private sector companies to change their DEI initiatives as part of its “news distortion” probe. President Trump’s lawsuit against CBS News over a “60 Minutes” interview with former VP Kamala Harris is likely to influence the FCC’s review of the Skydance-Paramount merger.
Source: https://variety.com/2025/biz/news/paramount-eliminating-dei-trump-1236321790