FCC chair Brendan Carr started a probe into Comcast and NBCUniversal earlier this week, contending that the firms were “promoting invidious forms of DEI that do not comply with FCC regulations and civil rights laws”.
Carr’s action against what he described as the “scourge” of DEI marks another step away from progressive workplace practices, adding further distance to his lead on the agency compared to his predecessor and DEI champion Jessica Rosenworcel.
The ever-growing purge against DEI efforts shows the importance of efforts like the Women in Technology World Series, stressed Michaela Jeffery-Morrison, its founder and managing director.
“Political winds will change, and business priorities will shift. But the case for bringing together different voices and perspectives, ensuring each team member is heard, and supporting those who need support, is as strong as ever.
“Nowhere is this more true than in tech, where the tools of the future are being created. These tools must be shaped by all of us if they're to serve all of us.”
Join the emPOWERED Network
Following his appointment by President Trump, Carr has sought to route out DEI practices at the agency, seeking to purge the agency’s related practices as part of a wider cost-cutting effort.
Carr isn’t alone in the DEI purge. Apple, Google, Amazon, and Meta have all scaled back projects and initiatives in the wake of Trump's election victory.
Earlier this week, Google defended its purge of DEI initiatives, arguing that as a government contractor, it had to comply with orders on federal agencies and contractors to dismantle any DEI work.
While some leaders are using the political shift to oust practices that don’t align with their worldview, some are using it to shift DEI to a new concept: FAIR, which stands for Fairness, Access, Inclusion, and Representation.
FAIR is a concept created by Lily Zheng, a leading diversity strategist. The idea is to replace jargon-heavy initiatives with diversity and inclusivity programmes that encourage change.
But as Jeffery-Morrison suggests, replacing one acronym for another is more akin to a “rebrand that distracts from what matters”.
“Some might find a shiny new acronym helpful. But my view always has been that the most important thing is to focus on the practical steps that make a concrete difference for women in STEM, or women who want to work in STEM fields.
“Women are underrepresented, often underpaid, and frequently overlooked in these fields, and that's true at every level. Those of us who recognise that this is bad for business and for wider society need to direct our energy and attention towards changing that.”
