Cablefax The Magazine October 2022 - 36

Tim Nolan
Executive Creative Director,
Marketing
A+E Networks
Nolan's message to allies is simple:
don't be a fair weather fan. " Please
don't just show up occasionally or because
it's fun to be at a social event
or parade, " he says. " We love and appreciate
your support, but
it needs
to be every day, in everything we
do. Inclusion is 24 hours a day, 365
days a year! " Nolan practices what
he preaches every day as an ally for
other communities, spearheading the
production of more than 400 pieces of
short-form content commemorating
Black History Month, Asian American
& Pacific Islander Heritage Month,
Women's History Month and Pride
Month. In his personal life, he's on the
Executive and Planning teams for the
PrimeTimers, an LGBTQ+ group focused
on fighting against ageism in
the community.
What is the state of LGBTQ+ representation
in media? I think the entertainment
industry has made great
strides toward reflecting characters
and storylines for lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender people but I
personally don't think that the industry
understands the importance of
inclusion. We need more organic stories
and characters that are a part of
content.
36
Janelle Rodriguez
SVP, Editorial
NBC News
Sometimes, the moment that matters
the most is when something that once
would've made headlines is no longer
front page news. Rodriguez will
never forget the moment when the
news industry shifted so " anchors and
reporters coming out was no longer
a big deal. " She's leading NBC News
even further into the future, building
a streaming network that now sees a
monthly average of 100 million video
views. She's emphasized hiring anchors
and correspondents for NBC
News of all ages, races, genders, sexual
orientations and from any geographic
location and pushed for programming
that highlights racism and
transphobia in the U.S. Her spare moments
are devoted to serving as the
Executive Sponsor of Unidos@News
and contributing to NBCU Academy,
sharing her skills and mentoring tips
with future media professionals.
How does your company encourage
employees to bring their true
selves to work? I'm fortunate enough
to work at a place that asks people to
bring their whole selves to work so we
can be better journalists.
Ryan Ruggiero
Senior Director, DEI
NBCU News Group
Ruggiero has taken a targeted approach
to improving DEI at CNBC,
establishing three task forces with
focuses on content, investment and
recruitment and partnerships. His
laser-focused methods have meant
more on-air representation for diverse
communities and the creation of an
internal website aimed at finding and
highlighting voices that need and deserve
a platform. Ruggiero's work has
become personal with each movement
to advance DEI becoming an
active defense against the homophobic
actions and attacks in the U.S.
" Our identity is being erased whether
through the illegal litigation of our
constitutional rights or the blatant
discrimination against our community
unfolding in certain school and library
systems across the country, " he
says. " Educate yourself on the issues
impacting the community and help
speak out against the injustice. "
How does your company encourage
employees to bring their true selves
to work? A resource close to my heart
is NBCU's employee resource groups.
NBCU pioneered the first LGBTQ+
ERG, which has served as a support
network to further cultivate a culture
of inclusion and respect by giving employees
the opportunity to share their
stories and learn from each other.
October 2022
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Cablefax The Magazine October 2022

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