This week on the 5AM StoryTalk Podcast, we’re joined by KAREN HORNE — DEI pioneer and former Senior VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion North America for Warner Bros. Discovery. Karen and I are going to dig into her life, how she became such a voice for representation and DEI in Hollywood, and the economics of diversity behind and in front of the camera. Let’s throw out the political hyperboles and outright lies and try to understand this issue — and what’s at stake — better together.

A BONUS EPISODE with Karen is also available via Apple Podcasts or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠at ⁠Substack⁠.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-karen-horne-talks-the-cultural-economic-impact/id1807437928?i=1000724941764

Substack: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/bonus-episode-karen-horne-talks-the

In it, we skip discussing a seminal piece of art not from Karen’s life (which is what I usually do with such bonus content), and instead take a look at the cultural and economic impact of three seminal pieces of diverse art in Hollywood’s history that she selected — ‘A Different World’, Barbie, and Sinners. Of course, we’ll touch on many more, from ‘The Cosby Show’ to ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ and Black Panther. How did/does centering non-cishet white characters and themes impact the success of these films and TV series?

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Links:

• You might find 5AM StoryTalk’s episode with producer Mike Jackson interesting; in it, he bluntly discusses his feelings about Hollywood’s attitudes toward diversity and representation following George Floyd’s murder and then again after Donald Trump’s reelection: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0X6bgskARdOvYaD3p3XYV4?si=f0a84c7b000c4f51
• Read the Writers Guild of America’s Inclusion & Equity Report 2025 here: https://origin.www.wga.org/uploadedfiles/the-guild/inclusion-and-equity/2025_wga_inclusion_report.pdf
• Read USC Annenberg’s Inclusion Initiative’s study “Progress? What progress? Inclusion in Hollywood is limited and lacking” here: https://annenberg.usc.edu/news/research-and-impact/progress-what-progress-inclusion-hollywood-limited-and-lacking
• Read USC Annenberg’s Inclusion Initiative’s study “Gender, Race/Ethnicity & Box Office Performance: Do Films with Female and/or Underrepresented Protagonists Make as Much Money as Films with White Male Leads?” here: https://mcusercontent.com/62568938b3a09a6ef20bd8b14/files/77137e04-bc80-acc6-3460-6e323c3572aa/Film_Financial_Performance_Final.pdf

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5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.

This podcast's music is by ⁠⁠Cary Brothers⁠⁠.