TV executives are scrambling to hire more minority writers, but they're facing a shortage of Hollywood's own making

The New York Times

"Plenty of minority and female writers are looking for jobs, but may be unknown to or overlooked by showrunners, unrepresented by agencies, or seen as lacking in experience," reports Cara Buckley. “'The pool is wide but not deep' is a common refrain. Even those at the forefront of diversification efforts acknowledge that a shortage exists. Not enough minority women have been groomed for senior writing jobs, a function not only of the industry’s white male focus, but also of rarefied access, discrimination in promotions, and low entry-level pay." About 13.7% of writers are minorities. As Jamila Hunter, the head of comedy at ABC explains of minority writers, "it’s an industry of privileged apprenticeship. Economically, there is not a pipeline for them.”