Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1540124
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 5 I 5 At its most recent meeting, the National Board discussed the federal government's ongoing actions to chill artistic and creative freedom in the entertainment industry. President Christopher Nolan and National Executive Director Russell Hollander shared a message to members on September 23 outlining the Guild's recent response to the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! We understand that these issues go beyond the suspension of one late night program, and the Guild remains committed to protecting your artistic and creative rights in a time when a growing list of companies are capitulating to government pressure to censor creative expression and suppress speech that is critical of the current administration. We established a dedicated resource for members who believe they are experiencing censorship of their work. Please contact fightcensorship@dga.org so we can track the impact of this trend on employment in our industry and inform you of your rights under the contract. Your feedback will be essential in developing a longer-term strategy to push back against efforts to monitor and control creative expression. We know this is a fight that right now feels overwhelming. But this is exactly the kind of fight our Guild was created for. DGA Establishes Dedicated Resource to Combat Growing Attacks on Artistic Freedoms Hollywood Labor Issues Joint Statement on Jimmy Kimmel Live! On September 18, the DGA, American Federation of Musicians, IATSE and SAG-AFTRA issued the following joint statement regarding the removal of Jimmy Kimmel Live! The indefinite removal of Jimmy Kimmel Live! under government pressure is not an isolated incident. It is part of a disturbing trend of increasing interference in creative expression. This kind of political pressure on broadcasters and artists chills free speech and threatens the livelihoods of thousands of working Americans. When a private citizen, business, or television network bows to government intimidation, it strikes at the heart of our First Amendment rights. Creative artists must be free to do their work without fear that their careers or their family's livelihoods will be disrupted simply for their opinions. These cases pull the rug out from under the hardworking American workers behind the scenes who make these productions possible. At a time when America's film and television industry is still struggling due to globalization and industry contraction, further unnecessary job losses only make a bad situation worse. Finally, media companies have a responsibility to defend their workers and the integrity of the stories they tell. All broadcasters must stand firm in defense of free expression and the First Amendment, not capitulate to a policy of political appeasement.