YouTube taps British politician as head of diversity
YouTube is upping its diversity efforts by adding a new member to its exec team.
Oona King, a member of Britain’s House of Lords, announced Thursday she is leaving her political post to join YouTube as Global Director of Diversity Marketing.
At an event held at the House of Commons, she told fellow MPs: "It’s an amazing opportunity to go where the most exciting ideas are coming from. It’s looking at the future of broadcasting, because YouTube is the future of broadcasting."
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The hire underscores the Google-owned video giant's continued commitment to diversity on its platform.
Many in Hollywood have upped their diversity efforts following backlash toward the entertainment industry as a whole.
The volume of conversation around diversity in popular culture hit fever pitch in 2015 (Mashable assessed each area of the industry last year).
However, YouTube -- and the digital entertainment industry as a whole -- have stood out as leaders when it comes to inclusion.
Since its inception 10 years ago, YouTube — operating under the motto "broadcast yourself" — has evolved into the go-to space for creators of all ages, races, genders and sexual orientations.
The wide variety of voices and content on Google's video platform has helped to spawn diversity across the digital entertainment industry, with most companies and creators maintaining the same all-inclusive philosophy. And though YouTube is now home to a hub of programming from all parts of the entertainment industry, it's remained true to its democratic nature.
King, who is African-American and Jewish, was the second black woman to join Parliament. She has held several positions as a member of the Labour party since being elected in 1997.
She is relocating to the U.S. to work out of one of YouTube's stateside locations.
Saba was a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers all things digital entertainment, including YouTube, streaming services and digital influencers. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Los Angeles Times covering entertainment for the Calendar and Company Town sections. Saba grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in political science. When not reporting, she is usually binge watching shows online or looking for new coffee shops to frequent.
