Last Updated:
4/4/21 10:15 PM
overall rating:
keep going
YouTube
Internal Representation & Support
45%
Public Commitment
74%
External Communication
80%
To evaluate this pillar, we take into consideration a range of factors, including but not limited to:
- Employee representation
- Diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI)
We weigh a company’s degree of public commitment primarily on their monetary contributions to DEI matters or organizations fighting racial injustice.
Forms of monetary support we look for:
One-off donations
Recurring donations
Grant initiatives
Employee donation matching
Highlights
In an effort to grow the global number of Black creators and artists on their platform, the company has created a #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund. This commitment includes seed funding and programs to support channel development for Black creators.
Lowlights
While YouTube has committed to increasing Black representation in terms of its creators, the company has not communicated a need for improving its internal metrics. There is no readily available data on its workforce diversity, and none of its core executive leadership team members are Black.
We scour the company’s website and official social media channels to determine what message they are sending around racial injustice, how they are communicating it, and whether their communications are perceived as genuine or performative.
Public statement: We verify that companies have made a formal statement regarding racial injustice.
Social media: We consider how a company uses their platform(s) beyond performative allyship.
Representation: For companies that have the opportunity to showcase diversity in their feed, we consider whether they have adequate Black representation and BIPOC representation across their models.
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Deep Dive
I. Internal Representation & Support:
Board of Directors:
> 15% Black, 36% - 40% BIPOC, 26% - 30% Women
Executive Leadership:
0% (none) Black, 21% - 25% BIPOC, 21% - 25% Women
Information not publicly available
Workforce:
An appointed DEI senior leader and/or a dedicated DEI organization
DEI Support:
II. Public Commitment
YouTube has pledged a donation of 0.1% - 0.9% of annual revenue towards racial injustice, specifically for Black lives. Additionally, YouTube has engaged in actions that advance racial justice and/or uplift BIPOC communities, such as partnerships with nonprofits or mission-based organizations, sponsorship of individuals who use their platform to speak out on racial injustice, sponsorship of events, and matching donations to a broad range of qualifying organizations. YouTube is also an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, people living with disabilities, and Indigienous populations.
III. External Communications
YouTube has issued a public statement, both on social media and in a public memo, addressing racial injustice that acknowledged that they can be doing better to combat racial inequality within their company, and explicitly stated "Black Lives Matter." Since June 2020, 0.1% - 9% of the brand's social media content has been centered around racial injustice with posts seeking to continue the momentum of BLM. The brand has made an effort to include ethnic diversity, specifically increasing Black representation, and has shown support of the LGBTQ+ community beyond Pride as well as inclusion of people living with disabilities or a wide range of models with varying body types on social media.
