SONY-CYBERSECURITY/SHARPTON Sharpton stops short of calling on Sony executive to resign

Record ID: 451740

  • Title: SONY-CYBERSECURITY/SHARPTON Sharpton stops short of calling on Sony executive to resign
  • Date: 18th December 2014
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 18, 2014) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** REVEREND AL SHARPTON WALKING TO MICROPHONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) REVEREND AL SHARPTON SAYING: "We just met for close to 90 minutes to express our continued concern of the racial tinged language in the emails that have gone public." (SOUNDBITE) (English) REVEREND AL SHARPTON SAYING: "I said to her at that time that the climate and environment of Hollywood only confirms that kind of language used in these emails. Had Hollywood not had such an exclusionary all white hierarchy one could look at the context differently. But being that Hollywood still has a hierarchy that resembles 1950s America, it is a context that is confirmed by the language." (SOUNDBITE) (English) REVEREND AL SHARPTON SAYING: "We have agreed to have a working group deal with the racial bias and lack of diversity in Hollywood and in the film industry that she and Sony will work with the National Action Network, National Urban League, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Black Women's Roundtable to see if we can come up with an immediate plan to deal with it." (SOUNDBITE) (English) REVEREND AL SHARPTON SAYING: "What has happened with this movie withdrawal is a dangerous precedent and a real concern. People in our communities attend movies and could be threatened but also work in theaters and work in movies and could lose livelihoods. We are extremely concerned when we hear a foreign government can manoeuvre, manipulate and bully the American corporate structure and the American public. We express both of our concerns. So the jury is still out on where we go with Amy. We clearly are willing to deal with an immediate formula for breaking down the walls of inflexible and so far immovable racial exclusion in Hollywood. Again, we are not going to be satisfied until we see something done." SHARPTON LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 2nd January 2015 12:00
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  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVADOAOFCGTKBFHEE5CGE8MMKBC6
  • Story Text: Civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton on Thursday (December 18) did not call for Co-Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment Amy Pascal to step down over racially insensitive emails, despite expectations that he might seek her resignation.
    The private emails, leaked through a massive hacking attack on Sony Corp., included joking remarks related to U.S. President Barack Obama and his taste in movies.
    Pascal, who has publicly apologized, met with Sharpton Thursday to discuss the emails and perceived racial bias in the film industry. Sharpton's spokeswoman earlier this week had said he was weighing whether to call for Pascal's resignation.
    "The jury is still out on where we go with Amy," Sharpton told reporters after the meeting in New York. "We're not going to be satisfied until we see something concrete done."
    Pascal did not speak publicly after the meeting.
    Sharpton said Pascal agreed to set up a working group to deal with racial bias and lack of diversity in the film industry.
    The emails were made public by a hacking group that attacked Sony in retaliation for plans to release "The Interview," a comedy film that depicts the assassination of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un.
    Sony on Wednesday decided not to release the film after several movie chains said they would not show it because of emailed threats of violence aimed at theaters. U.S. government sources said on Wednesday that U.S. investigators had determined that the attack was "state sponsored" and that North Korea was the government involved.
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