• by Tanya Gazdik , February 12, 2025

Disney is changing its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs to focus more closely on business outcomes, according to a note sent to employees Tuesday.

“The changes, while less dramatic than those introduced by other Fortune 500 companies in recent weeks, speak to the pressure brands face trying to adjust to new expectations in the second Trump era,” according to Axios, which was the first to break the story. 

“Disney is adjusting the content warnings ahead of some of its old movies, including ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘Dumbo,’ amid an overall shift in DEI strategy at the company following President Donald Trump taking office again,” according to Variety. “The previous version noted that the film ‘includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of peoples or cultures,’ while the new version reads: ‘This program is presented as originally created and may contain stereotypes or negative depictions.’”

Disney first added such content warnings to movies in 2019 due to racist depictions found in the films created by Disney in the 1940s and ’50s.

“The visible change will be the removal of the content advisory warnings from the start of a classic film to the 'Details' box on Disney+,” acco rding to CreativeBloq. “But Disney is making deeper changes to its structures and internal programs, so how will this affect its approach to character design, talent promotion and the kinds of stories Disney could now tell? What does the future of animation look like?”

The company is also ending its “Reimagine Tomorrow” initiative and the corresponding website, which was designed to promote underrepresented voices but came under fire from conservatives.

“Disney is shifting its DEI work to focus on business goals and company values,” according to Business Insider. “CEO Bob Iger has emphasized Disney's mission to entertain rather than advance an agenda.”

Disney is not the only broadcasting company taking a look at DEI.

“PBS, funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, said this week it is closing an office dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts amid Trump’s flurry of executive orders,” according to Deadline.