The associate professor in the School of Communications was featured in an International Business Times article, addressing the 88th Academy Awards ceremony and how a planned boycott will affect the broadcast’s viewership.
The article addressed several topics relating to the 88th Academy Awards ceremony, most notably the potential impact of a boycott protesting the lack of diversity in this year’s actor and director nominees, and how it could affect the broadcast’s ratings.
In recent days, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, director Spike Lee and others have announced their plans to skip the annual ceremony over the snub of African-American actors and directors.
Clark was prominently quoted in the article, discussing the ceremony’s viewership numbers, the nominations’ lack of diversity, and the responsibilities of this year’s host, comedian Chris Rock.
“How many more years do we have to be reminded that there are segments of our population who are not being represented?” asked Clark in the article.
The 88th Academy Awards ceremony will be held Feb. 28 in Hollywood, California.
Elon University alumnus Laith al-Majali ’05 co-produced and shot still photography for the coming-of-age epic “Theeb,” which has been nominated for a 2016 Academy Award. It is the first Jordanian production to ever receive an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
International Business Times is a digital global news publication based in New York.