Oscars diversity criteria ‘not about exclusion’ say leaders

The new Oscars best picture inclusion standards became a trending topic on social media as soon as they were announced Tuesday night. Some critics said the new rules, to be implemented at the 96th Academy Awards in 2024, went too far and accused the criteria of inhibiting art and artists with quotas. Others, like Stacy L. Smith, director of the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, said they didn’t go far enough. But the academy leadership and the heads