The previously influential film producer, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of charges related to sexual assault last Monday, February 24 by a jury in New York City: a huge win for women in the media industry, as well as women in general.
The whole Harvey Weinstein issue that boosted #MeToo dates back to more than two years ago. It’s been a long journey for the Times Up movement, and this seems to mark the beginning of what some actresses and female producers are calling a “new era of justice.”
Weinstein was officially found guilty of sexual assault in the first degree and rape in the third degree. To this day, the 67 year-old has denied every single accusation of nonconsensual sex. The co-founder of Miramax is also scheduled to face other sexual assault charges in a Los Angeles court.
By the end of the verdict, Weinstein was handcuffed and sent to jail until his sentence, which is set to happen next month. His jail-time penalty could range from five to 25 years. Even though he and his lawyers managed to avoid the other three more serious accusations, this all marks a point in history that might spark a domino effect to take action towards the other many sexual assault-related accusations within the film and media industry that remain uncovered.
Now, what does this all mean on a much larger scale for other media companies? Well, they have to be even more careful and “woke”. In media management, a company’s reputation is everything. So, now they must be be morally better, and therefore support that morality. They should support those who speak up, instead of covering up the scandals.
As for us consumers, we must make sure to keep the momentum going and use our voices somehow. To our advantage, audiences have a bit more leverage over the decision making of media and production companies, compared to a few years ago.
Sources:
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/02/9458760/harvey-weinstein-verdict-celebrity-reactions
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