Raphael Stevens

In this articleNFLX6758.T-JPSpider-Man (Tom Holland) meets with Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) in Sony’s “Spider-Man: Far From Home.”SonyStarting next year, all movies released by Sony Pictures will stream exclusively on Netflix after their theatrical and home entertainment releases.The deal, which was announced Thursday, includes films such as “Morbius,” “Uncharted” and “Bullet Train.”Netflix will also be able to place films such as “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and future Venom and other Spider-Man films on its platform. Franchises such as Jumanji and Bad Boys are also included in the deal. Netflix will also have access to other titles from Sony’s movie library.As part of this partnership, Sony will offer Netflix a first look at any films it plans on taking directly to streaming or decides to later license to streaming. Netflix has committed to make a number of these films over the course of the deal.The length of the deal and its financials were not disclosed by the two companies. More

In this articleMCDChris Kempczinski, McDonald’s, speaks during a press conference in New York, November 17, 2016.Shannon Stapleton | ReutersMcDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski received more than $10.8 million in compensation last year, despite the company missing performance targets, according to a company filing.In April, the fast-food giant said that its executives would take pay cuts as the coronavirus pandemic battered the restaurant industry. Kempczinski’s base salary was cut in half but reinstated in October as the company’s sales recovered. Without the pay cut, his base salary would have been $1.25 million, but he received about $963,500 instead.Like most chief executives of publicly traded companies, the bulk of Kempczinski’s compensation does not come from a salary. Stock and option awards added $9.5 million to his compensation, and other forms of compensation, like use of the company’s private plane, accounted for an additional $383,000. McDonald’s executives did not receive any performance-based bonuses because the company fell short of goals for growth in operating income, systemwide sales and same-store sales. Kempczinski could have netted an another $4.25 million. The chain’s total CEO compensation in 2019 ended up topping $18 million.Kempczinski’s 2020 pay is 1,189 times higher than that of the median McDonald’s employee, who made $9,124 last year, based on company estimates. McDonald’s includes part-time and seasonal workers in its estimates for the pay ratio. Kempczinski told CNBC in November that the company is open to discussing the minimum wage. Executive pay cuts and the lack of a performance-based bonus mean that McDonald’s pay ratio was actually much closer than that of years past. In 2019, the median worker made 1,939 times less than the total CEO compensation, resulting in about 20% of voting shareholders rejecting McDonald’s proposal for management compensation last year. The norm is 10% or less. McDonald’s isn’t the only company to face disagreement on executive pay from shareholders. Starbucks shareholders recently rejected the coffee chain’s compensation plan, although the vote is non-binding. More

In this articleWWEPerhaps executives at World Wrestling Entertainment said it best – WWE is not a technology company. Instead of operating as a streaming service, it now wants to return to making content.WWE will host the Super Bowl of wrestling this weekend with its WrestleMania event on NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service. It’s part of a more than $1 billion exclusive rights deal that is repositioning the longtime entertainment company to focus on its product and avoid the streaming wars.”At the end of the day, we’re not a technology company and shouldn’t try to be,” WWE chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon told CNBC. “We are a content company at our core, and we want to do what we do best.”Added chief financial officer Kristina Salen: “Everyone has a plus. There is Disney+, Paramount+, Discovery+ but not everyone has branded content with a huge fan base like WWE. So we saw there was a huge demand for what we had to offer, and we could take that money and double down and do what we do best, which is content.”The focus on creating content shows a sort of counter-narrative to the streaming wars where companies create apps and services loaded with movies and TV shows. WWE is ditching its own streaming service and is instead focusing on making new stuff for people to watch on Peacock.The content game is only the beginning for WWE in this new decade as it prepares for a post-Covid world with new revenue possibilities. But the future will also bring questions about whether WWE is a smart investment, and how it plans to approach more competition that wants to threaten its market share.WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon of US speaks during the Web Summit 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal on November 6, 2018.Pedro Fiúza | NurPhoto | Getty ImagesLessons learnedLike the rest of the entertainment world, WWE had to innovate on the fly after the pandemic hit last spring. The company moved events to Florida to continue operations and save media rights. It adjusted to no spectators by transitioning its pyrotechnics-filled content to a more cinematic production around wrestling matches.”It’s like a movie,” McMahon said after describing longtime character The Undertaker’s cemetery-style match last year. “And in addition to that, the real innovation came with investing in the Thunderdome” – an indoor complex built in Florida to host events.”We experimented with drone cameras, pyros, augmented reality that we couldn’t have done before mostly because of live bodies in the actual stands,” McMahon added. “It’s going to be a lot of testing and learning what makes sense to bring forward and trying different things.”WWE’s real transition started before Covid-19 when chairman and CEO Vince McMahon fired two critical executives in January 2020. Talk around this change centered on seeing the future differently.In 2014, former WWE co-president George Barrios saw value in the company’s new streaming service. It cost $10 a month and helped the company transition away from traditional pay per view. But WWE failed to grow subscribers, reaching about 1 million in the U.S. In addition, the company exited another failed pro football start-up with the XFL.WWE Network dismantled its U.S. operations to start 2021 and signed with Peacock. The move provides live WWE events and a classic wrestling library to Peacock subscribers.”It’s a big win for WWE,” said media rights expert Dan Cohen. “The price point comes down so you hope that subscribers and eyeballs go up. They got out of the technology space and don’t have to keep maintaining and updating tech which changes every minute.”Salen, Etsy’s former CFO, was one of two new executives hired in 2020. She helped Etsy go public in 2015 and is now partly responsible for WWE’s financial future, including more merchandising, e-commerce and corporate sponsorships, which will feature new campaigns with longtime partner Procter & Gamble.In its 2020 fourth-quarter report, WWE said it suffered an $84 million hit and made $238.2 million in revenue. But though WWE hosted most events with no fans in attendance last year, it still made $970 million thanks to Fox Corp. and NBCUniversal’s rights fees.WWE currently has a market capitalization of roughly $4 billion and is trading at approximately $55 per share. Salen said the WWE Network didn’t lose money, but again, its C-Suite consensus was focused on growing licensing fees around its content and to stop operating like Netflix.”Just like we were first in pay per view, first in direct to consumer, and now we’re the first to go back into aggregators,” Salen said. “We felt it was the right moment. And over the course of the next few years, we’re pretty confident that we’ll be proven right.”Salen said an inquiry she’s often getting from Wall Street: Why should investors be interested in WWE stock?”Investors know that I choose to spend my time at places where ultimately think there is value to be created,” she responded. “I think there is this tremendous opportunity over the next few years to create more value for shareholders.”WrestleMania 35Source: WWENo concern for the competition WrestleMania 37 is scheduled this weekend at Raymond James Stadium, the site of the National Football League’s Super Bowl LV in February.`It’s banking on 25,000 fans showing up, and McMahon said the event will mimic many of the NFL’s Covid-19 protocols – seating pods, distribution of masks, hand sanitizer. “Only the configuration is different because we can have people down on the floor,” she added.WWE needs to get back to arenas, though, and maybe more so than pro leagues. The company makes a significant portion of its revenue around live ticket sales and it travels more often throughout the year.”As soon as arenas are open for business, we can start spinning this up,” Salen said. “But we need there to be a critical mass of arenas that are open for business in order for us to do that. And we just don’t see that right now.”WWE also needs to monitor another company that wants to eat into its market share. WarnerMedia’s Turner Sports property has reinvested in wrestling with All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The network last hosted a major wrestling company in 2001 when it owned World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which WWE purchased.AEW is run by Tony Khan, son of National Football League team owner Shahid Khan, and has financial backing. And so far, it’s gaining praise for its production.”The theatrics are good,” said Cohen. “The quality is good. Where AEW lacks, though, is in star power.”Internet chatter suggests the WWE will spend money to keep AEW from achieving that mission. Asked about this, Salen said the rumors are not accurate. She added AEW is more competition for its NXT property. This division is like the NBA’s G League for wrestlers.”We’ve always had competition, it’s part of the game,” Salen said. “Internally, we pay much closer attention to a Game 7 of the World Series and if Raw is going up against it.”World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. Chairman Vince McMahon (L) and wrestler Triple H appear in the ring during the WWE Monday Night Raw show at the Thomas & Mack Center August 24, 2009Ethan Miller | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty ImagesWhat’s the future of WWE?But though WWE could once again hold off a significant challenger, it can’t stop the future. And among the major questions facing it: How long will Vince McMahon continue as CEO? And who will replace him?His daughter, Stephanie, suggested it would be a collaboration of “institutional knowledge” making the decisions when her father decides to step aside.”No one person has all that experience and expertise and passion in building and growing this company from a smaller regional business to this incredible growth company that it is today,” she said.Asked to describe WWE’s future over the long term, McMahon used the company tagline. “It sums up everything about WWE,” she said. “That is: then, now and forever.”Disclosure: Peacock is the streaming service of NBCUniversal, parent company of CNBC. More

Companies should encourage their employees to get vaccinated for Covid through incentives, not through mandates, according to Wharton School professor Nancy Rothbard.”There’s a lot of challenges with mandating employees to do anything,” Rothbard said Thursday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “Any boss will tell you, it’s a lot more about persuasion than telling.”The issue of whether to require workers to get vaccines in order to return to the office has come into focus recently as about 3 million people in the U.S. per day are getting shots. The latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show nearly a quarter of the American adult population is fully vaccinated.While many experts believe it’s legal for employers to make vaccines compulsory, business leaders may worry about alienating staff.”Trying really to incentivize people to get vaccinated, I think, is going to be a much more popular route than mandates,” said Rothbard, a management professor whose research partly focuses on work motivation and engagement.Companies such as Tractor Supply are providing employees one-time cash payments to encourage them to get a Covid vaccine. Target is offering hourly employees up to four hours of pay — two hours for each dose for the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, which require two shots. Target also is providing help to pay for Lyft rides to and from appointments.Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, the only other one cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use in the U.S., is only one dose.Businesses should be mindful of employees’ preferences around disclosing vaccine status, Rothbard said, adding some people are just less comfortable sharing personal information of any sort with employers and colleagues.”There are ways to do this more privately, where you may want to take an employee aside and say, ‘Look, have you been vaccinated? … If you haven’t, then we need to make alternative arrangements,'” for the safety of others, she offered.The debate about vaccine disclosure in the workplace does not diminish the need for Americans to get inoculated to help bring an end of the pandemic, Rothbard said. “The term ‘herd immunity’ implies there is a collective cost to this, not just an individual decision people are making when they choose to get vaccinated.”Despite the importance, Rothbard stressed that incentives are likely to be effective in helping companies achieve high vaccination rates among their workforces.”I have a paper that’s called ‘Mandatory Fun.’ People do not even like having mandatory fun imposed on them if they’re not feeling that is legitimate in the workplace,” she said. “People don’t react well to mandates. They react better to incentives and to encouragement.”Vaccine proof for customersWhether customers should have to show proof of vaccination in order to obtain services at a business — such as eating at a restaurant, for example — has become another contentious issue in the U.S. Some critics are raising civil liberty concerns, while proponents of so-called vaccine passports say that requiring people to demonstrate they’ve been vaccinated benefits public health, allowing for a safe reopening of the economy.Last week, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order that restricts businesses from requiring a customer to offer proof they’ve received a Covid vaccine as a prerequisite for service. In his order, DeSantis contends that Covid vaccine passports “reduce individual freedom and will harm patient privacy.” Texas Gov. Greg Abbot issued a similar order Tuesday, banning state government and private entities that receive public funding from requiring Covid vaccine passports.Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA commissioner, told CNBC on Wednesday that he believes the conversation around verifying vaccine status has been off base.”I think we’ve been thinking about vaccine passports through the wrong lens. I think the way they’re likely to be used is really to create two lanes of access to different venues,” Gottlieb said in an interview on “Squawk Box.” For people who cannot show they’ve been vaccinated, there could be required Covid testing along with secondary symptom screening, said Gottlieb, who now serves on the board of vaccine maker Pfizer.”The other is going to be a fast lane, where if you can demonstrate you’ve been vaccinated you’re not going to have to bring proof that you’ve been recently tested” or go through some sort of symptom checks, Gottlieb said. “It’s going to be like an E-ZPass, where you can either go through the fast lane or if you still like to pay the toll booth because you think the police are tracking you with the E-ZPass device, then you can stop and stand in line and pay the toll booth,” he said.Disclosure: Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and is a member of the boards of Pfizer, genetic testing start-up Tempus, health-care tech company Aetion Inc. and biotech company Illumina. He also serves as co-chair of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings′ and Royal Caribbean’s “Healthy Sail Panel.” The Associated Press contributed to this report. More

Ahead of the 85th Masters at Augusta National, we look at five possible storylines to follow this week, featuring Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Jordan Spieth and Lee Westwood …Can McIlroy overcome his swing issues in tandem with new coach Pete Cowen and find a way to contend? Will Dustin Johnson repeat his dominant victory five months ago? Can Bryson DeChambeau power his way to victory, or will a resurgent Jordan Spieth continue his winning form?And what are Lee Westwood’s chances of finally making his major breakthrough at the age of 47? Here’s how the first major of the year could play out…Rory’s Grand Slam bid: Part 7!It’s still hard to fathom how, after winning his fourth major at the 2014 PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy has not added to that tally in the six years since hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy for the second time at Valhalla.A month previously, he had also had his name etched below the greats of the game on the Claret Jug following a convincing Open triumph at Royal Liverpool, thus landing the third of the four major titles. All that remained was a Green Jacket, and surely winning the Masters was a matter of “when”, and not “if”?Six failed attempts at completing the Grand Slam later, questions remain over McIlroy’s ability to get the job done at Augusta National, a course which should be ideally suited to his style of play. But the issue here is more psychological than physical.Rory McIlroy salutes fans after putting on the fifth hole green during the final round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on March 17, 2019 in Florida.Keyur Khamar | US PGA TOUR | Getty ImagesMcIlroy has spoken openly and honestly about his struggles in the Masters, not that six top-10 finishes over the last seven years could be classed as “struggles” for mere mortals. Time and again, he has described the “mental hurdle” he has to clamber over to earn a seat and a natter with Jim Nantz in the Butler Cabin.He’ll deny it, but even 10 years on, it is almost certain that McIlroy continues to be haunted by his infamous back-nine meltdown when leading the Masters midway through Sunday afternoon. Yes, he bounced back in the very next major and destroyed the field to win the US Open in record-breaking style at Congressional, but every time he pitches up at Augusta, much of the pre-tournament hype is focused on his Grand Slam aspirations.It’s impossible to avoid, and clearly a distraction, and McIlroy has tried everything in terms of preparation – both competitively and in his mindset – in order to clear that final hurdle. And every year he doesn’t manage that, it gets a notch tougher the following year.And now, he has added focus on him after his revelations following a poor performance at The Players last month. His swing was faltering, he admitted that, when he got to the top of his backswing, he had little idea of where the ball was going. But how did it get to this?The faults developed during speed training sessions last autumn, a course of action he conceded was influenced by the manner of Bryson DeChambeau’s thumping win at the US Open. McIlroy has since turned to Pete Cowen in an effort to get him back on track, and that extra length could be useful at Augusta. But what is more useful is getting his wedges closer to the pins, and putting less pressure on his putting.It’s difficult to see him contending this week, but who knows. The extra work on the range, with a new coach, might be a welcome distraction from the usual “will he or won’t he” focus of the Grand Slam bid.He still has plenty of time on his side, and he’ll know the value of patience and persistence. It worked for Sergio, after all!DJ has case for defenseJack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. Three legends of golf, and the only three players to have successfully defended the Masters. That’s a measure of how tough a task it is to go back-to-back at Augusta National.But, for Dustin Johnson this year, the circumstances are different, and in his favor. Having cruised to a handsome five-shot victory in November, he returns to defend his title just five months later. As unfair as it might seem to be the reigning Masters champion for not even half a year, the main benefit for Johnson is that the memories of his second major win are still fresh, and he is in roughly the same form.And he’s still world No 1… by some distance!Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas walk past FEDEXCUP letters at the 16th hole during the first round of the Dell Technologies Championship at TPC Boston on August 31, 2018 in Norton, Massachusetts. Tracy Wilcox | US PGA TOUR | Getty ImagesWe’ve seen many Masters champs who have played themselves into a rut thereafter, and instead of thinking about contending for the title a year later, they’re hosting the annual Tuesday Masters Club Dinner distracted by the fear of missing the halfway cut and having to hang around for the weekend to help a new champion into a new Green Jacket. But Johnson’s second start after his Augusta triumph was another win, again taming a world-class field at the Saudi International.DJ will not be fazed by the weight of history against him, and he would, no doubt, be delighted to shed tears in public again as he takes his victory photocall. And if he does get that chance again, he has the added bonus of a few thousand patrons in attendance to share his euphoria.Can ‘Basher Bryson’ deliver?The talk started barely a few minutes after he had won the US Open, blitzing the field by six shots using the “bomb and gouge” tactics that many had predicted would prove his undoing on a track like Winged Foot. The conversation ahead of the Masters was not necessarily if Bryson DeChambeau would win, but by how much?And how many scoring records would he break? And statistical records? And will he put that new driver, with the 48-inch shaft, in his bag and reduce 14 holes at Augusta National to a drive and a wedge? As it transpired, it was none of the above.Read more stories from Sky SportsReal vs Barca: Stage set for biggest Clasico in years’AJ team confident of deal but does Fury want it?’Merson says: Arsenal have become also-ransIn fact, DeChambeau finished one shot behind 63-year-old Bernhard Langer, who was a two-time Masters champion before the American was born! But Bryson had endured worrying health problems during the tournament, and his explanation for his illness was suitably out of the ordinary.”I went to multiple doctors trying to figure out what it was,” he said in January. “I got a couple of MRIs, I went to an inner-ear doctor, had eye tests and ear tests, and they even did ultrasounds on my heart and neck. But one thing I will tell you is I’ve done a lot of brain training, and the frontal lobe of my brain was working really, really hard. That’s what gave me some weird symptoms. It was like crazy overworking.”It all took a toll. I don’t think it was exactly that specific thing. But it was a combination of a few things that escalated my brain, overworking and just giving out.”So, there you have it. If Bryson wants to win the Masters, he has to stop overloading his brain! But after his exploits at Bay Hill, trying to drive the green at the par-five sixth, he proved beyond reasonable doubt that he captivates golf fans – and sports fans – like no other current player.Whatever he does at Augusta National, and he’ll surely be a factor if he can avoid illness, it will be entertaining to watch. Although maybe not so much for the Masters committee!Jordan Spieth is backIt doesn’t seem that long ago that Jordan Spieth was an automatic contender for the Masters every year. In fact, he was short odds for every major, no matter what the venue, but the Masters was where he truly excelled. His first three trips to Augusta National? Second, first, second! And he went close again in 2018 as he and Rickie Fowler pushed Patrick Reed to the wire.Spieth’s victory in 2015 was about as dominant as they come, opening with a 64 that was three shots better than anyone else in the field, and back-to-back 70s over the weekend were enough for a four-shot win that some felt could have been double the winning margin had he really been pressed.The young Texan then won the US Open, albeit with a little help from DJ, he was right up there in the mix at The Open and the PGA, and on his return to Augusta in 2016, he was on course to better his winning margin from the previous year – five clear at the turn on Sunday.And then he rinsed two balls in Rae’s Creek at the 12th and, while Danny Willett was not complaining, that seemed to set the American back for a while. But he then answered his critics with an astonishing final five holes to win The Open at Royal Birkdale in 2017.In January this year, the former world No 1 was on the verge of dropping out of the world’s top 100. But a superb week in Phoenix began to turn his fortunes around, and he kept it going at Pebble Beach and led going into the final round two weeks running.He was right up there again at Bay Hill, putting like the Spieth of old and looking far more consistent and confident from tee to green. He just needed to stop using up the vast majority of his good fortune on a Saturday and save some gems for Sundays!And that he did, in some style, when he landed his first win in almost four years in his home state. At the start of the year, Spieth’s odds for the Masters were not far off those of when he made his debut. After the Players Championship, those odds had shortened to 14/1. Winning the Valero Texas Open saw him arrive at Augusta on Monday with an extra spring in his step, and rated by Sky Bet as the third favorite at 10/1 behind only Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau.AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 06: Jordan Spieth of the United States plays a shot from the tenth tee during a practice round prior to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 06, 2021 in Augusta, Georgia.Kevin C. Cox | Getty Images Sport | Getty ImagesHe’s arrived at Augusta before, without any form to speak of, and contended. Imagine what he can do when in form! Dismissing Spieth’s chances at the Masters is like dismissing the prospect of a successful Tiger Woods comeback. Never rule out Spieth at Augusta, never.Can Westwood finally bag a major?Lee Westwood, like Colin Montgomerie, has spent much of his career saddled with the unenviable tag of “best player never to have won a major”. But the way he’s been playing over the last 18 months, he will head to Augusta National with every chance of passing on that label.Watching him go head-to-head with big Bryson at Bay Hill was a joy, and proof enough that the Englishman still has what it takes – and more – to compete with golf’s elite on the big stage.The Masters has always been a good fit for Westwood, now 47, and he knows how to get around Augusta despite its length appearing unsuitable for the seasoned campaigners to cope with.He is the reigning European No 1, he’s comfortably inside the top 50 in the world rankings, and he has a relaxed demeanor about him both on and off the course, looking every inch like a man enjoying his golf – and life in general.Lee Westwood of England plays his second shot on the third hole during the first round of the DP World Tour Championship Dubai on The Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates on November 21, 2019 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.David Cannon/Getty ImagesJust after he was crowned Race to Dubai champion in December, Rob Lee wrote: “It wouldn’t be a life-changing event for Lee to win a major, he’s had plenty of success both individually and for Europe in the Ryder Cup, but a major would be an endorsement of just how brilliant he’s been throughout his career.”I’m not going to say it’s too late for him to make that major breakthrough now. He is still highly rated by his peers worldwide. He’s an extraordinary player who’s had an extraordinary career, but if I could grant him one wish for 2021, it would be that elusive major win.”I’m absolutely certain and convinced that Westwood will have another good crack at a major, maybe more than once. It’s up to him to defy history and get over the line, but you cannot rule it out”.The veteran went close in a superb two weeks in Florida, at Bay Hill and then The Players, being paired with DeChambeau in the final group of the final round in both, and there was suddenly a lot of love for his chances at the Masters, where he has six top-10 finishes – two of them as runner-up.Lee John Westwood in a Green Jacket? You’d have to be pretty cold-hearted to begrudge him that honor. More

Stars of NBC’s ‘Today’ receiving Covid-19 vaccines on Wednesday, April 7, 2021: Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin, Jenna Bush Hager, Dylan Dreyer, Al Roker, Sheinelle Jones and Savannah Guthrie.NBC | NBCUniversal | Getty ImagesAs doctors and health professionals race against Covid-19 vaccination skepticism, some Hollywood producers, writers and showrunners are betting that inputting vaccines into television storylines can help curb widespread misinformation. Shows across TV networks began integrating Covid-19 into scripts, including questions about social distancing and masking, as the pandemic spread across the U.S. last March. Now, as vaccination efforts ramp up nationwide, shows like “This Is Us” — which featured a recurring character receive two doses of a vaccine in an episode last month — are integrating vaccines into episodes and audiences can expect to see more vaccination plot points, says Kate Folb, director of the Hollywood, Health and Society program at the University of Southern California.Folb is a member of a growing network of entertainment industry experts working closely with writers and showrunners to accurately depict health and medical information, and use entertainment to fight the misinformation campaigns and nationwide skepticism fueled by social media.Using the entertainment industry to relay public health information is not a new phenomenon. Major networks including ABC, CBS and NBC in the 1980s are credited with raising awareness toward a nationwide designated driver campaign by inputting posters and references into shows like “Cheers” and “L.A. Law.””People in fact do believe what they see on TV and it’s imperative that we provide accurate information,” says Neal Baer, a doctor and writer and producer on shows like “ER” and “Designated Survivor.”Vaccine hesitancy by demographicWriters, health professionals and advocates are grappling with how to tell vaccine stories that cater to a range of opinions, concerns and viewpoints, all while maintaining both viewers and ratings.According to a February study from Pew Research Center, 19% of adults had already received at least one dose of a vaccine, while another 50% said they would definitely or probably get vaccinated. Despite growing optimism toward vaccinations, those numbers differ when broken down by race and ethnicity.When surveyed in November, 42% of Black adults said they would get vaccinated, compared to 63% of Hispanics and 61% of white adults. Now, about 61% of Black adults say they plan to get vaccinated or already have, while 70% of Hispanics and 69% of whites agree, according to Pew data.While polling indicates growing trust toward getting vaccinated, there’s no single reason why people are still hesitant, and in addition to race, other factors that result in higher levels of skepticism include politics (GOP affiliation), religion (white evangelicals) and geography (rural Americans). Seventy-two percent of respondents to the Pew study cited concerns about side effects; 67% expressed worry centered around the fast development and testing of the vaccines; while another 61% noted a lack of knowledge of how they work.”We’ve been looking at how to tell stories about vaccine hesitancy, but it is not a monolithic one-idea problem,” Baer says.The CNBC @Work Summit returnsThis fall, October 13, Facebook CIO Atish Banerjea, Bank of America Chief Operations and Technology Officer Cathy Bessant, WeWork CEO Sandeep Mathrani and Estee Lauder CFO Tracey Travis will talk building a resilient future and more. Register now.Some of the distrust and skepticism toward vaccines and the medical system in the African-American community, for example, dates back to the infamous 20th century Tuskegee study on syphilis. In recent months, African-American medical associations and professionals have ramped up efforts on social media to promote the vaccine for a group that’s been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic.  According to the latest Kaiser Family Foundation Vaccine Monitor Survey, about a quarter of Black adults said they are more likely to take a “wait and see” approach to getting vaccinated versus more than half who said that in December. For the Latino community, where language barriers and lack of trust in government have been factors, just 18% said they would “wait and see,” down from 43%. Among white adults, those taking a wait and see approach dropped to 16%, down from 36%.”There’s still a chunk of hesitancy out there. About 10 -15% of Americans are pretty dead set against getting vaccinated and probably another 15% is pretty skeptical so we’ve got to work on that. In terms of herd immunity, there’s no doubt that … we probably need to be well above 70%, probably in the eighties or ninety percent,” Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, told CNBC’s Meg Tirrell at the CNBC @Work Summit on March 30.As of 6 a.m. Thursday 19.4% of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated while about a third has received at least one dose, the CDC reports. Convincing more Americans across broad cross-sections of society to be vaccinated without pushing too hard is critical to herd immunity goals, according to public health experts.”I think the best way to persuade people is to persuade people, it’s not to necessarily mandate it, and again, there are a chunk of people who are skeptical, more in the wait and see category, and I think they can be encouraged,” Jha said. Technology companies are doing more to fight vaccine misinformation on social media, one of the primary contributors to vaccine concerns. Last month, Facebook announced it would label posts about Covid-19 vaccines and launched a nationwide tool to offer information and help users locate vaccines. The announcement came following harsh criticism from lawmakers for enabling the spread of vaccine conspiracies and misinformation on its platform. Twitter said in December it would mark and in some cases remove posts about vaccine misinformation. Television’s influenceOngoing studies suggest that what audiences see on television informs their knowledge and attitudes, making it an effective platform to disseminate and relay public health information. An early 2000s study from KFF, for example, found that integrating storylines related to emergency contraception and human papillomavirus on the hit show “ER” drastically increased awareness. The proportion of viewers who said they knew about HPV nearly doubled in the week after the episode aired, while those who could correctly define HPV and its link to cervical cancer tripled.Major television networks during the 1980s are also credited with joining a nationwide Harvard School of Public Health designated driver campaign aimed at curbing drunk driving.According to a recent survey conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, appealing to concerns about protecting loved ones could motivate some Covid-19 skeptics. The study, which interviewed 1,074 people nationwide about their attitudes toward the pandemic, found that those who see social distancing as a violation of their rights and freedoms responded more positively when it put a loved one at risk.We are working as fast and furiously as we can to get the message out.Creative Coalition CEO Robin BronkRefraining from controlling language like “you should” or “you better,” respecting their concerns and affirming and “agreeing with them as much as possible,” can also be an effective way to communicate reasons to get vaccinated with this group, says Ken Resnicow, one of the authors of the study.  Resnicow says vaccine skeptics generally break down into two groups, the “wait and see” group, which includes many minority communities including Blacks and is generally more responsive to new information, and the “hard no” group, populated by both white Republicans and evangelicals, who often view getting a vaccine or masking up as a threat to religious freedom.”Information is not going to persuade them,” Resnicow says. “That ‘hard no’ group won’t be necessarily moved by efficacy or safety data because the fundamental objection is much more emotional,” and built on ongoing views of government and religion. Persuasive Covid storytellingHelping writers and television shows communicate persuasive messaging is the mission of Cultique, a company that advises the entertainment industry on cultural issues. Linda Ong, its CEO and founder, says one way to do that is by modeling behavior. The technique is as simple as explicitly depicting a character looking for more vaccine information or as subtle as showing a character elbow bumping or running inside for a mask, which can be an effective tool for those on the edge, Ong says. Ong kickstarted the “Be a Protector” messaging campaign back in January aimed at encouraging industry professionals to help model safe Covid-19 behavior. Michigan, Yale, USC’s HHS, The Ad Council and the Creative Coalition — a nonprofit that works with actors, directors and entertainment industry workers to educate on social issues — are among the groups that have already signed onto the program.”Someone who hasn’t studied science for twenty years would rather hear a story,” says Sten Vermund, dean at the Yale University School of Public Health who is working with the group. “Those of us in science need to do much better with storytelling.”Arsenio Hall, left, Danny Trejo and Magic Johnson pose for a photo after they all got vaccine shots on the rooftop of parking structure at USC as a part of a vaccination awareness event at USC on March 24, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.Gina Ferazzi | Los Angeles Times | Getty ImagesThe Creative Coalition is currently working with writers from shows like “New Amsterdam” and “Grey’s Anatomy” to fight vaccine hesitancy, says the organization’s CEO Robin Bronk. Much of the work disseminating information across, cable, digital and streaming channels involves briefings, Zoom meetings and providing raw data for writers to implement into storylines. Some organizations are betting on publicity events with influential celebrities to rally support for the vaccines. In March, Dolly Parton turned her vaccine into a public service announcement when she received her first dose of the Moderna vaccine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and sang a vaccine song to the tune of “Jolene.” BET, in an attempt to sway Black audiences, aired a half-hour TV special in January featuring actor and director Tyler Perry asking questions and receiving a vaccine. The Creative Coalition, in conjunction with the Yale University School of Public Health, will debuted a series of short public service announcements in an attempt to sway public opinion, the first of which featured Morgan Freeman and aired April 5. “It’s about how you use the power of entertainment and arts for social good,” Bronk says. “We are working as fast and furiously as we can to get the message out.”    More