Latest News
Climate Unscripted
By examining sustainability-related keywords over a six-month period spanning 200,000 hours of unscripted programming, we found more than 28,000 keyword mentions across all unscripted TV genres β with home shows, docuseries, and food shows leading the way.
Native Visibility in Entertainment
This study conducted in collaboration with IllumiNative found improvements in on-screen portrayals, but also highlights a need for better representation of Native talent behind the scenes.
Depictions of Mental Health
We worked with SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios to understand the impact of mental health depictions in entertainment. We found that quality and nuanced TV storylines can destigmatize mental health treatment and promote help seeking.
Abortion on TV
A new study conducted with ANSIRH finds that accurate portrayals of abortion in storylines on A Million Little Things, Better Things, and Station 19 fostered greater understanding of abortion access and safety, and even inspired some to take actions in support of reproductive rights.
Some Key Projects
Hollywood,
Health & Society
Providing the entertainment industry with accurate and up-to-date information for storylines on health, safety and security. We offer briefings and consultations with experts, case examples, panel discussions and an expanding list of tip sheets written for writers and producers.
The Media
Impact Project
The research and evaluation arm of the Lear Center. We research how entertainment and news influence our thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and actions. We work with researchers, the film and TV industry, and nonprofits and share our research with the public.
The Walter
Cronkite Awards
The Cronkite Awards for Excellence in TV Political Journalism honors outstanding journalism that debunks disinformation, promotes public health, advocates science, exposes inequities, empowers citizens and serves as a watchdog for voting rights and election fairness and transparency.
Popular Music Project
The Popular Music Project takes popular music seriously as an object of sustained critical inquiry through a mix of research projects, course development, public events, videos, publications and artistsβ residencies.
Everett M.
Rogers Award
Presented since 2007, the Everett M. Rogers Award award honors the late USC Annenberg professor whose Diffusion of Innovations is the second-most cited book in the social sciences.
Image of the Journalist in
Pop Culture
IJPC analyzes the conflicting images of the journalist in film, TV, radio, comics, video games, music, art and other aspects of pop culture to understand their impact on the public's perception of newsgatherers.