The Hollywood, Health & Society Story

Learn more about how Hollywood, Health & Society was founded, and how we've carried on our mission statement since 2000! Featuring interviews with Norman Lear, Marty Kaplan, Johanna Blakley, Kate Folb and others.

Our Videos

Featured

Averting Catastrophe:
What does the Russia-Ukraine conflict mean for the future of war, diplomacy and nuclear risks? A panel of experts had some answers.

Curing the Climate Emergency:
This “lunch and learn” webinar explored the health and wide-ranging effects of extreme weather, focusing on how do we lessen the impact of climate change, protect water resources, practice environmental sustainability and survive?

Aging and AI: What the Future Holds:
This "lunch and learn" webcast explored the ways artificial intelligence will revolutionize how we grow older—from predicting illness to enriching daily life through virtual reality.

Slaughterbots to Utopias: Building Future Worlds in TV and Film:
Experts and TV writers-producers came together to explore the topic of emerging A.I.-driven technologies, including lethal autonomous weapons known as "slaughterbots," and their depiction in entertainment storylines.

Reshaping Breast Cancer Narratives:
This “lunch and learn” webinar explored the health and wide-ranging effects of extreme weather, focusing on how do we lessen the impact of climate change, protect water resources, practice environmental sustainability and survive?

“We’re Still in the Game”
Five accomplished Hollywood veterans say there should be more stories in entertainment about the vibrant lives of older adults.

Should Americans be Required to Vote:
Moderated by CNN’s Phil Mattingly, the panel explored how the pandemic affected our already beleaguered healthcare workers.

Writing the Wrongs of the Past on TV:
Moderated by journalist and professor Jelani Cobb, this discussion looked at bias in Hollywood. Things have changed. Much more needs to be done.

Pandemic Trauma:
Moderated by CNN’s Phil Mattingly, the panel explored how the pandemic affected our already beleaguered healthcare workers.

Abortion on TV:
The abortion pill was approved in 2000, yet it is rarely seen on TV. News coverage wasn’t much better. Watch our video timeline.

Navigating Breast Cancer:
Survivors and previvors of breast cancer are faced with difficult choicees about how their medical treatments can affect fertility.

2021 Sentinel Awards:
The event, co-hosted by Gloria Calderón Kellett and Mike Royce, honored NBC’s New Amsterdam with an award for Season 3.

2021 Walter Cronkite Awards:
CNN, CBS and PBS entries take network prizes; local wins for Milwaukee, Missoula and Phoenix; Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s COVID-19 fact-checking wins Brooks Jackson Prize.

The Hiroshima Cover-up:
Author Lesley Blume and journalist Eric Schlosser discussed her new book, “Fallout,” and the true story of the Hiroshima bombing.

Flip the Script on Plastics in Hollywood:
We did a deep-dive discussion on Flip the Script on Plastics—an initiative to empower the entertainment industry to model real solutions to the plastic pollution crisis, both on set and in storylines.

Money Matters:
We brought together five leading creative talents behind popular TV shows that are shaking up the narrative of what poverty looks like. Our researchers also presented findings from our Poverty Narratives study.

Black Women and Breast Cancer:
Young Black women face a higher risk of breast cancer and are often diagnosed later than their white counterparts, yet are generally unaware of overall risk.

COVID-19 Vaccines:
Our best shot to end the pandemic is with everyone getting vaccinated. To learn more, check out Hollywood, Health & Society’s newest video with Life Noggin.

Breaking the Stigma:
Hollywood, Health & Society brought together experts to discuss how the entertainment industry can help change the narrative around addition and mental health.

Research Spotlight:
How do we study media to better understand its impact on society? Managing Director Johanna Blakley provides this overview of our Media Impact Project and the research team's recent efforts studying narratives in TV, film and journalism.

2022 Earth Week Celebration:
Media Impact Project Research Director Erica Rosenthal shares our ongoing research activities at the annual USC Earth Week Celebration.