USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center

04/18/2025

Big thanks to Noah Wyle for the amazing shoutout to our Hollywood, Health & Society program!💥 HH&S is our powerhouse outreach arm, connecting entertainment writers with real-world experts on health, safety, and security.

It’s been an honor to support The Pitt’s talented writing team as they shape a gripping and powerful first season. We’re proud to be part of this journey—and look forward to continuing the collaboration in seasons to come.

Noah Wyle, the star and executive producer of Max's hit medical drama, spoke with The Times about the whirlwind first season, which concluded Thursday.

04/15/2025

On the eve of Earth Day, USC's Vice Provost of the Arts Josh Kun (who directs of our Popular Music Project) joins USC Thornton School of Music Dean Jason King to present an urgent half-day symposium and teach-in focusing on the impact of the L.A. wildfires, highlighting the pivotal role artists play in responding to crises of this magnitude, and exploring the intersection of creativity, climate justice, and sustainability.

This event is free and open to all but reservations are required.

https://visionsandvoices.usc.edu/events/49154140860484

04/04/2025

"Stories will feel outdated if they don’t acknowledge this is part of our world now.”

03/21/2025

Lear Center Director Marty Kaplan on Hollywood’s shifting approach to diversity: “Really never, but especially right now, no studio wants its movie branded as a D.E.I. lesson.”

As audience reactions change, studios are becoming more cautious.

The dwarfs. The casting. The politics of the lead actress. And that wig! Is Disney’s live-action remake of the classic film doomed by culture war skirmishes?

03/12/2025

We're !

Check out our program Hollywood, Health & Society's free panel on this Thursday, March 13th at Writers Guild of America West in collaboration with Project Sleep. They'll be providing complimentary free parking for attendees – just be sure to RVSP at

A discussion on insomnia and lesser-known sleep disorders, and how TV storylines can dispel myths.

02/24/2025

Meet ‪Managing Director Johanna Blakley. She studies how media, culture and tech shape entertainment and public opinion. She’s also finished a novel based on her work that explores how AI & entertainment could fundamentally change the world.

Read the great profile in Voyage LA!

lear.center/4ifGOKj

Today we’d like to introduce you to Johanna Blakley Hi Johanna, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?Hi! My name is Johanna Blakley and […]

02/02/2025

Huge congratulations to our Popular Music Project Director Josh Kun on his first-ever nomination! Kun has been nominated for Best Album Notes – SONtrack Original De La Película “Al Son De Beno.” The film and the album bring together archival recordings that tell the story of Baruj ‘Beno’ Lieberman, the Mexican-born son of Polish Jewish immigrants who dedicated a decade documenting Mexico’s folkloric music. 🎶

We’ll be tuned into the Recording Academy / GRAMMYs ceremony tonight on CBS! 🏆

01/30/2025

Our Hollywood, Health & Society program connected The Pitt's producers and writers with Dr. Sylvia Owusu-Ansah, whose experience as a medical director helped shaped the show's plot points.

And check out The Pitt on HBO Max.

The School of Medicine’s Sylvia Owusu-Ansah shared her story with writers of HBO Max’s “The Pitt.”

01/23/2025

The School of Medicine’s Sylvia Owusu-Ansah shared her story with writers of HBO Max’s “The Pitt.”

12/19/2024

ICYMI: The Lear Center recently launched a new research hub for organizations and individuals committed to improving Latino representation across the entertainment industry. Among its goals: disaggregating data on the diverse ethnicities, racial identities, languages and cultures of Latino communities spanning more than 20 countries. We aim to leverage research and evaluation findings to pinpoint successes, failures and best practices for progress.

"¡Pa’lante! builds on the existing advocacy of so many individuals and organizations. We want to build community, not competition," said researcher Soraya Giaccardi, who is spearheading the initiative.

Read more: https://lear.center/latinorepresentation

12/12/2024

Thank you everyone who attended our panel last week tackling in entertainment with HH&S Director Kate Folb and panelists DJ Nash, showrunner of "A Million Little Things"; Jonny Gomez, a writer on "This Is Us"; Morgan Sackett, EP of “A Man on the Inside”; and Lydia Storie, culture change manager at Caring Across Generations

USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center

12/11/2024

Our latest research study highlights the need for more diverse, nuanced, and humanizing portrayals of Jewish characters in U.S. scripted TV. In the study – Jews on Screen – we found that Orthodox Judaism is often marginalized, and references to Jewish identity are limited. Read more about the findings and recommendations for more inclusive storytelling.

This study was independently conducted by the Lear Center's Media Impact Project with funding from the advocacy organization Jewish Institute for Television & Cinema, Hollywood Bureau, a division of Jew in the City.

lear.center/jewsonscreen

Amid rising antisemitism, the need for nuanced and humanizing portrayals of American Jews in entertainment is critical. This study found that Orthodox Judaism is often "othered" – depicted as...

12/05/2024

HAPPENING TOMORROW!

HH&S Director Kate Folb will lead a discussion on caregiving in entertainment at the SIE Conference, with panelists DJ Nash, showrunner of A Million Little Things; Jonny Gomez, a writer on This Is Us; and Lydia Storie, culture change manager at Caring Across Generations

Get tickets at https://buff.ly/3UyEk0A

12/05/2024

In Remembrance of Norman

On this anniversary of Norman Lear's passing, we at the Norman Lear Center pause to honor the legacy of a visionary who transformed television. Norman believed deeply in the power and impact of storytelling on the small screen, and his work continues to inspire us.

In his memory, we attempt to carry forward his mission, leveraging television as a force for positive change. We hope that through our dedication and efforts, we are keeping his spirit and values alive in every project we undertake.

Norman's passion and commitment to creating an open and understanding world remain our guiding light.

12/04/2024

Join our Director of Research, Erica Rosenthal, at this year's Impact + Profit Conference hosted by the SIE Society. She is joined by other experts in measurement and evaluation at this round table event: "Research within Reach -- The Measurement Cafe" offering opportunities for those in the field to ask questions related to research and monitoring.

The annual conference leverages the power of storytelling to drive positive social change, bringing together experts in business and entertainment.

🗓️ December 5 & 6, 2024
📍 Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles
🎟️ conference.siesociety.org

11/21/2024

✨ Hollywood, Health & Society 2024 ceremony is now viewable online! Check it out at https://lear.center/2024sentinelawards-video ✨

Learn more about their annual gala at https://lear.center/2024sentinelawards-overview 🏆

Comedian, actor and voice artist Laraine Newman brought her Saturday Night Live OG energy as the host of the 2024 Sentinel Awards.

11/14/2024

“People have been living in maximal consumption of Trump news for the last 10 years, and certainly the last year,” says Lear Center Director Marty Kaplan. “There’s a certain amount of exhaustion involved.”

Prime-time viewership at MSNBC has fallen 53 percent from October, and jumped 21 percent on Fox News.

11/13/2024

Trump has referred to journalism as “fake news” and journalists as “enemies of the people.” What could his second administration mean for news media in the US?

Trump "is the commander-in-chief of retribution,” says Lear Center Director Marty Kaplan.

(gift article)

US news groups fear president-elect will deliver on campaign threats through regulation, litigation and intimidation