Media Impact Project

01/30/2026

'One Day at a Time' reboot creator Gloria Calderon Kellett's guest column on the 'Deep Cuts' casting of Odessa A'Zion as a Latina character and representation.

01/29/2026

Among all 69 Latino characters in the sample, more than 25% were portrayed as criminals on screen, according to the USC Norman Lear Center

01/23/2026

Check this out!

ICYMI: Managing Director Johanna Blakley is joining this panel today at Sundance 2026, alongside The World Bank and Women in Film (WIF), and hosted at The Impact Lounge. The conversation will explore how research and evidence can inform impact investment in entertainment, with Blakley sharing new findings from our study of HBO Max’s The Pitt and what evaluations of TV and film can reveal about real-world social outcomes.

Details: https://theimpactlounge.com/session/proof-not-promises-when-creators-change-lives/

07/03/2025

This is the through line of all we do: entertainment has impact. Stories have power. Watch this — and see why it matters.

06/24/2025

Today! 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM PT
Storytelling in the Age of Climate

How can filmmakers tackle the climate crisis and tell unforgettable stories? Lear Center Director of Research Erica Rosenthal joins Film Independent/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's virtual panel on blending real science with powerful, cinematic storytelling.

The event is free and open to the public.

As climate change shapes our reality, it also transforms the stories we tell. Film Independent is proud to partner with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for

06/23/2025

🚨 New Research 🚨

A multi-method study by the Lear Center (with support from the Luminate Group) surveyed 1,500 adults across the US, UK & France in February 2025 to explore what they see and hear about social media harms through news and entertainment—and what kinds of stories they want to see. Here's what we learned:

✅ Harms aren’t limited to kids—but coverage rarely reflects broader societal impacts.

✅ In scripted content, blame shifts to individuals, leaving corporate responsibility unexamined.

✅ Over 80% of audience members expressed interest in stories that expose systemic issues and Big Tech accountability.

Professionals in media, policy, and advocacy can use these insights to shape powerful, solution-oriented narratives.

Read the full report:

To understand how the harms of social media and technology are covered in media and entertainment — as well as audiences' appetites for such stories — we conducted a multi-method study across...

06/18/2025

🌎 Sloan Salon: Storytelling in the Age of Climate

How can filmmakers tackle the climate crisis and tell unforgettable stories? Join Film Independent and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for a virtual panel on blending real science with powerful, cinematic storytelling.

Lear Center Director of Research Erica Rosenthal will be joined by writers Nicole Conlan & Jessica Poter, producer Fiona Hardingham, Hollywood Climate Summit founder Allison Begalman, and moderator Wendy Calhoun.

Tuesday, June 24
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM PT
Online

The event is free and open to the public.

As climate change shapes our reality, it also transforms the stories we tell. Film Independent is proud to partner with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for

05/12/2025

03/12/2025

We're !

Check out 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.

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: We’re excited to launch the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center's 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

10/22/2024

In the wake of One Direction member Liam Payne’s death, the fandom is coming together where it all began: online. Lear Center Researcher Ksenia Korobkova weighs in on its significance.

In the wake of tragedy, One Direction fans are grieving together online.