Money Matters
Early findings from the Lear Center’s study of poverty, prosperity and opportunity narratives in popular culture will be shared by our research director, Erica Rosenthal, at a Money Matters webinar this Thursday, March 25, at 4PM (PT). Also hear from writers and producers from the hit shows Pose (FX), Gentefied (Netflix), Queen Sugar (OWN) and New Amsterdam (NBC).

As part of this project, the Center’s Shawn Van Valkenburgh made a supercut of the notably frequent mentions in scripted TV of Norma Rae, the 1979 film about a working-class organizer who fights against poverty and workplace injustice.
In Conversation: Jacob Soboroff
NBC News and MSNBC correspondent Jacob Soboroff’s groundbreaking reporting on children separated from their parents at the border earned him the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in TV Political Journalism. His New York Times bestseller Separated is a Los Angeles Times Book Prize 2021 finalist.

Soboroff will be in virtual conversation with journalism professor and immigration scholar Roberto Suro on Tuesday, April 6 at 12 PM (PT). The event is sponsored by the Lear Center and the USC Annenberg School of Journalism.

Stories from the Nuclear Frontlines
Experts from the world of nuclear threats and international security share amusing, poignant and personal stories at this Moth-like show hosted by Hollywood, Health & Society and moderated by producer/writer Jennifer Cecil. It ended with “The Last Minutes,” a riveting anonymous account read by actor Parisa Fitz-Henley.

Remembering Sonny
We mourn our friend and supporter Irwin “Sonny” Fox, who passed away in January at the age of 95. Fox was a beloved television broadcaster who hosted children’s programs including Wonderama, Let’s Take a Trip, and On Your Mark. He served as president of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and became an impassioned advocate for social impact entertainment. He was also a board member of our Hollywood, Health & Society program.
 
Depicting Charitable Giving in Mass Media
The percentage of Americans who donated to charity in 2019 was at an all-time low. To understand why, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commissioned our Media Impact Project to analyze narratives about charitable giving and philanthropy in news and entertainment. Charitable Giving in the Media, our cultural audit, reported on a national audience survey, a content analysis of 2.6 million hours of TV, and a deep-dive into scripted content.

The Sounds of Sunset Boulevard
USC Annenberg professor Josh Kun, who directs our Popular Music Project, penned this series for the Getty Research Institute taking a historical and musical journey along iconic Sunset Boulevard. Here, Kun visits ten photographs by artist Ed Ruscha and reveals their stories through the music that was made there.