Events
May/June 2024. ATX TV Festival
Director of Research Erica Rosenthal joined Hollywood, Health & Society director Kate Folb for a series of health-related panels at the annual ATX TV Festival, including ones on mental health, abortion, and the future of medicine. June 27, 2022. Research Spotlight: Media Impact
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. June 5, 2022. ATX 2022: Telling Authentic Immigrant Stories on Television
Linda Yvette Chávez (Gentefied), Miranda Kwok (The Cleaning Lady), Melvin Mar (Fresh Off the Boat), and Mike Gauyo (Send Help) discussed their respective journeys bringing nuanced immigrant characters to life on screen, and the need for authentic storytelling spanning a range of immigrant experiences. April 2022. USC Earth Week
Research Director Erica Rosenthal shares our ongoing research activities at the annual USC Earth Week Celebration. The presentation was hosted by USC President Carol Folt and featuring a diverse group of sustainability champions from across the Trojan Family as they present the breadth of initiatives driving USC’s sustainability agenda. January 19, 2022. Flip the Script on Plastics in Hollywood: Rethinking Single-Use Plastics in Film & Television
This deep-dive discussion on Flip the Script on Plastics featured MIP researcher Dana Weinstein, joined by Hollywood activists and artists Yareli Arizmendi, Fran Drescher, and Kyra Sedgwick. March 25, 2021. Money Matters: Changing the story of poverty, prosperity & opportunity
Early findings from our study of poverty, prosperity and opportunity narratives in pop culture were shared at this webinar. The event also included writers and producers from the hit shows Pose (FX), Gentefied (Netflix), Queen Sugar (OWN) and New Amsterdam (NBC). |
September 15, 2020. Original Reporting. Start From the Ashes. A Harvard Nieman Center Podcast.
What can the fashion industry teach the struggling news industry to become more successful and sustaining? Managing Director Johanna Blakley was interviewed in this podcast from Harvard's Nieman Center about the surprising parallels. |
September 14, 2020. Critical Value. An Urban Institute Podcast
Director of Research Erica Rosenthal talks about our soon-to-be-released research on philanthropy and charitable giving in the media. |
June 4, 2020. Truth in the Age of COVID: Three steps to combat misinformation.
As the global COVID-19 pandemic threatens public health and global alliances, so does the rising tide of disinformation, creating mistrust in global norms, threatening democratic institutions, and polarizing societies. Managing Director Johanna Blakley joined experts in technology and civil society to discuss how data analytics, awareness-raising, and engaging audiences with appealing media, when combined, enable communities to become more resilient. |
February 5, 2020. Frank 2020. The Power of Storytelling
Director of Research Erica Rosenthal participated in the annual convening that invites movement builders and thought leaders to help shift mindsets and shape understandings about the field of public interest communications. Rosenthal spoke about harnessing emotion to promote social change through storytelling. |
January 26, 2020. Moving the Needle. How Immigrant Stories are Shifting American Culture. Park City, UT.
Define American provided an exclusive sneak peek into new research examining how immigrant representation on screen can shift the perception and behavior of audiences across the country. Panelists included journalist/filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas along with filmmakers and talent from 2020 Sundance films Farewell Amor and Blast Beat. The event was sponsored by the Pop Culture Collaborative and the MacArthur Foundation. |
October 25, 2019. The Power of Story in a Fractured Society. Los Angeles, CA
The entertainment industry struggles to accurately represent diverse communities on and off the screen. Lear Center Managing Director Johanna Blakley joined journalist Eva Recinos, TV writer/comedian Jenny Yang, actor/activist Kendrick Sampson and the Opportunity Agenda's Lucy Odigie-Turley to wrestle with the question, Can entertainment move us toward a more just society? |
May 18, 2019. Johanna Blakley on Freakonomics Radio Live! Los Angeles, CA
Lear Center managing director Johanna Blakley joined Stephen Dubner and co-host Angela Duckworth, author of Grit, along with special guests including LA mayor Eric Garcetti. Blakley discussed MIP research study, "Are You What You Watch?: Tracking the Political Divide Through TV Preferences." |
March 30, 2019. MIP at Science & Cocktails. København, Denmark
A joint venture of Science and Cocktails and CPH:DOX presents a trans-disciplinary evening of science with media/entertainment researcher Johanna Blakley, the screening of the documentary INFORMATION SKIES and the party concert of Trypical Cumbia. All this blended with cloud-like flavors of homemade cocktail recipes. |
March 8, 2019. Spark Change: Social Impact Entertainment Summit. Los Angeles, CA
Lear Center managing director Johanna Blakley joined the Spark Change Summit 2019, which featured award-winning producers, writers, directors and creatives – all focusing on entertainment that raises awareness, changes behavior, influences policy and catalyzes movements. Presented by the Skoll Center for Social Impact Entertainment at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Creative Visions, and Participant Media, this year’s Summit offered a deep dive into the creation of social impact entertainment projects, campaigns, and the movements they spark. READ: The SIE Report |
February 19, 2019. Johanna Blakley on BBC Radio 5
Lear Center managing director Johanna Blakley speaks with BBC Radio 5 newsman Peter Bowes on Tuesday, February 19th, from 6-7 PM (PST) on pop culture, social media, movies and the future of awards shows like the Oscars. Listen to the audio here. |
October 2, 2018. Setting the Story Straight: Rewriting the Narrative on Immigrants in TV. Beverly Hills, CA
The Writers Guild Foundation, in partnership with Define American and The Hollywood Reporter, hosts this discussion featuring writers and actors on how immigrants in America are depicted on television. Held in conjunction with the launch of a research study from Define American and the Lear Center, the panel will explore the nuances of crafting and portraying meaningful immigrant stories for TV as well as how storytellers can make an impact on the audience’s perceptions of immigrants and other marginalized communities. |
February 1, 2018. USC Facebook Live: Elizabeth Currid-Halkett & Johanna Blakley on Self-Representation.
Watch USC Price School’s Elizabeth Currid-Halkett and the Lear Center’s Johanna Blakley discuss their shared interest in self-representation, in advance of NY Fashion Week (February 8-16). Dr. Currid-Halkett brings her expertise on economic development, cultural economy, social networks and urban growth to the table, while Dr. Blakley’s offers her rich research on media, commerce, fashion and culture. Don’t miss this lively meeting of minds and tastes! |
Nov 15th - 16th, 2017. Entertainment Education & Media Impact Assessment.
Lear Center Managing Director Johanna Blakley presents on the entertainment education model our Hollywood, Health & Society program uses as well as new work from our Media Impact Project at the Educational Technology and Computational Psychometrics Symposium in Iowa City, IA. |
August 12, 2017. ILEA Live. Calgary, AB
Lear Center Managing Director Johanna Blakley delivers the keynote address at the 2017 edition of ILEA. Nobody likes to have their ideas stolen, but in an age of “copy & paste” creative professionals must find ways to keep their competitive edge without suing everyone in sight. Because of the lack of copyright protection for apparel, the fashion industry offers a fascinating model for how to succeed without owning your creative output. Blakley explores how fashion designers have developed survival strategies that have boosted their creativity and made them the poster children for innovation in the 21st century. |
August 5, 2017. Priming Self-Efficacy in the Media: Experimental Research on Solutions Journalism. Washington, D.C.
Lear Center Director of Research Beth Karlin begins her one-year term as President of APA Division 34 (Environmental Psychology) at the 2017 American Psychological Association Convention in Washington, D.C. Karlin will present her talk “Priming Self-Efficacy in the Media: Experimental Research on Solutions Journalism”. |
April 5, 2017. Experimental Research on Solutions Journalism. Washington, D.C.
Lear Center Director of Research Beth Karlin began her one-year term as President of APA Division 34 (Environmental Psychology) at the 2017 American Psychological Association Convention in Washington, D.C. Karlin presented “Priming Self-Efficacy in the Media: Experimental Research on Solutions Journalism”. |
July 14, 2017. Human Computer Interaction International (HC11) Conference. Vancouver, BC
Lear Center Director of Research Beth Karlin participated in the Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality track at the Human Computer Interaction International (HCII) Conference in Vancouver, Canada and presented a conference paper entitled, “Energy UX: Leveraging Multiple Methods to See the Big Picture”, which “blends inductive research methods from the fields of design and HCI with deductive methods drawn from psychology and behavioral economics to develop and test hypotheses and translate findings into real-world application.” |
June 23, 2017. Association for Environmental Studies & Science Conference, Tucson, AZ
Lear Center Director of Research Beth Karlin chaired the session “New Frontiers in Visualizing Climate Change” at the 2017 AESS Conference at the University of Arizona in Tuscon. Karlin discussed the role of Virtual Reality in Climate Communication and present findings from the Lear Center’s Media Impact Project‘s recent VR study with FRONTLINE. |
November 12, 2016. Global Health Film Festival. London, UK
Managing Director Johanna Blakley presents results and insights from multiple research evaluations conducted by the Lear Center on recent movies and TV shows at the 2016 Global Health Film Progamme at the Barbican in London. Listen to her talk here on Entertainment Education and how the Norman Lear Center measures impact here. |
November 12, 2016. Advancing the Story: The Next Chapter in Media Impact. Beverly Hills, CA
Emerging technologies are not only wreaking havoc on business models in the media industries, they are also enabling new kinds of engagement with profound social and political issues. In a polarized election year, this panel will reflect on how live video has inspired social action while demonstrating the problems with mass distribution of content. In addition, while virtual reality promises to increase empathy and engagement, what methods have been developed to measure impact? Read more and watch video here. |
August 4-7, 2016. American Psychological Association. Denver, CO
Research Director Beth Karlin attends the American Psychology Association’s (APA) annual convention. Dr. Karlin will be presenting in two sessions: "Gamergate–Psychology Addresses Sometimes Violent Protests Against Reel Heroines" and "Putting the Psychology to Work for the World—Evidence-Based Approaches to Effective Communication." |
June 16, 2016. The Science of Data-Drive Storytelling. Culver City, CA
Media Impact Director Dana Chinn presents at The Science of Data-Driven Storytelling Workshop. The workshop is presented by The National Science Foundation’s West Big Data Innovation Hub and DataScience, Inc. DataScience and the National Science Foundation’s West Big Data Innovation Hub have brought together leaders in academia, the non-profit sector, government, data science and publishing to discuss best practices for creating impactful data-driven stories. Those in analytical, marketing, or management roles in these fields are highly encouraged to attend this free event. |
May 16, 2016. Narrating Behavior Change with the World Bank. Mexico City, Mexico.
The Media Impact Project joined the Development Impact Evaluation (DIME) in delivering an impact evaluation workshop in Mexico City, Mexico, aligning researchers, practitioners and producers from entertainment hubs including Hollywood, Nollywood and Bollywood to design and evaluate behavior change campaigns under a new DIME program: Entertainment Education. |
May 12, 2016. Public Diplimacy for Sustainable Development. United Nations Foundation, Washington, D.C.
Lear Center Managing Director Johanna Blakley wasamong the participants at this forum, hosted by the USC Center on Public Diplomacy. The event explored the vital role of public diplomacy in engaging a broad array of stakeholders to implement the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The Sustainable Development Goals build on the Millennium Development Goals, a 15-year concerted effort of national governments, the international community, civil society and the private sector concluded in 2015. Featured speakers include scholars and researchers, as well as representatives from key UN organizations and select countries. View photos of the participants in this Flickr stream. |
April 21, 2016. What's New Media Good for Anyway? Los Angeles, CA
Jessica Clark, published journalist, researcher, media futurist and founder of Dot Connector Studios, discussed the future of storytelling and the changing relationship between the physical and the digital. Clark explored ways to develop new models and evaluation practices that help makers and researchers grasp and visualize emerging forms of public interest media, such as virtual and augmented reality. |
March 25, 2016. Building a Smarter Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA
MIP Director Dana Chinn is a featured panelist in this conference, which brings together Smart Cities experts, government officials, and thought leaders on how open data, analytics, and IoT can drive better outcomes in traffic management, energy, crime prevention, and other challenges here in LA. |
February 25, 2016. 2016 Frank Conference: "Who Cares?" University of Florida
Johanna Blakley, the Lear Center’s Managing Director and Director of Research, presented at the 2016 frank conference, which is considered the foremost gathering of people who use strategic communications to drive social change. Her insightful talk “Who Cares?” explores the phenomenon of “development fatigue,” where citizens of wealthy nations believe that the situation in developing nations hasn’t improved, despite all the money poured into them. WATCH and LEARN. |
January 8, 2016. Gender and (Anti)Social Media. Austin, TX
Lear Center Managing Director and Director of Research Johanna Blakley spoke at the 2016 MLA conference in Austin, Texas, offering a brief commentary on gender issues and social media. She gave special attention to recent bouts of social media–based harassment (e.g., Gamergate) but also explored the potential for social media to create change for the better through cyber activism and coalition building. |
October 28-29, 2015. Entertainment Education at the Morelia Film Festival. Morelia, Mexico
The Lear Center’s Hollywood, Health & Society program and Media Impact Project lead two panels and a hands-on workshop at the 13th annual International Film Festival in Morelia, Mexico. With the help of an international group of master storytellers, Hollywood, Health & Society and the World Bank is presenting an inspiring series of events to explore how entertainment can help change the world. |
October 23, 2015. Sustinable LA/Data Cosmopolis
MIP Director Dana Chinn will be on a panel talking about the Open Data LA Assessment Framework. |
July 10-20, 2015. BRITDOC Documentary Film Impact Assessment. London, UK
Lunchtime discussions about documentary film impact assessment in conjunction with BRITDOC in London July 10-20. Contact Dana Chinn for dates and locations.
July 7, 2015. Frontline Club International Partners. London, UK
Conducting online metrics workshop using the "Metrics for Nonprofit News Organizations" guide at the Frontline Club International Partners meeting in London on July 7.
June 23, 2015. Media Impact Forum. Menlo Park, CA
Johanna Blakley and Dana Chinn will discuss our new Non Profit News Organzation Guide at the Media Impact Forum hosted by Media Impact Funders.
June 11, 2015. Evaluating Media Impact: Audience vs. Advertiser Metrics. American Evaluation Association.
Assessing the impact of digital media starts with understanding why the mass media metrics used to sell advertising don't work in today's highly segmented, big data world. This talk will discuss the types of digital audience behavioral metrics essential to media evaluation frameworks
April 16, 2015. Collab/Space Austin. Austin, TX
The Lear Center's Media Impact Project is proud to co-sponsor Collab/Space Austin along with the Knight Foundation and Texas State University.
This workshop will focus on media metrics, analytics and impact.
March 6, 2015. ONA London Mobile 2015. London, UK
ONA’s first international conference, ONA London: Mobile, included a dive into mobile design, content and distribution, and rethinking how media approaches mobile news. Sessions featured the brightest minds working in and on mobile, as well as hands-on demos that offered the chance to engage with emerging mobile technology. Norman Lear Center Managing Director and Director of Research Johanna Blakley presented a demo of the Media Impact Project's Mobile Metrics Guide for Journalists.
February 20, 2015. Media that Matters Conference. Washington, D.C.
How do we make impact design and assessment an integral part of the production process? Filmmaker and professor Brigid Maher discusses the role of impact design in her upcoming feature documentary "Mama Sherpas," and introduces us to leaders in social impact through journalism, interactive media and public purpose gaming, including Dana Chinn. Learn from a diverse group of media makers what they recommend for incorporating impact design into cutting edge productions and paving the way for successful impact assessment. Watch Video
October 28, 2014. Measuring the Offline Impact of Documentary Film: A workshop sponsored by BRITDOC and the Media Impact Project. Ford Foundation, New York City, NY
This is the second in a series of workshops devoted to measuring the "offline impact" of media, critical signals of impact that often don't get counted when the focus is on digital audience data. Working from an Offline Impact Glossary developed for journalists, this workshop gathers together a small group of experts to optimize and operationalize the glossary for documentary film. The goal is to develop a simple method for systematically collecting examples of offline impact, including policy changes, mentions in other media and behavioral and attitudinal changes in individuals.
October 22-24, 2014. Media Analytics Summit. San Diego, CA
Dana Chinn will participate in this conference for analytics practitioners and data experts at media companies.
October 23, 2014. PopTech 2014. Camden, ME
Johanna Blakley, Managing Director and Director of Research at Media Impact Project and Jessica Clark, Research Director for Media Impact Funders talk impact measurement at the PopTech 2014 conference.
October 16, 2014. American Evaluation Association Conference. Denver, CO
Media Impact Project Director Dana Chinn presents on a panel on "How to use media and media analytics in a visionary evaluation."
September 25-27, 2014. Online News Association Conference. Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, Chicago
The Media Impact Project sponsored the Engagement and Audience Development track and hosted the MIP community at the Midway of the 2014 Online News Association conference.
September 4-6, 2014. RTDNA/SPJ Excellence in Journalism Conference. Nashvill, TN
The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) host the Excellence in Journalism Conference and the Media Impact Project was there. Veronica Jauriqui and Adam Amel Rogers from the Lear Center, represented MIP and the Walter Cronkite Awards in the Expo Hall.
August 8, 2014. Stories Can Change Us: Storytelling for the Public Good. American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.
As part of the American Psychological Association's annual conference, Lear Center Managing Director and Director of Research Johanna Blakley participated in a discussion on the power of story, as a member of a panel titled "Storytelling for the Public Good." She joined Amy Hartzler, from Free Range Studios and Pamela Rutledge of the Media Psychology Research Center. Telling stories is a highly effective strategy for engaging the public on important social issues (i.e., voilence, climate change). This session addressed the what (messaging), how (medium) and why (motivation) of storytelling for the public good.
August 6, 2014. Columbia Tow Center for Digital Journalism NewsLynx/Center for Investigative Reporting Offline Impact Metrics Workshop sponsored by the Media Impact Project. Columbia University, New York City, New York
A group of 15 journalists, social scientists and analysts from a variety of news orgs developed a taxonomy to classify non-digital indicators of how news has had an impact on audiences. Participants worked mostly in small groups. The USC Media Impact Project and CIR will post the taxonomy on their web sites for further input from and use by the media metrics community.
July 10, 2014. American Press Institute: Research Advisory Group Metrics Workshop. Chicago, IL
Media Impact Project Director Dana Chinn shared the Media Impact Project System (MIPS) at this workshop with news organizations and academics.
June 13, 2013. The "Verbs" of Impact: A Workshop of the Media Impact Project
One of the goals of the Media Impact Project was to create open, objective, and repeatable measures for quantifying impact. While there are many aspects of media impact that are hard to observe and measure, those activities that take place in cyber-space, such as liking a page, pressing a donate button, sending a tweet, etc. can be directly observed and quantified. This one-day workshop started the process of identifying a shared understanding of what an appropriate measurement taxonomy should look like.
Lunchtime discussions about documentary film impact assessment in conjunction with BRITDOC in London July 10-20. Contact Dana Chinn for dates and locations.
July 7, 2015. Frontline Club International Partners. London, UK
Conducting online metrics workshop using the "Metrics for Nonprofit News Organizations" guide at the Frontline Club International Partners meeting in London on July 7.
June 23, 2015. Media Impact Forum. Menlo Park, CA
Johanna Blakley and Dana Chinn will discuss our new Non Profit News Organzation Guide at the Media Impact Forum hosted by Media Impact Funders.
June 11, 2015. Evaluating Media Impact: Audience vs. Advertiser Metrics. American Evaluation Association.
Assessing the impact of digital media starts with understanding why the mass media metrics used to sell advertising don't work in today's highly segmented, big data world. This talk will discuss the types of digital audience behavioral metrics essential to media evaluation frameworks
April 16, 2015. Collab/Space Austin. Austin, TX
The Lear Center's Media Impact Project is proud to co-sponsor Collab/Space Austin along with the Knight Foundation and Texas State University.
This workshop will focus on media metrics, analytics and impact.
March 6, 2015. ONA London Mobile 2015. London, UK
ONA’s first international conference, ONA London: Mobile, included a dive into mobile design, content and distribution, and rethinking how media approaches mobile news. Sessions featured the brightest minds working in and on mobile, as well as hands-on demos that offered the chance to engage with emerging mobile technology. Norman Lear Center Managing Director and Director of Research Johanna Blakley presented a demo of the Media Impact Project's Mobile Metrics Guide for Journalists.
February 20, 2015. Media that Matters Conference. Washington, D.C.
How do we make impact design and assessment an integral part of the production process? Filmmaker and professor Brigid Maher discusses the role of impact design in her upcoming feature documentary "Mama Sherpas," and introduces us to leaders in social impact through journalism, interactive media and public purpose gaming, including Dana Chinn. Learn from a diverse group of media makers what they recommend for incorporating impact design into cutting edge productions and paving the way for successful impact assessment. Watch Video
October 28, 2014. Measuring the Offline Impact of Documentary Film: A workshop sponsored by BRITDOC and the Media Impact Project. Ford Foundation, New York City, NY
This is the second in a series of workshops devoted to measuring the "offline impact" of media, critical signals of impact that often don't get counted when the focus is on digital audience data. Working from an Offline Impact Glossary developed for journalists, this workshop gathers together a small group of experts to optimize and operationalize the glossary for documentary film. The goal is to develop a simple method for systematically collecting examples of offline impact, including policy changes, mentions in other media and behavioral and attitudinal changes in individuals.
October 22-24, 2014. Media Analytics Summit. San Diego, CA
Dana Chinn will participate in this conference for analytics practitioners and data experts at media companies.
October 23, 2014. PopTech 2014. Camden, ME
Johanna Blakley, Managing Director and Director of Research at Media Impact Project and Jessica Clark, Research Director for Media Impact Funders talk impact measurement at the PopTech 2014 conference.
October 16, 2014. American Evaluation Association Conference. Denver, CO
Media Impact Project Director Dana Chinn presents on a panel on "How to use media and media analytics in a visionary evaluation."
September 25-27, 2014. Online News Association Conference. Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, Chicago
The Media Impact Project sponsored the Engagement and Audience Development track and hosted the MIP community at the Midway of the 2014 Online News Association conference.
September 4-6, 2014. RTDNA/SPJ Excellence in Journalism Conference. Nashvill, TN
The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) host the Excellence in Journalism Conference and the Media Impact Project was there. Veronica Jauriqui and Adam Amel Rogers from the Lear Center, represented MIP and the Walter Cronkite Awards in the Expo Hall.
August 8, 2014. Stories Can Change Us: Storytelling for the Public Good. American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.
As part of the American Psychological Association's annual conference, Lear Center Managing Director and Director of Research Johanna Blakley participated in a discussion on the power of story, as a member of a panel titled "Storytelling for the Public Good." She joined Amy Hartzler, from Free Range Studios and Pamela Rutledge of the Media Psychology Research Center. Telling stories is a highly effective strategy for engaging the public on important social issues (i.e., voilence, climate change). This session addressed the what (messaging), how (medium) and why (motivation) of storytelling for the public good.
August 6, 2014. Columbia Tow Center for Digital Journalism NewsLynx/Center for Investigative Reporting Offline Impact Metrics Workshop sponsored by the Media Impact Project. Columbia University, New York City, New York
A group of 15 journalists, social scientists and analysts from a variety of news orgs developed a taxonomy to classify non-digital indicators of how news has had an impact on audiences. Participants worked mostly in small groups. The USC Media Impact Project and CIR will post the taxonomy on their web sites for further input from and use by the media metrics community.
July 10, 2014. American Press Institute: Research Advisory Group Metrics Workshop. Chicago, IL
Media Impact Project Director Dana Chinn shared the Media Impact Project System (MIPS) at this workshop with news organizations and academics.
June 13, 2013. The "Verbs" of Impact: A Workshop of the Media Impact Project
One of the goals of the Media Impact Project was to create open, objective, and repeatable measures for quantifying impact. While there are many aspects of media impact that are hard to observe and measure, those activities that take place in cyber-space, such as liking a page, pressing a donate button, sending a tweet, etc. can be directly observed and quantified. This one-day workshop started the process of identifying a shared understanding of what an appropriate measurement taxonomy should look like.