MEDIA IMPACT PROJECT
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    • POVERTY NARRATIVES
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    • Are You What You Watch?
    • Africa in the Media
    • CASE STUDIES & TIPSHEETS
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    • METRICS GUIDES FOR JOURNALISTS
    • POVERTY IN POP CULTURE
    • VIRTUAL REALITY
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  • ABOUT
    • MISSION
    • OUR TEAM
    • WHAT WE DO
    • FELLOWS & PARTNERS
  • PROJECTS
    • OVERVIEW
    • AFRICA NARRATIVE
    • ACTION CAMPAIGNS
    • CHARITABLE GIVING IN THE MEDIA
    • FILM DIPLOMACY
    • HEALTH EQUITY
    • IDEOLOGY & ENTERTAINMENT
    • IMMIGRATION ON TV
    • JOURNALISM STUDIES >
      • VIRTUAL REALITY
    • POVERTY NARRATIVES
  • PUBLICATIONS
    • OVERVIEW
    • Are You What You Watch?
    • Africa in the Media
    • CASE STUDIES & TIPSHEETS
    • Charitable Giving in the Media
    • IMMIGRATION ON TV
    • METRICS GUIDES FOR JOURNALISTS
    • POVERTY IN POP CULTURE
    • VIRTUAL REALITY
  • BLOG
  • NEWS & EVENTS
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Our Projects

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Featured
Poverty Narratives in Pop Culture


In 2019, the percentage of Americans who donated to charity was at an all-time low. To understand why, we must identify dominant cultural norms and narratives around charitable giving in the U.S. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commissioned the Media Impact Project to analyze the narratives about giving conveyed through mass media news and entertainment, as well as what types of media content are consumed by potential donor audiences.

Read our Interim Summary Report.
THE AFRICA NARRATIVE
The Africa Narrative seeks to gain a deep understanding of the impact of media and entertainment in shaping perceptions and opinions of the continent and to develop a richer telling of Africa’s story.
ACTION CAMPAIGNS
Can films change behavior? Our research team analyzed the results of social impact entertainment to find real-world impact of on viewers’ knowledge, beliefs and behavior.

CHARITABLE GIVING IN THE MEDIA
We analyzed narratives about giving conveyed through mass media news and entertainment, as well as what types of media content are consumed by potential donor audiences.
HEALTH EQUITY NARRATIVES
How do media narratives impact audiences’ understanding of health and well-being, disparities and solutions? Can entertainment play a role in shifting mindsets toward equity, justice and systemic change?
FILM DIPLOMACY
​​We are conducting program evaluations of a slate of fascinating projects sponsored by the U.S. State Department designed to share American entertainment expertise with media makers worldwide.
IDEOLOGY & ENTERTAINMENT
We polled some 3,000 Americans on their opinions about U.S. and world affairs as well as their favorite entertainment and news preferences.
People with different political beliefs are drawn to different types of TV.
IMMIGRATION ON TV
Our research with Define American studies portrayals of immigrant characters and storylines on TV. Our study, Change the Narrative, Change the World, finds nuanced depictions can inspire people to  action.
JOURNALISM STUDIES
The studies explore how issue-based media can inspire action. Our studies provide an empirical assessment of how medium, message and storytelling elements affect changes in awareness, attitudes and behavior. ​ 
NORMALIZING INJUSTICE
This study with advocacy organization Color of Change looked at depictions of the U.S. criminal justice system on American television. Crime TV genre advance distorted representations of crime, justice, race and gender.
METRICS GUIDES FOR NEWS
This ongoing series of Understanding Media Metrics guides can help media news organizations understand digital measurement tools and the data they can provide and illuminate media impact that occurs online.  

VIRTUAL REALITY
In a series of studies with teams at PBS Frontline and HuffPo, our researchers analyzed the impact of virtual reality on participants’ knowledge acquisition, behavior and attitudes.
CASE STUDIES & TIPSHEETS
These case studies, tipsheets and white papers provide evidence-based research in social and behavior science that provides strategies to be leveraged to optimize messages for impact.

Upcoming research studies.

  • Are You What You Watch? Using biodata to tell better stories
  • Culture of Health Narratives in the Media
  • Poverty and Wealth in Pop Culture
The Norman Lear Center's Media Impact Project researches how entertainment and news influence our thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and actions. We work with researchers, the film and TV industry, nonprofits, and news organizations, and share our research with the public. We are part of the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.