1922-2023

Norman Lear

Latest News

Sentinel Honors Norman Lear

Norman Lear took center stage in spirit during a celebrity-filled show hosted by comedian and writer Larry Wilmore at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills. “This evening meant a lot to Norman, because he believed television can reflect our best,” Wilmore said.

Lear Center at Sundance

HH&S Director Kate Folb and Research Director Erica Rosenthal were at this year's Sundance Film Festival where they joined several events hosted by The Impact Lounge, a space that brings together filmmakers with those who believe entertainment can make a difference.

Remebering Norman

To commemorate Norman Lear’s exceptional life and career, the USC Norman Lear Center is highlighting his impactful 101 years.

Read Marty Kaplan’s tribute to Norman.

Anthem Honored

Two Lear Center projects were honored with Anthem Awards from the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences: our collaboration with Define American and  Trigger Warning: Gun Guidelines for the Media. 

Some Key Projects

Hollywood,
Health & Society

Providing the entertainment industry with accurate and up-to-date information for storylines on health, safety and security. We offer briefings and consultations with experts, case examples, panel discussions and an expanding list of tip sheets written for writers and producers.

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The Media

Impact Project

The research and evaluation arm of the Lear Center. We research how entertainment and news influence our thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and actions. We work with researchers, the film and TV industry, and nonprofits and share our research with the public.

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The Walter
Cronkite Awards

The Cronkite Awards for Excellence in TV Political Journalism honors outstanding journalism that debunks disinformation, promotes public health, advocates science, exposes inequities, empowers citizens and serves as a watchdog for voting rights and election fairness and transparency.

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Popular Music Project

The Popular Music Project takes popular music seriously as an object of sustained critical inquiry through a mix of research projects, course development, public events, videos, publications and artists’ residencies.

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Everett M.

Rogers Award

Presented since 2007, the Everett M. Rogers Award award honors the late USC Annenberg professor whose Diffusion of Innovations is the second-most cited book in the social sciences.

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Image of the Journalist in

Pop Culture

IJPC analyzes the conflicting images of the journalist in film, TV, radio, comics, video games, music, art and other aspects of pop culture to understand their impact on the public's perception of newsgatherers.

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The Norman Lear Center is a nonpartisan research and public policy center that studies the social, political, economic and cultural impact of entertainment. On campus, from its base in the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, the Lear Center builds bridges between schools and disciplines whose faculty study aspects of entertainment, media and culture. Beyond campus, it helps bridge the gap between the entertainment industry and academia, and between them and the public. Through its scholarship, research and partnerships; its events, publications and outreach to the creative community; and its role in formulating the field of entertainment studies, the Norman Lear Center works to be at the forefront of discussion and practice -- and to illuminate and repair the world.

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