The first-ever Golden Globe Award nominations for podcasting will be announced this month, as the medium continues its growing popularity across the entertainment landscape. As podcasts audiences have grown, a new study asks just who is behind the mic on the most popular programs.
The...
Elevating portrayals of mental health is a key issue for Kristen Bell and Stacy L. Smith — and they’re working together, along with the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative , to ensure more stories make it to the screen.
Today, Bell and Smith announced the launch of the Mental Health Accelerator, a program that offers emerging filmmakers grants to...
DEI efforts across the entertainment industry have been increasingly under attack — from consumers, lawsuits and even federal policy. Despite the rollback of programs and discussion of DEI, a new study reveals that the perception of an inclusive Hollywood may be just as fictional as the content it sells.
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2025 has brought increased hostility to the term “DEI,” particularly in corporate America. Companies have publicly claimed to be ending DEI programs, changed the name of their efforts, and a few have staunchly defended the need for the programs to shareholders. Amidst this environment, a new study explores one industry to understand the makeup of its executive ranks.
The...
Each year, millions of Americans are diagnosed with health conditions and diseases and turn to various sources, including the media, for information. But how often do popular entertainment programs portray specific health conditions and diseases? A new report reveals.
The study is the latest from Stacy L. Smith and the...
As the music industry prepares to celebrate at the Grammy Awards this Sunday, is there anything to applaud when it comes to progress for women? The latest report from Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative suggests that the gains made by women in the music industry have held, but not accelerated....
Today, Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative , in collaboration with the Adobe Foundation , present the Inclusion List. The data-driven ranking system shows the world who is responsible for driving inclusion when it comes to representation in...
There is a chorus of concern around youth mental health — medical practitioners, mental health care professionals, educators, and parents have all been vocal about young people’s well-being. Yet a new study shows that entertainment has yet to join the choir when it comes to depicting...