Hollywood, Health & Society

Hollywood, Health & Society (HH&S) is a program at the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center that provides entertainment industry professionals with accurate and timely information for health storylines. With funders that have included the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The California Endowment, the Barr Foundation, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Grantham Foundation, ClimateWorks, Skoll Global Threats Fund, Health Resources and Services Administration's Division of Transplantation, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the program recognizes the profound impact that entertainment media have on individual knowledge and behavior.

In partnership with our funding agencies, we offer several resources, including quick facts, briefings and consultations with experts, case examples, panel discussions about timely health issues, a quarterly newsletter with health updates called "Real to Reel," and an expanding list of tip sheets written specifically for writers and producers. Tip sheets are available on the CDC website, as well as the NCI website. The broad range of topics includes influenza, toxic mold, smallpox, cancer, autism, motor vehicle crashes, obesity, adolescent health issues, antibiotic resistance, clinical trials and much more.