Television Creators and CDC to Participate in Free, Open-to-the-Public Event to Address How Entertainment Industry Storytellers Can Turn the Spotlight on Issues in Health Equity and Access to Care for Women of Color
LOS ANGELES — The Television Academy Foundation today announced it will present “The Power of TV: Reshaping Breast Cancer Narratives” on Wednesday, Jan. 25, from 9-10 a.m. PST. The free, open-to-the-public event will be held at the Television Academy’s North Hollywood campus. To register, visit TelevisionAcademy.com/power-of-tv/tickets.
Developed in partnership with Hollywood, Health & Society, a program of the University of Southern California Annenberg Norman Lear Center, the event will assemble storytellers and a medical and public health expert to discuss the very-real disparities in healthcare services that exist in access to health risk, prevention, treatment messages and care for people of color.
The conversation will focus primarily on young women who are most affected by early onset breast cancer, the inequities in access to risk information and health care, and how television programs can inspire young women to take action for their health. Speakers will explore ways in which content creators can shed light on the topic and promote positive social change by incorporating more storylines on these issues in their programs.
Panelists will include showrunner and executive producer Krista Vernoff (Grey’s Anatomy); co-executive producer and writer Kristi Korzec (Superman & Lois); the creator of Dickinson on Apple TV+, Alena Smith, who penned a recent New York Times article on her own preventative breast cancer surgery; and Dr. Lisa C. Richardson, M.D., M.P.H., Director, CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. The discussion will be moderated by Carri Twigg, co-founder and head of development for Culture House production company.
Sponsored by Hollywood, Health & Society, USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, the event will be held at the Television Academy’s Saban Media Center, 5210 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. A pre-event continental breakfast will be served for all attendees at 8 a.m. prior to the 9 a.m. discussion. Admission is free; RSVP is required. To register, visit TelevisionAcademy.com/power-of-tv/tickets.
“Our industry of storytellers can make a powerful difference in helping the public understand the need for access to information about risk and early detection messages and the importance of self-advocacy and access to health care,” said Foundation Chair Cris Abrego.
About the Television Academy Foundation
Established in 1959 as the charitable arm of the Television Academy, the Television Academy Foundation is dedicated to preserving the legacy of television while educating and inspiring those who will shape its future. Through renowned educational and outreach programs, such as The Interviews: An Oral History of Television Project, College Television Awards and Summit, Student Internship Program and the Media Educators Conference, the Foundation seeks to widen the circle of voices our industry represents and to create more opportunity for television to reflect all of society. For more information on the Foundation, please visit TelevisionAcademy.com/Foundation.
