Social & Political Content of Popular Culture
Over the years the Center for Media & Public Affairs has conducted
numerous studies on the content of television entertainment. These studies
began with the publication of Watching
America: What Television Tells Us About Our Lives , a systematic
look at the political and social content of network television. This work
was updated with the publication of Prime
Time: How TV Portrays American Culture in 1994.
In 1999, CMPA released a unique study of television
portrayals of civil servants and government over the past 40
years. This study traces a long trend toward critical portrayals of government
institutions and often unflattering portrayals of civil servants.
CMPA has also broadened its entertainment analysis to include the messages
in cartoons and other children's programming.
