The Power of Stories About Work, Family, and Care on Screen
National survey shows U.S. viewers want stories about work, family, caregiving, and gender that reflect their struggles—and offer solutions.
Getting Authentic Work-Family Stories On Screen
For most working Americans, navigating tensions between work, family, and care responsibilities is a daily reality, but television and film rarely explore these challenges in nuanced, holistic ways. As a result, public understanding and the political will for family-supportive policies and infrastructure have lagged behind lived experience.
New America’s Better Life Lab launched our entertainment initiative to share storytelling guidance and research-backed insights with writers, filmmakers, and executives. The team has convened major industry partners and independent creatives to elevate narratives about gender, work, and family. They also conduct audience research that emphasizes the universal demand for stories that reflect their own lives, on screens big and small.
As a result, hundreds of writers and filmmakers are now better prepared to create realistic portrayals of work-family conflict, caregiving, and supports like paid leave. These stories help shift public attitudes, normalize systemic solutions, and support broader movements for family-friendly workplaces.