The SIE Society has released The State of Social Impact Entertainment in Academia, a groundbreaking study by filmmaker and SIE Society Co-Founder Robert Rippberger revealing how universities are training the next generation of storytellers to drive real-world change. Based on research across 15 institutions, the report shows student demand for SIE courses is rising sharply, but institutional funding lags behind. It also identifies key success factors—like cross-disciplinary collaboration and pilot funding—and provides a replicable roadmap for developing sustainable programs. The findings position academia as a critical incubator for socially conscious content creators and a key ally for the entertainment industry. Read the full report at siesociety.org .
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The SIE Society (Social Impact Entertainment Society) proudly announces the release of its newest report, The State of Social Impact Entertainment in Academia, a comprehensive study illuminating how universities are shaping the future of entertainment designed to drive measurable social change.
The report, authored by SIE Society Co-Founder Robert Rippberger —an award-winning filmmaker and author of The Power of Storytelling: Social Impact Entertainment —offers a deep dive into how leading faculty across 15 universities are building, sustaining, and scaling SIE programs.
For the entertainment industry, the findings serve as a call to action: academia is rapidly becoming an incubator for the next generation of impact storytellers. From health communication and behavioral change to public policy and narrative strategy, these programs are producing talent uniquely trained to align storytelling with social purpose.
"Social Impact Entertainment is more than a genre—it's a movement," said Rippberger. "This report highlights academia's growing role as a launchpad for impactful storytelling. For producers, studios and platforms looking to build authentic, socially relevant content, universities represent a vibrant pipeline of ideas, research, and collaborators. We're seeing the convergence of purpose and narrative become a professional standard, not just a moral one."
Key insights from the report include:
- Student demand for SIE courses is surging—but institutional support hasn't kept pace. For example, Film/TV departments at schools account for 29% share of resilient SIE programs. Faculty cited high student demand but weak long-term funding (only 1 in 5 has a recurring budget line). Meanwhile, 45% of SIE programs have survived ≥ 5 years at Schools of Public Health.
- The pace of specific SIE courses and programs has accelerated in the last 10 years with one-third beginning as a single-course pilot, before expanding.
- Cross-disciplinary collaboration, particularly with public health and environmental science, is key to funding and curriculum resilience.
- Funding fractional coordinators in pilot years—an investment of ≈ $12,000 unlocks faculty bandwidth.
- A replicable roadmap exists for moving from single-course pilots to full-fledged academic programs and minors. Real-world partnerships with NGOs and festivals dramatically increase course impact and enrollment.
"This report highlights ongoing efforts to integrate storytelling and evidence-based approaches into academic settings," said Debora B. Freitas López, MS, Executive Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs. "At CCP, we have seen how storytelling - rooted in data, community insight, and cultural relevance - can influence behaviors, shift mindsets, and drive sustainable impact. As this field continues to evolve, universities must remain committed to cultivating professionals who can bridge creative expression with scientific rigor."
The full report offers practical implementation checklists and a robust global database of SIE courses and faculty—resources designed to help academic leaders and entertainment professionals alike strengthen the bridge between education and industry.
Download The State of Social Impact Entertainment (SIE) in Academia, an October 2025 report by Robert Rippberger (SIE Society) with the support of Amy Henderson Riley (Population Media Center), Caroline Jacoby and Lanceperry Maniquis (SIE Society).
Explore the SIE Society's resource library at https://siesociety.org/resource-library/.
About the SIE Society
The SIE Society (Social Impact Entertainment Society) is a global community of more than 1,600 entertainment, corporate, and nonprofit professionals, from all storytelling media platforms, working at the intersection of storytelling and social change. Through curated programming, thought leadership, and year-round engagement, the SIE Society supports collaboration and measurable impact across industries.
The Impact+Profit conference, held each December, is the SIE Society's flagship event, presented in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs. The gathering brings together changemakers from across social impact, entertainment, innovation, and investment in all storytelling media platforms.
As a member of the United Nations Global and SDG Media Compacts, the SIE Society, founded in 2020, champions the power of narrative to advance equity, justice, sustainability, and well-being worldwide.The SIE Society also publishes the digital magazine SIE Voices, a newsletter spotlighting emerging trends, industry insights and the people and projects driving meaning change through media and entertainment. Learn more at www.siesociety.org
Media Contact
Lynn Trono, SIE Society, 1 202-820-0702, [email protected], https://siesociety.org/
SOURCE SIE Society
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