JRI Joins "Donate Life Hollywood"

July 31, 2007. Donate Life Hollywood (DLH) is a campaign to eliminate organ and tissue donation inaccuracies from television and film. It is supported by donation and transplant organizations from across the country and is administered through OneLegacy in Los Angeles.

New research from Purdue University provides the most comprehensive study of organ donation storylines on television and shows that Hollywood is getting it wrong and possibly costing lives.

"During 2004 and 2005, organ donation appeared as a primary storyline on entertainment television in more than 80 television episodes in medical dramas, police shows, comedy and daytime soap operas," said Dr. Susan Morgan, associate professor of health communication at Purdue University and author of Entertainment (Mis)Education. "We found that none of these
appearances presented organ donation in an accurate or positive light." The most commonly portrayed inaccuracies are black markets for organs, doctors not saving a potential donor's life, organs being stolen from people and people with money receive higher priority on waiting lists, finds Dr. Morgan.

Dr. Morgan's follow-up study, The Power of Narratives, goes a step further and reveals that inaccurate storylines about organ and tissue donation stop people from registering as organ donors.

"Professor Morgan's research has encouraged us to put Hollywood on alert," said Tenaya Wallace, director of Donate Life Hollywood, a campaign to eliminate the "stolen-kidney" storyline and other inaccuracies from television and film. "The organ and tissue donation and transplant
community has been upset by inaccuracies in the past but we have not taken action. Now we have hard evidence that what viewers think about donation is directly related to what they see in television storylines. This is not just about creative license. We want Hollywood writers, producers
and executives to consider the public health impact of their donation storylines. That is why we are launching Donate Life Hollywood."

Donation storylines have appeared in medical and crime dramas like CSI: NY, Numb3rs, House, and Grey’s Anatomy as well as in comedies such as Scrubs and the George Lopez Show. Heartland, the first television show focusing entirely on the donation and transplant process debuted on TNT in June 2007. The main characters are transplant surgeons and an organ
procurement coordinator.

“Hollywood is looking for drama and inspiration." said Wallace. “We understand that is why shows are increasingly turning to donation and transplantation as a storylines."

Donate Life Hollywood will share real-life stories of donation and a Top 10 list of storylines that are most harmful to the public’s perception of the donation process with writers, producers and network executives. If television shows, movies or commercials contain any of the Top 10, then Donate Life Hollywood will mobilize groups and individuals touched by donation to write letters. They will also offer praise when a show is accurate and inspirational.

For more information, read the following press release and the effect of media on organ and tissue donation.