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[Skip to content](https://grady.uga.edu/news/laurena-bernabo-authors-new-book-black-and-blue-tv/#content) [Main Logo](https://www.uga.edu/) - [Menu itemGive](https://grady.uga.edu/give/) - [Menu itemFaculty & Staff](https://grady.uga.edu/faculty-staff/) - [Menu itemAlumni](https://grady.uga.edu/alumni/) [Main Logo](https://grady.uga.edu/) Main Navigation - [Academics](https://grady.uga.edu/news/laurena-bernabo-authors-new-book-black-and-blue-tv/) Academics Submenu - [Admissions](https://grady.uga.edu/news/laurena-bernabo-authors-new-book-black-and-blue-tv/) Admissions Submenu - [Students](https://grady.uga.edu/news/laurena-bernabo-authors-new-book-black-and-blue-tv/) Students Submenu - [About](https://grady.uga.edu/news/laurena-bernabo-authors-new-book-black-and-blue-tv/) About Submenu - [Research](https://grady.uga.edu/research/) - [News & Events](https://grady.uga.edu/news/laurena-bernabo-authors-new-book-black-and-blue-tv/) News & Events Submenu [Apply](https://grady.uga.edu/apply/) Menu Mobile Navigation - [Academics](https://grady.uga.edu/news/laurena-bernabo-authors-new-book-black-and-blue-tv/) Academics Submenu - [Admissions](https://grady.uga.edu/news/laurena-bernabo-authors-new-book-black-and-blue-tv/) Admissions Submenu - [Students](https://grady.uga.edu/news/laurena-bernabo-authors-new-book-black-and-blue-tv/) Students Submenu - [About](https://grady.uga.edu/news/laurena-bernabo-authors-new-book-black-and-blue-tv/) About Submenu - [Research](https://grady.uga.edu/research/) - [News & Events](https://grady.uga.edu/news/laurena-bernabo-authors-new-book-black-and-blue-tv/) News & Events Submenu Resources: - [Menu itemGive](https://grady.uga.edu/give/) - [Menu itemFaculty & Staff](https://grady.uga.edu/faculty-staff/) - [Menu itemAlumni](https://grady.uga.edu/alumni/) [Apply](https://grady.uga.edu/apply/) # Laurena Bernabo authors new book “Black and Blue TV”   Laurena Bernabo, an assistant professor in the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies (EMST) at Grady College, is the author of the new book "Black and Blue TV: Industry Responses to the Black Lives Matter Movement." The book analyzes television's portrayal of the Black Lives Matter movement. (Photo/Sarah E. Freeman) ## Laurena Bernabo authors new book “Black and Blue TV” March 17, 2026 Television programs have regularly presented the Black Lives Matter movement since 2015, said [Laurena Bernabo](https://grady.uga.edu/faculty/bernabo/), an assistant professor in the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies (EMST) at Grady College. She said the topic became unavoidable in the summer of 2020, following George Floyd’s murder and subsequent international protests. Bernabo examines television’s portrayal of the BLM movement in her new book: “[Black and Blue TV: Industry Responses to the Black Lives Matter Movement.](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://grady.uga.edu/research/black-and-blue-tv-industry-responses-to-the-black-lives-matter-movement-2/&ved=2ahUKEwiBhO7115qTAxV-lIkEHceyBIMQFnoECBYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3ZeI7oGipsl2Y7QgzwNi6i)” The book pairs textual criticisms and interviews with television creatives, executives and media activists to trace industry shifts in how these individuals understand their role in televisual culture. “Images of police using violence against Black Americans fueled criticisms of the role of television — especially cop shows — in perpetuating ‘copaganda,’ highlighting the fact that television’s cops are nearly always the good guys, even when they break the law,” according to the book’s summary. The book covers the first decade of the BLM movement, beginning with the TV industry’s content that aired following the George Zimmerman decision in 2013. Bernabo’s interest in the topic began when she noticed how many mainstream series began adapting events inspired by real-life tragedies, or the actual tragedy in some cases, into their plotlines. “It started back in 2015, when ‘Scandal’ had an episode that was inspired by Michael Brown, and then a couple months before ‘The Good Wife’ had an episode inspired by Eric Garner,” said Bernabo. “I posed this to my friends and colleagues on Facebook, asking ‘does anyone know of other examples of this?’” Bernabo was then sent enough links and examples to write an article about how TV portrays significant tragedies, incorporating them for entertainment purposes. In 2020, many shows such as “Station 19” featured heavy storylines informed by Floyd’s real-life murder. She then contacted various connections in Hollywood and interviewed writers and TV creatives over the course of several years, some of whom were on the picket lines of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. She collected more than 30 interviews to analyze and decided to publish her findings. At the beginning, Bernabo said she was not planning to write a book. “I was just curious and wanted to talk to people, and it kind of snowballed from there,” Bernabo said. While conducting her research, Bernabo was surprised to find that many Hollywood creatives and executives were unaware of how much influence their decisions had on the shows and the people watching them. She said the writers may often be “well-intentioned but ignorant,” failing to realize the power of television holistically to shape the viewer’s understanding of the world, why it is that way and how it could be better. “They may need to be educated on statistics or terminology,” Bernabo said. “Television, I think, remains such an important medium, even if we don’t think of TV in the way that we used to.” The book also examines the people who tell these police-oriented stories, who is allowed to be a show runner, what kind of plotlines are or are not allowed to air and whether these creatives check their own biases to lessen any potential bigotry. Bernabo’s hope is that audiences will learn more about the industry and gain an interest in the topic as she has. “I try to write accessibly, so that it can be valuable to students and scholars alike, but also people in the industry,” Bernabo said. “I almost wrote it for myself; it was just such a fascinating thing. The audience can be big and wide, but it was, to me, mostly about making sense of a whole lot of information and insights.” Bernabo will continue to promote the book following its release and looks forward to pursuing the themes of the book while shifting focus. She plans to investigate TV’s portrayal of ICE following recent raids in major cities. 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 Laurena Bernabo, an assistant professor in the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies (EMST) at Grady College, is the author of the new book "Black and Blue TV: Industry Responses to the Black Lives Matter Movement." The book analyzes television's portrayal of the Black Lives Matter movement. (Photo/Sarah E. Freeman) ## Laurena Bernabo authors new book “Black and Blue TV” March 17, 2026 Television programs have regularly presented the Black Lives Matter movement since 2015, said [Laurena Bernabo](https://grady.uga.edu/faculty/bernabo/), an assistant professor in the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies (EMST) at Grady College. She said the topic became unavoidable in the summer of 2020, following George Floyd’s murder and subsequent international protests. Bernabo examines television’s portrayal of the BLM movement in her new book: “[Black and Blue TV: Industry Responses to the Black Lives Matter Movement.](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://grady.uga.edu/research/black-and-blue-tv-industry-responses-to-the-black-lives-matter-movement-2/&ved=2ahUKEwiBhO7115qTAxV-lIkEHceyBIMQFnoECBYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3ZeI7oGipsl2Y7QgzwNi6i)” The book pairs textual criticisms and interviews with television creatives, executives and media activists to trace industry shifts in how these individuals understand their role in televisual culture. “Images of police using violence against Black Americans fueled criticisms of the role of television — especially cop shows — in perpetuating ‘copaganda,’ highlighting the fact that television’s cops are nearly always the good guys, even when they break the law,” according to the book’s summary. The book covers the first decade of the BLM movement, beginning with the TV industry’s content that aired following the George Zimmerman decision in 2013. Bernabo’s interest in the topic began when she noticed how many mainstream series began adapting events inspired by real-life tragedies, or the actual tragedy in some cases, into their plotlines. “It started back in 2015, when ‘Scandal’ had an episode that was inspired by Michael Brown, and then a couple months before ‘The Good Wife’ had an episode inspired by Eric Garner,” said Bernabo. “I posed this to my friends and colleagues on Facebook, asking ‘does anyone know of other examples of this?’” Bernabo was then sent enough links and examples to write an article about how TV portrays significant tragedies, incorporating them for entertainment purposes. In 2020, many shows such as “Station 19” featured heavy storylines informed by Floyd’s real-life murder. She then contacted various connections in Hollywood and interviewed writers and TV creatives over the course of several years, some of whom were on the picket lines of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. She collected more than 30 interviews to analyze and decided to publish her findings. At the beginning, Bernabo said she was not planning to write a book. “I was just curious and wanted to talk to people, and it kind of snowballed from there,” Bernabo said. While conducting her research, Bernabo was surprised to find that many Hollywood creatives and executives were unaware of how much influence their decisions had on the shows and the people watching them. She said the writers may often be “well-intentioned but ignorant,” failing to realize the power of television holistically to shape the viewer’s understanding of the world, why it is that way and how it could be better. “They may need to be educated on statistics or terminology,” Bernabo said. “Television, I think, remains such an important medium, even if we don’t think of TV in the way that we used to.” The book also examines the people who tell these police-oriented stories, who is allowed to be a show runner, what kind of plotlines are or are not allowed to air and whether these creatives check their own biases to lessen any potential bigotry. Bernabo’s hope is that audiences will learn more about the industry and gain an interest in the topic as she has. “I try to write accessibly, so that it can be valuable to students and scholars alike, but also people in the industry,” Bernabo said. “I almost wrote it for myself; it was just such a fascinating thing. The audience can be big and wide, but it was, to me, mostly about making sense of a whole lot of information and insights.” Bernabo will continue to promote the book following its release and looks forward to pursuing the themes of the book while shifting focus. She plans to investigate TV’s portrayal of ICE following recent raids in major cities. Author: Sam Tupper (samuel.tupper@uga.edu)