Jasmine Heyward<\/b> is the Entertainment Initiative Senior Associate at New America\u2019s Better Life Lab. With previous experience as a reporter, K\u201312 educator, event producer, and lab coordinator, Heyward brings a diverse background to their work.<\/p>
Inspired by an adolescence immersed in Web 2.0 fan culture, their research explores media representation of stress, mental illness, and marginalized communities and the impact of this work on audiences. For a decade, they have researched the depictions of these themes in entertainment media, from television to story-based video games, and they also advocate for thoughtful, accurate, and trauma-informed nonfiction storytelling co-created with marginalized communities. Their work with BLL\u2019s entertainment initiative primarily explores the relationship between work- and school-related stress and family dynamics, along with the impact of discrimination and marginalization on the transmission of intergenerational trauma.<\/p>
Heyward\u2019s academic background includes an MA in digital and interactive storytelling from the University of Westminster in London and a BA in journalism from Northeastern University in Boston. They also studied diverse concepts in psychology and intercultural communication during both degrees.<\/p>
Outside of their professional work, Heyward is very interested in technologies old and new. This has led to creative endeavors such as exploring film photography and building custom ergonomic keyboards. They have also been known to unexpectedly appear at policy-focused events exploring youth safety and well-being online. Heyward is based in Washington, DC.<\/p>","":null,"drop_cap":false,"anchor_id":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_add_component","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_taxonomies","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_taxonomies":{"":null,"anchor_id":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_person_latest","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_person_latest":{"":null,"anchor_id":""}}]},"yoast_head":"\n