On May, 22, 2018, Ploughshares Fund hosted a special viewing of the season finale for the CBS award-winning show Madam Secretary at Writers Guild of America, West. In this episode, Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord and cabinet members braced for the fallout at home and abroad as President Dalton prepared for a retaliatory nuclear attack on a country that had reportedly just launched missiles bound for the US.
The screening was followed by a panel discussion about real-life nuclear threats and how shows like Madam Secretary can help engage and educate the public about these threats:
Joe Cirincione, President, Ploughshares Fund
David Grae, Executive Producer, "Madam Secretary"
Barbara Hall, Creator/Executive Producer, "Madam Secretary"
Jeffrey Lewis, Nuclear Expert and Director at Middlebury Institute of International Studies
With the help of Hollywood, Health & Society at the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, shows like Madam Secretary are including real-life nuclear scenarios in their storylines—from securing nuclear weapons in Pakistan, to the impact of moving the Doomsday Clock to two minutes to midnight, to achieving a nuclear deal with Iran. Getting nuclear issues into pop culture is a powerful way to raise public awareness about how our leaders, on both sides of the aisle, think about and address national security and nuclear safety.
Event Collaborators
- Ploughshares Fund is a global security foundation committed to the elimination of nuclear weapons.
- Hollywood, Health & Society is a program of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center that provides entertainment industry professionals with accurate and timely information for storylines on health, safety and national security.
- N Square is an initiative designed to stimulate innovation in the fields of nuclear disarmament, nonproliferation and safety and security.
Watch a panel on nuclear threats with @Cirincione, @ArmsControlWonk, @BarbaraHallHQ and David Grae.
