Part 1: Finding the Civic Leaders
in Your Stories

Summary

Civic leaders aren’t just presidents and high-profile politicians.

They are also school board members, government scientists, polling officials, public health care providers, and social services administrators.

They have power to make decisions and direct actions that impact their communities.

SCHITT’S CREEK / CBC

Civic leaders appear in almost every film and show, many times without audiences or even the storytellers themselves realizing it. Civic leaders aren’t just presidents and high-profile politicians. They are also school board members, government scientists, polling officials, public health care providers, and social services administrators. They have power to make decisions and direct actions that impact their communities.

There are the obviously political shows (such as Veep or Madame Secretary) but also the less obvious shows about government services, like public education (such as Abbott Elementary or Glee) or public health (such as New Amsterdam). Then there are many shows in which public leaders appear as supporting characters (such as Schitt’s Creek) or where characters decide to step up and become civic leaders (like This Is Us).

All these portrayals can help shape audiences’ beliefs about government, leadership, and democracy.

Which characters in your story have or could get the following civic leadership positions?

Political Leaders

Presidents, Governors, County Executives

Congressional representatives and senior staff

Mayors, town/city council members, and senior staff

Polling officials

Government employee union leaders

Education, Science, & Arts

Head Start/early childhood education administrators

Public school, community college and university administrators and board members

Public TV, radio station directors and board members

Public Safety

Fire Department Captains

Law enforcement leaders*

Judges, attorneys, and court officials*

Military officials

Product and food safety regulators



Environment & Infrastructure

Public sanitation and environment managers

Public transit directors

Postal service managers

Road and infrastructure administrators

Parks and recreation services managers

Public Health & Social Services

Public hospital and clinic administrators and directors

Mental health, addiction services managers

Social services managers

Homeless and domestic violence shelter directors

While this guide focuses mostly on public/government service, there are many civic leaders outside of government as well. We plan for future guides to focus on civic leadership portrayals of community organizers, lobbyists, advocates, campaigners and journalists.  

*For an in-depth look at the challenges and impact of depictions of law enforcement and the criminal justice system, please see Color of Change’s Normalizing Injustice report.