On the Web
FYI Listings: Ask the Expert
The following are individuals or organizations willing to provide free information to writers. While every attempt is made to ensure that FYI listings are purely informational and accurate, the WGAW does not endorse any of the following listings or the information they provide.
If you would like to list your services or update your contact information, or if you find a listing that is out-of-date, please email the Web Editor.
Government Agencies
Crime and Law
Inclusion and Community Engagement
Medicine
Religion
Psychology
More Experts
| Agency/Department | Contact |
| U.S. Air Force | (310) 235-7511 Air Force Entertainment Liaison Office airforcehollywood.af.mil |
| Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives | Cara Herman atf.gov |
| U.S. Coast Guard | (310) 235-7817 uscg.mil |
| U.S. Customs and Border Protection | Anne Sittmann CBP Public Affairs (202) 325-24905 Main: (619) 216-4182 cbp.gov |
| Diplomatic Security Service | Angela French Television, Motion Picture and Book Liaison DSS Headquarters, U.S. Department of State Office of Public Affairs (571) 242-3526 |
| Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Denise Ballew FBI Office of Public Affairs Long-form Team [email protected] fbi.gov/portrayals |
| Department of Homeland Security ICE/Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Secret Service Transportation Security Administration (TSA) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) |
Office of Multimedia, Motion Pictures and Television dhs.gov/entertainment-industry-contacts |
| L.A. County Office of Education | Paula Bridges Public Information Officer Public Affairs & Communications (562) 922-6725 |
| U.S. Navy | Public Affairs (310) 235-7481 |
| U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | (310) 268-3340 va.gov |
| U.S. Department of State U.S. Foreign Policy and Counter Terrorism Global Outreach |
Rainy Young Director of the Office of Public Affairs |
| Expertise | Contact |
| Criminal Defense | James Blatt (310) 385-8066 jamesblatt.com |
| Criminal Defense – Federal | Robert M. Helfend (310) 456-3317 [email protected] robertmhelfend.com |
| Criminal Fraud Investigations, Fraud Schemes, Undercover Investigations and Civil Investigations | John Auvinen Consulting & Investigations CA PI License No. PI 25580 (707) 453-0178 |
| Criminal Investigation & Police Procedure | Detective Adam Richardson |
| Cyber Crime & Terrorism | Nicholas Wooldridge, Esq. LV Criminal Defense (702) 623-6362 lvcriminaldefense.com |
| FBI Investigations Homicide Cases Financial Crimes Illegal Gambling Rings |
Ryan Blanch (212) 736-3900 TheBlanchLawFirm.com |
| Insurance Fraud/White Collar Crime | Aaron Spolin Spolin Law Firm (310) 424-5816 spolinlaw.com |
| Medical Law | Melissa Neiman, M.D., J.D. Board Certified Neurosurgeon (832) 289-9610 mneiman.com |
| Personal Injury | Inna Demin (310)734-7974 injuryjusticeattorney.com |
| Personal Injury/Elder Law | Jason Neufeld (800) 379-8326 elderneedslaw.com neufeldlawfirm.com |
INCLUSION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
| Expertise | Contact |
| African American & Black Issues, Criminal Justice | Kristen Marston Color of Change Hollywood Culture & Entertainment Advocacy Director Hollywood.colorofchange.org |
| Chinese Culture | Samuel Chong (626) 487-8909 certifiedchinesetranslation.com |
| Deaf/Hard of Hearing | Maria Monte de Rey California Association of the Deaf (CAD) LA (818) 356-8215 [email protected] |
| Disabilities (Disabled Writers) | David Radcliff Chair, WGAW Disabled Writers Committee [email protected] |
| LGBTQ+ Issues | GLAAD/LA Communications Department (323) 933-2240 glaad.org |
| Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays |
(202) 467-8180 fax: (202) 467-8194 [email protected] |
| Social Justice | Storyline Partners Sanaz Alesafar Program Director storylinepartners.com |
| Expertise | Contact |
| Alzheimer's Disease | Alzheimer's Association (312) 335-4078 [email protected] |
| Anesthesiologist (Surgical Services, Operating Room Management, and Perioperative Care) | Irving Ye (205) 370-8985 |
| Cancer | National Cancer Institute (NCI) (240) 760-6600 [email protected] |
| DNA and Genetics | Debra Robertson, Ph.D. (858) 792-8019 [email protected] cancer.gov |
| Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, and General Medical/Health Care Topics | Michelle Shuffett, MD (310) 995-6075 [email protected] |
| Health, Safety and Security | Hollywood, Health & Society at the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center (323) 782-3311 usc.edu/hhs |
| Homebirth | Laura Shanley (303) 521-5848 [email protected] unassistedchildbirth.com |
| Lymphoma | Nichole Musumeci Lymphoma Research Foundation Director of Communications/Public Relations (212) 349-2910 [email protected] (310) 204-7040 [email protected] |
| Medical Experts, Malpractice, Criminal and Civil Cases | Jane R. Leavy (954) 346-6591 [email protected] medexpertwitness.com |
| Neuroscience | Patrick Chen, Ph.D (949) 233-8691 [email protected] |
| Neurosurgery | Melissa Neiman, M.D., J.D. Board Certified Neurosurgeon (832) 289-9610 [email protected] mneiman.com |
| Organ Donation and Transplantation | Tenaya Wallace Donate Life Hollywood (DLH) (310) 359-3631 [email protected] AccessDLH.org |
| Organ Tissue Donation and Transplantation | Elizabeth Flynn (310) 770-3842 [email protected] |
| Pediatrics, Primary Care and Minority Populations Health | April Khadijah Inniss, MD, MSc (857) 971-0915 [email protected] |
| Public Health (Infectious Disease, Climate Change, Gun Violence, Homelessness) |
Carla Denly, Associate Dean for Marketing and Communications UCLA Fielding School of Public Health (310) 941-2879 [email protected] ph.ucla.edu |
PSYCHOLOGY
| Expertise | Contact |
| Addiction and Recovery | SMART Recovery Tom Horvath, Ph.D. (858) 546-1100 x222 [email protected] smartrecovery.org |
| Bipolar Disorder | (415) 281-3100 healthline.com |
| Mental Health, Media Education, Parenting | Common Sense Media (310) 689-7535 commonsensemedia.org |
| Mental Health, Media Education | Mental Health Media Guide Katherine Pieper (213) 740-7213 [email protected] mentalhealthmediaguide.com |
| Psychology (Mental Health Disorders, Personality, and Psychologists/Therapists) | Allison Otto, PsyD The Media Watch Committee Society for Media Psychology and Technology American Psychological Association (610) 513-2118 [email protected] |
RELIGION
| Expertise | Contact |
| Catholicism | Paulist Productions (310) 454-0688 [email protected] paulistproductions.org |
| Judaism (Orthodox Judaism, Hasidic Judaism, Jewish culture or ritual) | Allison Josephs JITC Hollywood Bureau (201) 613-2070 [email protected] JewintheCity.com |
| Mormonism | Matt Ball LDS Church Public Affairs, West Coast (310) 475-7018 (800) 533-2444 (818) 388-9273 [email protected] [email protected] |
| Muslims and Islam | Sue Obeidi Muslim Public Affairs Council's Hollywood Bureau [email protected] (323) 258-6722 mpac.org |
| Muslims and Islam | Imran Anwar [email protected] (646) 50-IMRAN or (646) 504-6726 http://imran.tv |
| Theological Accuracy | Paul Viggiano [email protected] |
MORE EXPERTS
| Expertise | Contact |
| Animals & Production | Amer. Humane Assoc. Film & TV Unit “No Animals Were Harmed” (818) 501-0123 [email protected] www.humanehollywood.org |
| Archaeology | (310) 206-8934 |
| Civic Leadership | The Civic Leadership Storylines Project civicleadershipstories.com |
| Climate Storytelling & Resources/Sustainable Film & TV Production | WGA/PGA Climate Storytelling Working Group Green Production Guide |
| Computers | (505) 913-9050 [email protected] |
| Corporate Finance (Finance, Securities, Hedge Funds, Mergers & Acquisitions, Investment Banking, Private Equity, Venture Capital) | Frank Hajdu (917) 287-9035 [email protected] |
| Croquet | (503) 838-5697 [email protected] |
| Gambling (Legal, Illegal, Bookmaking, Casinos, Cheating, Mob Influence) | Geno Munari (702) 236-4114 [email protected] |
| Gun Safety/Accurate Portrayals of Gun Violence | Noelle Howey Director Of Cultural Engagement, Everytown.org [email protected] Everytown.org |
| Literacy | (916) 324-7358 |
| Science and Technology | The Science & Entertainment Exchange, a program of the National Academy of Sciences (844) NEED-SCI [email protected] scienceandentertainmentexchange.org |
| Search & Rescue | Alice Stanley (540) 582-5708 [email protected] |
| U.S. Navy & State Department | Leonard Hennessy (360) 840-8021 [email protected] |
| World War I (U.S.) | Dan Dayton U.S. World War I Centennial Commission [email protected] ww1cc.org (202) 380-0725 |