Teaching Media Empathy: Using The Pitt to Discuss Addiction, Stigma, and Professional Recovery

Start here: Why teachers and students need media empathy now

Too many classrooms still treat television clips as entertainment or surface examples. Students and teachers confront a different problem: information overload, fast headlines, and shallow storytelling that reinforce stereotypes about substance use and recovery. If you want classroom work that builds critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and emotional intelligence, use narrative television intentionally. This lesson plan uses scenes from The Pitt (season 2) to teach media empathy, dissect addiction stigma, and explore medical ethics and professional recovery.

What this guide delivers

This educator guide gives you a ready-to-teach, flexible lesson plan for secondary and university classes: learning objectives, timed activities, scene selections, discussion prompts, assessment rubrics, and extensions for community engagement. It emphasizes evidence-based facilitation techniques — trauma-informed questioning, narrative analysis, and ethical case-study work — and reflects pedagogical trends through early 2026: greater emphasis on media empathy, cross-curricular social-emotional learning, and classroom use of serialized television as a context for civic and health literacy.

Who this is for

• High school teachers (grades 9–12): social studies, health, English, media studies
• College instructors: communication, medical humanities, bioethics, psychology
• Teacher-educators and curriculum designers seeking classroom-resilient materials

Framing the lesson: outcomes and standards

Use this module across one 90-minute class or two 45–50 minute periods. Your students will:

• Analyze how visual storytelling frames a clinician’s addiction and return to practice.
• Identify stigmatizing language, imagery, and institutional responses in media narratives.
• Apply ethical frameworks (beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, professional responsibility) to a fictional case.
• Practice narrative empathy through perspective-taking and reflective writing.

Pedagogical alignment: this module supports Common Core reading/listening standards, AP Seminar inquiry work, and IB Theory of Knowledge discussions about bias and knowledge claims.

Why The Pitt works as a teaching text in 2026

Modern media studies emphasize nuanced portrayals over reductive tropes. The Pitt season 2 (early 2026) intentionally stages the return of a physician — Dr. Langdon — from rehab and shows colleagues’ mixed reactions. These scenes provide a concentrated case study for discussing institutional stigma and the ethics of returning clinicians. Use them because they:

• Present character-driven conflict rather than didactic messaging.
• Depict both overt exclusion (assignment to triage, cooling of professional relationships) and subtle, everyday stigma.
• Open pathways to discuss policy and practice: when and how a clinician should be reintegrated, peer accountability, and patient safety.

“She’s a different doctor.” — Taylor Dearden on Dr. Mel King’s reaction to a colleague’s time in rehab (Season 2 coverage, early 2026)

Materials and prep (teacher)

• Short clips (3–8 minutes each) from The Pitt season 2: the return-to-work scene, the triage assignment exchange, and a private moment revealing the clinician’s recovery work. (Obtain streaming rights/educational access according to institutional policy.)
• Print or digital handouts: explanation of ethical principles, a stigma-identification checklist, and a reflection prompt. If you need lightweight classroom tools and templates, consider using micro-app templates and packs designed for quick teacher workflows: micro-app template pack.
• Optional guest resources: local addiction counselor, hospital ethics committee member, or recovery advocate for Q&A. If in-person panels aren’t available, look into remote or onsite therapy networks and pilot programs that partner with institutions: onsite therapist network rollouts provide a model for connecting schools with vetted professionals.
• Classroom tech: projector, captioning enabled, and breakout group capability (in-person or online). For secure remote guest setups and telepresenters, telehealth and remote Q&A tooling guidance can help—see this practical telehealth equipment playbook for deployment tips: telehealth equipment & patient-facing tech.

Lesson plan — 90 minutes (two 45-minute blocks available)

Part 1 — Activate & view (20–25 minutes)

1. Hook (5 minutes): Present two short prompts on the board: “When a professional returns from treatment, what should change — if anything?” and “What does trust in a professional mean to you?” Ask students to write quick responses (2–3 minutes).
2. Pre-teach terms (5 minutes): Define stigma, narrative empathy, and core medical-ethical principles. Keep definitions concise and accessible.
3. View clip 1 (8–12 minutes): Show the scene of Dr. Langdon’s return and colleagues’ reactions (e.g., triage reassignment and Mel King’s welcome). Ask students to note: imagery, dialogue that signals judgment or support, and any institutional cues (badges, hierarchy, physical space use).

Part 2 — Small-group analysis (20 minutes)

Break students into groups of 3–5. Provide a one-page packet with two tasks:

• Task A: Identify three moments in the clip that could increase or reduce stigma. Cite line, action, or visual detail.
• Task B: Apply one ethical principle to the institution’s response to the returning clinician. Is the response proportional? Why or why not?

Each group prepares a 2-minute micro-report.

Part 3 — Share, probe, and deepen (20 minutes)

1. Group micro-reports (8 minutes): Three groups present; teacher synthesizes recurring patterns.
2. Facilitated discussion (12 minutes): Teachers use targeted prompts:
   • Which portrayals invited empathy? Which reinforced stereotypes?
   • How did camera angles, lighting, and editing shape your judgments of Dr. Langdon?
   • What institutional policies (real or fictional) could change the scene’s outcomes?

Optional extension — Guest Q&A or panel (30–45 minutes)

Bring in a recovery advocate or clinical ethicist to discuss real-world return-to-practice policies and patient safety measures. Prepare students with pre-submitted questions to avoid re-traumatization or speculative medical questions. If you can’t secure a local guest, remote panels and telepresenters are feasible thanks to improved telehealth and remote-audio setups; see the telehealth equipment playbook for tech and moderation tips.

Key scaffolds for trauma-informed facilitation

Because addiction is a lived experience for many students, use trauma-aware practices. These include giving content warnings, offering private reflection alternatives, and avoiding requests for personal disclosures. Provide a brief set of resources (counselor contact, national hotlines) on the lesson slide or handout. For accessibility and thoughtful in-person facilitation techniques, review guidance on designing inclusive in-person events.

Discussion prompts and classroom-ready questions

Use these to guide public discussion or written assignments:

• How does the hospital’s physical layout (triage vs. main ED) communicate value and trust? What might that spatial decision mean for patient outcomes?
• What values are at stake when a clinician returns after rehab? Prioritize those values and defend your order.
• Identify language in the scene that could be replaced with less stigmatizing alternatives. Rewrite a short exchange to model a non-stigmatizing response.
• From the viewpoint of a patient, how would you feel about care delivered by a clinician in recovery? What assurances matter most?
• Does the show humanize the clinician in recovery? Which techniques (flashback, close-ups, dialogue) achieve that effect?

Assessment options — formative and summative

Choose one or several:

• Reflective essay (500–800 words): Students analyze how the scene uses narrative devices to shape empathy and propose an alternative depiction that reduces stigma.
• Ethics memo (350–600 words): Students write a hospital policy recommendation for reintegrating clinicians after treatment, citing patient safety and workforce fairness.
• Performance task (group): Roleplay a hospital ethics committee hearing about the clinician’s return. Assess on argumentation, use of evidence, and ability to anticipate counterarguments.

Classroom-ready rubric (simple)

1. Analysis of media elements — 30%: identifies at least three narrative techniques and explains their effects.
2. Ethical reasoning — 30%: uses ethical principles accurately and applies them to institutional decisions.
3. Empathy and perspective-taking — 20%: evidence of considering multiple stakeholders (patient, clinician, institution, community).
4. Clarity and evidence — 20%: writing or presentation is organized and cites specific moments from the clip.

Class adaptations: secondary vs. university

Secondary (grades 9–12)

• Emphasize media literacy vocabulary and stigma-avoidant language practice.
• Limit clinical detail; focus on interpersonal dynamics and institutional responses.
• Allow anonymous reflection submissions to protect student privacy.

University

• Push deeper into ethical frameworks: discuss licensure standards, duty to warn/monitoring programs, and liability questions.
• Assign a policy brief or literature review on return-to-practice programs for clinicians in recovery.
• Encourage interdisciplinary discussion between medical humanities, communication, and ethics students. If students want to explore how media brands scale into production to make classroom-grade scenes, this overview on building production capabilities is a useful reference.

Evidence and trends to support classroom use (2024–2026 context)

Since 2024, educators and public-health communicators have prioritized narrative-based approaches for stigma reduction. In 2025–26, curriculum designers increasingly integrate longform television into media empathy modules because serialized storytelling lets students follow character arcs, observe institutional dynamics, and practice longitudinal analysis — all recommended by contemporary media literacy frameworks.

At the same time, school systems are adopting trauma-informed practices and partnering with local health organizations to provide accurate information about substance use disorders and recovery. These developments make it both timely and safer to bring rehabilitation narratives into the classroom — provided you use content warnings, community resources, and clear ethical scaffolding.

Practical tips for classroom management and sensitivity

• Issue a content warning at the lesson start and allow students to opt out without penalty.
• Anchor discussions to observable evidence in the clip — avoid speculation about actors’ intentions or clinical diagnoses beyond what the text shows.
• Provide a list of reputable resources (school counselor, local recovery organizations, national helplines) and remind students of confidentiality policies. For schools exploring partnerships with onsite or remote therapist networks, review pilot learnings from recent rollouts: onsite therapist networks.
• Model non-stigmatizing language: say “person with a substance use disorder” rather than “addict.”

Extensions and interdisciplinary projects

• Media production: students produce their own short scene depicting a return-to-work scenario, consciously avoiding stigma and illustrating systems-level support. For teachers helping students move from concept to screen, the guide on moving from media brand to studio offers production-level perspective.
• Community partnership: collaborate with a local clinic or peer-support organization for a moderated conversation or service-learning project.
• Data analysis: use local/state data to examine workforce impacts of clinician leave and return policies — then compare with the show’s institutional portrayal.

Common classroom challenges and how to solve them

Challenge: Students fixate on gossip or sensational plotlines. Solution: Guide them back to evidence and ethical frameworks; use the rubric to make analysis concrete.

Challenge: Discussions veer into personal disclosures. Solution: Reiterate opt-out provisions and offer private reflection sheets. If a disclosure requires support, follow school protocols. If you need remote support options or tele-presenter tech, the telehealth equipment playbook can help set up secure sessions: telehealth equipment.

Challenge: Lack of audiovisual access or streaming rights. Solution: Use carefully selected transcripts of scenes and still images, focusing on dialogue and stage directions to reproduce the analytic experience. For offline and classroom-friendly document tooling, consider offline-first backup and sharing tools noted in this roundup: offline-first document and diagram tools.

Sample 2-day unit plan (more depth)

Day 1 — Viewing and initial analysis: follow the 90-minute plan above. Day 2 — Ethics workshop and assessments: students present policy memos, participate in roleplays, and submit reflective essays focused on narrative empathy and policy recommendations.

Why this matters: from classroom to public conversation

Television reaches broad audiences and shapes social attitudes about healthcare, competence, and morality. Teaching media empathy equips students to read narratives critically and humanely — to act as informed citizens rather than passive consumers. As debates about workforce shortages, mental health, and professional accountability continue into 2026, conversations sparked by shows like The Pitt can help young people balance compassion with public safety and craft policy-savvy responses grounded in evidence.

Actionable takeaways for busy educators

• Start with one 45-minute lesson using a single 6–8 minute clip and two scaffolded prompts if you’re pressed for time.
• Use the rubric above to make grading transparent and to anchor evaluation in observable skills.
• Invite a recovery advocate or ethicist for a 30-minute virtual Q&A to deepen students’ understanding without taxing local schedules. If you need help with remote setup and equipment, consult the telehealth equipment guide: telehealth equipment.
• Offer alternative assignments (e.g., written reflections) to protect students who may be affected by the topic.

Closing reflection: narrative empathy as civic skill

Teaching media empathy is not about defending a character or a show. It’s about training students to spot the rhetorical moves that invite judgement, to recognize institutional power dynamics, and to respond with both critical insight and human dignity. In early 2026, as media, public health, and education increasingly intersect, the classroom is a crucial site to rehearse these skills.

Call to action

Try this lesson in your next unit and share results with your peers. If you adapt the plan, send a short note or sample student work (with permissions) to our educator community to help refine best practices. Interested in a ready-made packet with printable handouts, rubrics, and recommended clips? Sign up for our educator mailing list and get the downloadable toolkit designed for secondary and university classrooms. For quick teacher tooling and templates, see this micro-app template pack.

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