by: Heather Gehlert and Lori Dorfman
posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2023
The Supreme Court’s recent decisions to to dismantle affirmative action, reduce civil rights for LGBTQ+ individuals, and uphold financial obstacles that make it harder for people to attend college reinforce the need for long-term narrative change. What would it look like to build narrative power in support of public health values? The history of tobacco control offers clues.
Tags: media advocacy, narrative change, narrative power, public health
by: Lori Dorfman and Lucy Martinez Sullivan and Saru Jayaraman
posted on Monday, May 17, 2021
The National Restaurant Association makes taxpayers eat the cost of not paying a living wage. And even some of its largest members are disavowing its stance on raising the minimum wage.
Tags: fight for 15, food industry, minimum wage, national restaurant association, other NRA
by: Lori Dorfman
posted on Thursday, March 04, 2021
Headlines about misinformation and vaccine hesitancy may be overshadowing the bigger problem of structural barriers and a fractured health care system, which are major reasons why many communities of color have not received their share of vaccines. BMSG’s Lori Dorfman reflects on this and other lessons following a recent national forum on the COVID vaccine.
Tags: covid, COVID-19, misinformation, public health, vaccination, vaccine
by: Lori Dorfman
posted on Friday, October 02, 2020
In letting Trump control the narrative, the Times and other media outlets lost the real election story: One of the longest and most vexing problems in United States elections is the large part of the electorate who does not vote. Where are the stories on that? Or the youth vote? Or efforts to combat voter intimidation and suppression? These stories are harder to tell but the health of our democracy depends on them.
Tags: democracy, media analysis, narrative
by: Lori Dorfman
posted on Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Although the deadline for filing and paying taxes has been extended this year, April 15 is still a time to reflect on how taxes can strengthen our families, our communities, and our nation. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it has become abundantly clear that our lives are interconnected and that taxes play a critical role in supporting our public health infrastructure and quality of life. Making Tax Day a public health holiday would reinforce these important truths.
Tags: public health, taxes
by: Lori Dorfman and Rachel Davis
posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Education can help transform our communities into safe and thriving places, yet new BMSG research shows that news outlets often fail to make the connection between schools and violence explicit. Here’s why reporters need to connect the two.
Tags: community safety, community violence, education, news
by: William Dietz and Lori Dorfman
posted on Wednesday, February 26, 2014
In 2012, the soda industry spent $4 million to orchestrate a sophisticated opposition to soda tax proposals in two small California cities, all the while disguising its presence in the debate. Now that San Francisco is considering a tax, the industry is using a similar strategy.
Tags: El Monte, Richmond, soda, soda industry, soda tax
by: Lori Dorfman
posted on Wednesday, November 06, 2013
Many companies have promised to improve their nutrition standards for the foods they market to kids, yet they still spend $5 million a day targeting children with foods they should avoid. If progress continues at this rate, we won’t see the right balance of food ads until 2033.
Tags: children's health, digital marketing, food marketing, junk food, junk food marketing, public health
by: Lori Dorfman
posted on Monday, November 19, 2012
Each time advocates propose a public health policy, more people discuss and understand it. Despite the defeat of Measure N, Richmond residents now know more about the health harms of sugary drinks and may be more likely to support a soda tax in the future.
Tags: measure N, public health, Richmond, soda, soda tax, sugary drinks
by: Lori Dorfman
posted on Monday, October 31, 2011
Writing BMSG’s inaugural blog forces me to take stock of where we are and where we’re going. Could I have even imagined a blog, or any of the other new media innovations, when we opened our doors 18 years ago? Back then I looked forward to getting my next email — imagine! — but never anticipated …
Tags: media advocacy, public health
