by Lori Dorfman | The New York Times
Monday, April 18, 2016
In this letter to the editor, BMSG’s director Lori Dorfman stresses that when shaping policy, advocates and researchers should be careful not to focus on a single variable — like race — and should instead pull back the lens and examine all of the various intertwined social determinants of health.
by Heather Gehlert | AlterNet
Friday, March 18, 2016
Writing for AlterNet, BMSG's Heather Gehlert discusses the media's inflated coverage of Donald Trump and what this means for public opinion and the health of our democracy.
by Sally J. Laskey | National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Monday, September 28, 2015
How can journalists report ethically on sexual violence? This blog post contains several tips, based on research from BMSG.
by Carolyn Heneghan | Food DIVE
Friday, September 25, 2015
Celebrity endorsements are a common marketing strategy among food and beverage companies. BMSG researcher Andrew Cheyne says such endorsements, particularly those from professional athletes, can send mixed messages to kids about health.
by Anna Lapp̩ | Al Jazeera America
Wednesday, August 05, 2015
Drawing on BMSG research and an interview with Director Lori Dorfman, Anna Lapp̩ highlights the parallels between alcohol and tobacco industry marketing and the strategies Big Soda uses to target youth, especially youth of color.
by Melissa Stoneham | Crikey
Tuesday, May 05, 2015
In light of BMSG research showing that it’s easier to influence land-use policies, such as fast-food zoning, on the grounds of aesthetics rather than public health, is it time for advocates to change their tactics?
by Helena Bottemiller Evich, Chase Purdy | Politico
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
The Federal Trade Commission has given up on tracking how much the food industry spends to promote unhealthy foods to children, a setback for advocates who want to rein in junk food marketing. BMSG's Lori Dorfman says that if the FTC and Congress don't step up on this issue, advocates will look to state and local policy options instead.
by Elaine Meyer, Joshua Brooks | the 2x2 project
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
This year's annual meeting of the American Public Health Association focused on "healthography," or how place matters to health. BMSG's Laura Nixon was one of many presenters who applied the theme specifically to our food environment, offering insight on how to limit the availability of fast food.
American Public Health Association
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Over the past few years, numerous attempts to pass a soda tax have failed, but, ultimately, they helped paved the way for a victory in Berkeley. As BMSG Senior Media Researcher Pamela Mejia points out, past soda tax failures "helped change the conversation surrounding the soda debate from one framed by big soda corporations to [one framed by] 'authentic community voices.'"
by Larry Cohen | The Huffington Post
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Media reporting and public buzz can help smart public health policy, such as Berkeley's soda tax, can gain traction quickly, explains Prevention Institute Executive Director Larry Cohen. Referencing BMSG's Lori Dorfman, he discusses how this soda tax victory, and even failed soda tax efforts before it, help to shape social norms and advance public health.
