by Jane Ellen Stevens | ACES Too High
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Following an announcement from Gannett that it would rework its coverage of crime, former BMSG consultant Jane Ellen Stevens laments that the change has taken so long and urges the news giant to go even further to serve its community with prevention-oriented coverage. In collaboration with Stevens, BMSG has developed several resources to help journalists report more effectively on crime as a public health issue and end distorted coverage that fuels racial and gender-based stereotypes.
by Maya Mirsky | J Weekly
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
In this interview, BMSG’s director and health equity coordinator share insights for communicating more effectively about COVID-19 and vaccines. They discuss how to address misinformation, what voices we need uplift, and why companies like Facebook and Google need to be held accountable.
by Gina Baleria | News in Context
Friday, May 21, 2021
In this podcast, BMSG Head of Research Pamela Mejia discusses the power of language to influence how people perceive important issues and events, such as the January 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol. Mejia analyzed news coverage related to the coup, looking for how often terms like “riot,” “mob,” or “insurrection” were used versus sanitized terms like “protest” or “demonstration.” Only about 1/5 of stories used the former terms, while a full 40% referred to the latter. Such language choices can minimize the gravity of the situation, Mejia said, noting that neutral-sounding words like ‘demonstration’ may lead people to conflate an attempted government overthrow with legitimate protests, like those for Black Lives Matter.
by Ariana Remmel | Nature
Friday, May 21, 2021
A new survey on vaccine hesitancy shows the difficulty researchers face in communicating risk information during a pandemic. BMSG Health Equity Coordinator Kathi Schaff notes that it’s not unusual for the public to have questions. However, as we’ve noted previously, barriers to vaccine access may still outweigh communication challenges, despite news coverage to the contrary.
by Lori Dorman and Veronica Carrizales | The Sacramento Bee
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
As tax season comes to an end, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman and Veronica Carrizales of California Calls used this year’s filing deadline as a news hook to elevate the role of taxes in supporting community health and health equity. Appealing to values like interconnection and can-do spirit, they reframe taxes from a place of strength and positivity, offering examples of how taxes allow us to accomplish so much more together than we ever could alone. “The public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been a monumental showing of what we can do when we pool our resources,” they write. “It’s a reminder that we need each other, that our fates are inextricably linked.”
by Ilya Banares | Bloomberg
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
A new report from the Center for Digital Democracy, developed in collaboration with Color of Change, BMSG, and UnidosUS, is bringing significant media attention to the issue of junk food marketing targeted at kids and youth online. The problem is especially concerning for Black and Brown kids and teens who are targeted more aggressively despite being at higher risk for nutrition-related diseases like diabetes. The report, which has received coverage MediaPost and CampaignUS, among other outlets, provides a policy framework for addressing the issue and better protecting the health of young people. Additional coverage has appeared in CommonDreams, PR Week, The Counter, Crain’s Chicago, Medium, Law360, and El Norte.
by Theresa Brown | The New York Times
Thursday, February 25, 2021
In this op-ed for the Times, a nurse discusses the grueling shifts, labor shortages, and other COVID-related challenges that she and others like her have been facing amid the pandemic. These problems are as underreported as they are severe. The author notes research from George Washington University and BMSG, which underscores the disconnect: As of 2017, nurses were quoted as sources in only 2% of health care articles; that’s down from 4% in 1998.
by Kate Bernot | Sightlines
Thursday, January 28, 2021
Following allegations of sexual assault and gender-based harassment at a Kansas City brewing company, these issues are back in the news and social media. Coverage from Sightlines highlights research from BMSG that identifies shortcomings in news coverage of sexual violence, with implications for individual survivors and public policy.
by Gigi Kellett | Nation of Change
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Coverage from Nation of Change discusses how a tactic borrowed from the tobacco industry is allowing the food and beverage industry to block public health legislation by passing what are known as “preemption” laws. The article cites an analysis from Corporate Accountability, produced in partnership with BMSG, which exposes how the National Restaurant Association pushes Big Food’s agenda in Congress.
by Nicole Rasul | Civil Eats
Thursday, July 23, 2020
A new report from the Center for Digital Democracy shows how retail giants Walmart and Amazon are making it harder for low-income, online shoppers to avoid processed foods high in sugar and sodium. CDD, in partnership with Color of Change, UnidosUS, and the Berkeley Media Studies Group, has written a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to draw attention to manipulative marketing practices and has urged the USDA to strengthen digital safeguards for customers shopping online using benefits from the Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP). Additional coverage of the report has appeared in The American Prospect, among other places.
