by Diana J. Mason and Barbara Ann Glickstein | USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism
Tuesday, January 08, 2019
A recently published study of nurses’ representation in health news media found that they were cited as sources in only 2 percent of stories. The research, conducted in partnership with Berkeley Media Studies Group, is a replication of the 1997 Woodhull study on the same topic; there has been no improvement in nurses’ visibility in health news since that time.
by Ethan Schaffer and Margaret Morales | Sightline Institute
Friday, December 21, 2018
This analysis of two states’ ballot measures to ban soda taxes looks at how the campaigns differed and what’s at stake for health. Coverage notes that soda contributes to nutrition-related diseases and, citing a BMSG report on the subject, notes that soda companies market their products more aggressively to communities of color — the very groups at higher risk of health issues.
Common Dreams
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Berkeley Media Studies Group joined 21 other public health and consumer advocacy groups in asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate and sanction Google for the deceptive marketing of apps for young children. “[T]he Federal Trade Commission has for too long ignored this problem, placing both children and their parents at risk over their loss of privacy, and exposing them to a powerful and manipulative marketing apparatus,” said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD), which co-led the effort along with the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC).
by Larry Peiperl | PLOS Blogs
Friday, November 16, 2018
BMSG’s Pamela Mejia was among several presenters at this year’s annual meeting of the American Public Health Association who addressed gun violence prevention. Mejia noted that the way the media report on the issue — with a focus on firearm injuries as isolated events — can limit broader action by absolving governments and institutions of accountability.
by Shiva Stella | Public Knowledge
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Berkeley Media Studies Group is among the organizations urging members of Congress to pass privacy legislation that ensures fairness, prevents discrimination, advances equal opportunity, protects free expression, and facilitates trust between the public and companies that collect their personal data.
by Jake Goldstein-Street | The Daily
Thursday, November 01, 2018
In a presentation to students at the University of Washington, BMSG Director Lori Dorfman introduced students to the ways in which news coverage can highlight or obscure the role of our environment — and government — in influencing health.
George Washington University
Friday, October 12, 2018
Nurses continue to be underrepresented as sources in health news stories despite their increasing levels of education and expertise, found new research from BMSG and the George Washington University School of Nursing’s Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement. The research, a replication of the 1997 “Woodhull Study on Nursing and the Media,” discovered that nurses were identified as sources in just 2 percent of health news coverage and mentioned in 13 percent of health news coverage overall.
by Heather Gehlert | Civil Eats
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
This article for Civil Eats highlights a recent case study from BMSG, which shows how advocates in Sacramento are using a combination of community organizing, strategic communication, and policy change to make the city’s farm-to-fork movement more equitable and just.
by Wendy Davis | MediaPost
Monday, August 13, 2018
BMSG was one of 20 groups that signed on to a letter asking lawmakers to reject industry requests to water down the state’s new privacy law. The rules, which will take effect in January of 2020, allow consumers to learn what personal information businesses hold about them, and to opt out of the sale of that information.
by Jessica Beard and Jim MacMillan | The Philadelphia Inquirer
Friday, August 03, 2018
In this op-ed for the Inquirer, a public health researcher and Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist who now directs the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting make the case for a different approach to gun violence prevention — and a strong role for journalists in covering solutions. Citing research from BMSG, they argue that journalists should “ask questions about the context of gun violence, cultivate sources beyond police and prosecutors, and expand coverage to include other sectors, such as policy, education, health care, and business.”
