news releases

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News about efforts to tax sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) rarely describes the benefits of SSB taxes, study finds

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

The news about sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax campaigns frequently reported the health harms of SSBs and exposed the beverage industry’s outsized campaign spending, but rarely named the benefits of SSB taxes or how they can act as a tool for industry accountability, found a new study from researchers at BMSG, the University of California Berkeley’s School of Public Health, and the University of California San Francisco’s School of Medicine.

News about food assistance during the COVID pandemic decreased stigma but overlooked racial inequities, study finds

Monday, August 14, 2023

A new BMSG study conducted alongside the University of Minnesota’s Division of Health Policy and Management, Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Wesleyan University found that news coverage of food insecurity during the pandemic may have helped reduce the stigma associated with government-funded food assistance programs. However, reporting was largely “color blind” and failed to discuss racial disparities in hunger.

Latinos are underrepresented in news about racial equity, new study shows

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Latino communities and leaders have been at the forefront of organizing around racial justice for decades, but new research suggests their perspectives and voices are barely visible in the surging public discourse around racial equity and systemic racism. A study conducted by the Berkeley Media Studies Group (a program of the Public Health Institute), in collaboration with UnidosUS, revealed that less than 6% of news about racism and racial equity referenced Latinos, the country’s largest ethnic minority.

BMSG statement: Why strong journalism is crucial for the future of Roe

Wednesday, May 04, 2022

Now that the Supreme Court’s draft opinion is out in the open, the debate about a person’s right to choose the number and timing of their births moves from the high court to the court of public opinion. As dire as the situation feels, that means there is a window of opportunity for advocates, decision-makers, journalists, and others to take a public stand for reproductive freedom.

From police impunity to public accountability: BMSG statement on next steps in the fight for racial justice

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Recent acts of police violence and one critical but long overdue instance of accountability have left many people dealing with mixed emotions and asking: Where do we go from here? We all have a role to play, but one thing is certain: As efforts to advance racial justice progress, Black and Brown voices must have access to the largest platforms — and the loudest megaphones.

Statement from BMSG director Dr. Lori Dorfman on the Center for Digital Democracy’s report, ‘Does Buying Groceries Online Put SNAP Participants at Risk? How to Protect Health, Privacy, and Equity’

Thursday, July 16, 2020

A report from the Center for Digital Democracy has found that the simple act of shopping for groceries online can put SNAP recipients at risk for exposure to manipulative marketing and online surveillance via “massive, ongoing data collection and personalized targeting.”

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