publications

BMSG's issue series

Moving from them to us: Challenges in reframing violence among youth — appendix [pdf]

Saturday, August 01, 2009

This appendix contains details on the methods for the literature review BMSG conducted to update the 2001 report from Building Blocks for Youth, Off Balance: Youth, Race, and Crime in the News. After sifting through hundreds of research studies that touched on either youth, race, or crime, we found 37 that were directly relevant to this inquiry. Most upheld the original findings from Off Balance, indicating that news coverage continues to distort youth, race, and crime.

Promoting physical activity and healthy eating: Convergence in framing the role of industry [pdf]

Thursday, July 02, 2009

This commentary addresses a little explored aspect of prevention, namely, how public health practitioners conceptualize the roles of industries whose business interests may be at odds with physical activity and eating nutrient-rich foods. Many public health advocates have framed obesity as a battle with the food industry, which can alienate potential fitness industry partners. Creating healthy environments requires reframing expectations of all industries that influence physical activity and inactivity.

Funding prevention in California: Lessons from past efforts to raise revenues [pdf]

Friday, May 01, 2009

When it comes to prevention, the question isn’t what works, the question is: how can we pay for what we know will create healthy environments? In this report, we examine whether past efforts to raise revenues in the realms of alcohol, tobacco, and lead paint might hold promise in the realm of food and activity. We present six case studies of those efforts and an analysis of news coverage of three California attempts to raise taxes or attach a fee to junk food or soda.

Working upstream: Skills for social change [pdf]

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Public health needs more practitioners who can bridge the gap between research and practice, and more students who can advocate for social change. Unfortunately, degree-granting public health programs generally do not provide systematic training in advocacy. Recognizing this gap, BMSG worked with professor Susan Sorenson and dean Lawrence Wallack to develop a curriculum and resource guide that could be adapted by public health programs to teach social advocacy. We enlisted the participation of faculty, nonprofit public health leaders, students and recent graduates from across the nation.

Issue 17: Debates from four states over selling soda in schools

Saturday, November 01, 2008

In 2006, Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Maryland introduced legislation that included restrictions on the sales of sodas in schools. That same year, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation brokered a deal among soda companies to restrict soda sales in schools. We wanted to know: How were the arguments for and against restricting access to soda and junk food being portrayed in news and in testimony before lawmakers? Who was making the arguments, and what were they saying?

Provoking thought, changing talk: Discussing inequality [pdf]

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Does a commitment to reducing inequality mean that we know how to talk about it? We find out in this report, the inaugural issue of the “You Can Get There From Here” paper series from The Social Equity and Opportunity Forum at Portland State University. First, Joe Grady and Axel Aubrun of Cultural Logic discuss the difficulties inherent in talking about inequality. Then BMSG director Lori Dorfman and Larry Wallack explore how to overcome those difficulties and put changes into practice.

Using media advocacy to influence policy

Friday, February 08, 2008

This chapter was written to help public health advocates think strategically about working with the news media. This means switching from thinking about using mass media solely as a tool for getting information to health consumers to thinking about the news media as a mechanism for informing citizens and pressuring decision makers.

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