publications

Communicating strategically about public charge: An introduction to media advocacy and storytelling

Monday, August 19, 2019

Recent immigration rule changes from the Trump administration will make it easier to deny migrants lawful permanent residence based on their use of public benefits. Under this so-called “public charge” test, an expanded number of programs, including those related to health, nutrition, and housing, will influence green card status. This storytelling module from Berkeley Media Studies Group, can help advocates communicate more effectively about these rule changes, what’s at stake, and what can be done. The module, which includes a script to help guide presenters, was developed as part of the Public Charge Training Modules for Advocates & Service Providers.

The 4 Ps of marketing: Selling junk food to communities of color

Thursday, July 25, 2019

The 4 Ps — place, price, product, and promotion — form the foundation of today’s marketing practices. However, food and beverage marketers often use these tactics specifically to target low-income groups and communities of color, raising a range of privacy and health concerns. This series of briefs describes each strategy, shows real-world examples of how they are used, and offers suggestions for advocates to take action and rein in marketing for unhealthy foods and beverages.

screen grab of report cover showing hands holding a smart phone

Promotion: The 4 Ps of marketing — selling junk food to communities of color

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Whether it’s McDonald’s using Instagram influencers to tout a new menu item, or a more traditional Pepsi billboard, promotion is what often comes to mind when people think of marketing because it is so visible. In this brief, part of a series on target marketing, we show how marketers use both online and offline promotion tactics to target unhealthy foods and drinks to low-income families and communities of color, discuss how this contributes to health inequities, and offer suggestions for addressing the issue.

Place: The 4 Ps of marketing — selling junk food to communities of color

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Using place-based marketing to increase food sales is not new. But in today’s digital age, cutting edge technology can be used to target low-income families and communities of color, including youth, more precisely than ever with ads for junk food and sugary drinks, raising a range of privacy and health concerns. In this brief, part of a series on target marketing, we explain how companies engage in place-based marketing in ways that contribute to health inequities.

screen grab of report cover featuring cheese puff snacks

Product: The 4 Ps of marketing — selling junk food to communities of color

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Although food and beverage companies market junk foods and sugar drinks heavily through advertisements and social media promotions, the product being marketed is itself a form of marketing. In this brief, part of a series on target marketing, we explain how food and beverage companies develop products to appeal specifically to low-income communities and communities of color — and why doing so contributes to health inequities.

screen grab of report cover featuring a crumpled receipt

Price: The 4 Ps of marketing — selling junk food to communities of color

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Many of the foods and beverages marketed to low-income communities and communities of color — and sold at low prices — such as sodas, processed snacks, and fast-food meals, are also low in nutrients and high in sugars, salt, and fats. In this brief, part of a series on target marketing, we examine how the food and beverage industry carefully sets prices to appeal to specific groups, particularly those already at an increased risk of diet-related diseases.

GOTMME media advocacy planning tool

Wednesday, July 03, 2019

This worksheet is designed to help media advocates plan their communication work in a strategic, coordinated manner. Using “GOTMME,” a 6-step planning process, advocates can identify their policy goals, objectives, and target audiences; craft their messages; identify their messenger(s); and evaluate their results.

Equity and health in housing coverage: A preliminary news analysis from Northern California

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Housing impacts health in widespread, well-documented ways. But does media coverage reflect this? To find out, BMSG analyzed news from the San Francisco Bay Area — the epicenter of the crisis — and paid special attention to how equity and health appear in coverage. While the analysis focused on local news, our report provides insights for housing advocates across the country.

The child welfare system in U.S. news: What’s missing?

Tuesday, April 09, 2019

In nearly 60 percent of the families where domestic violence is identified, some form of co-occurring child abuse is also present. But does the news make this connection clear? In this analysis, we explore how the child welfare system is portrayed in the news, including whether solutions are present and how race and gender appear in coverage. And we provide recommendations for steps that practitioners and journalists can take to strengthen reporting on this issue.

thumbnail image of immigration report cover

Immigration in the news: An analysis of coverage from four California counties

Thursday, February 28, 2019

The hostile political climate facing immigrants in many parts of California means that communicating strategically and centering equity in those narratives is both challenging and urgent. To better understand the current conversation around immigration, BMSG conducted a news analysis of media coverage in four California counties. We explored the factors driving coverage, whose voices are over- or under-represented, the degree to which health is present, and whether the news about immigration contains stigmatizing language.

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