Berkeley Media Studies Group

BMSG is celebrating the leadership of two new co-directors, Pamela Mejia and Katherine Schaff. The duo are stepping into their roles while Lori stays on in a founder role, sharing her experience from leading BMSG for 33 years. Read their thoughts on this transition here: vist.ly/56mhj

It’s #IntersexAwarenessDay. Did you know that anti-trans policies often hurt intersex people as well? Learn more about the fight for body autonomy and access communication best practices from @interact.bsky.social: bit.ly/intersex-awareness-30

Climate communication has long used an impending sense of doom to push the public to take action. Instead, it's creating feelings of helplessness and, in turn, inaction. A new study shows that messages leading with the emotional benefits of climate action were more effective. vist.ly/5pj8x

Last year, trust in journalism hit an all-time low. A key factor could be how certain news outlets spend time criticizing other outlets, or media as a whole, known as inter-journalism disparagement. A Duke study shows that Fox News attacks the media every 14.5 minutes. vist.ly/5pdx3

It’s Disabled Women’s Equal Pay Day. Disabled women make just 56 cents for every dollar paid to able-bodied men, with worse disparities when taking race or parenthood into account. This clever campaign uses social math to put the inequity into perspective: vist.ly/5p8tv #DWEPD #MoreWithLess

A report from @everytown.org cited BMSG research on gun violence narratives in CA news. We’re honored to be mentioned, and we admire Everytown's important work, which has successfully influenced policymakers to create life-saving violence prevention laws. Read here: vist.ly/5p39v

Helen Branswell, a public health journalist, passed away. Branswell is remembered for her clear, fact-based reporting that made topics like COVID easy to digest for wide audiences. Amidst anxiety and misinformation, her reporting was an example to follow. Read her obituary: vist.ly/5nj8a

Health equity might be a serious topic, but who says we can’t poke fun at how we talk about it? This satirical article from @plosglobalpublichealth.org points out the pitfalls of common public health-speak in a playful way — though there’s certainly much to be learned! vist.ly/5ndz4

October is National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, and with intentional messaging, advocates can influence policy to save lives. With the National Overdose Prevention Network, BMSG created a messaging guide for communicating about overdose prevention. vist.ly/5naac

Today marks Indigenous People’s Day, a day to honor the traditions, lives, and history of Indigenous people across the U.S. Want to find a local celebration? Check out this list from @nativenewsonline.bsky.social: vist.ly/5n3hq

Narrative and framing changes what people believe is possible. BMSG’s co-founder Lori Dorfman presented at the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science’s annual meeting with Sarah Gollust and Ayesha McAdams-Mahmoud. They shared guidance with advocates for building narrative power.

People with breast cancer are likened to warriors going to battle, but are war metaphors backfiring? For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re revisiting this blog from BMSG’s Heather Gehlert, who uses her lived experiences with breast cancer to explore the nuances of language. vist.ly/5meqe

Since 2021, BMSG has worked with the Missouri Foundation for Health to build the communications capacity of their Firearm Suicide Prevention cohort. Our training team presented key communication lessons at ComNet last week. We’re grateful for the opportunity to lift up this work.

As midterms approach, candidates have been pledging to attack trans rights to win over voters. BMSG and @transjournalists.org conducted a media analysis on attacks on trans rights, with takeaways for journalists hoping to improve their coverage of trans issues. Read more: vist.ly/5m5e6

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Awareness matters. So does how stories are told. A news analysis from BMSG and Blue Shield of California Foundation found that just 1 in 5 CA news stories regarding domestic violence included survivor voices. Read more: vist.ly/5ksx4

We’re inspired by “The Cigarette Surfboard,” a film and example of media advocacy that shows surfer Taylor Lane’s trek to start a dialogue about single-use cigarette filters. Lane collected cigarette butts and made them into surfboards, prompting policy action in Santa Cruz. vist.ly/5jj26

BMSG was honored to co-host a training with RadComms last week. Together, we presented a new framework on how to determine audience values, behaviors, and power. BMSG is grateful for our partnership, and looks forward to testing this framework with RadComm’s Raising Majority cohort.

It’s #NFSHW26, we're raising awareness of the hazards facing agricultural workers — and life-saving interventions. With the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety, BMSG created a toolkit to bring media attention to the proven track record of one such intervention. vist.ly/5jb9y

For Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re revisiting our work with Unidos. We found that Latinos are underrepresented both as authors and sources in news about racial equity. We created recommendations for reporters, publishers, philanthropists and advocates. Read more: vist.ly/5ivv9

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! Our friends at Salud America! have shared 31 ways to celebrate this month. From learning about history, to sharing your experiences, and opportunities to serve your community, there’s a thoughtful way to mark this month every day. Read here: vist.ly/5ipy5

Today marks one year since Saneeha Mirza rejoined BMSG as our strategic communication associate! Nearly every newsletter you've read and social post you’ve seen carries her fingerprints, and we’re so grateful to have her back on the team. Please join us in celebrating Saneeha!

Recently, the Blue Shield of California Foundation awarded a grant to BMSG’s Co-Director Kathi Schaff, as a part of a program that supports emerging leaders. We are grateful for the partnership and applaud BSCF for their commitment to sustainable leadership. Read more: vist.ly/5i5n5

New research from our partners at FrameWorks Institute examines the narratives that surround care, and how counter-narratives could change the way we think about care, gender, and family. Read the report here: vist.ly/5humz

This week marks 4 years with our wonderful Head of Media Advocacy, Rosaura Wardsworth! She works tirelessly to help BMSG’s clients communicate about their work to policymakers and the public. We are incredibly fortunate to have Rosaura!

Last week, BMSG’s Head of Media Advocacy, Rosaura Wardsworth, led a training session at the VALOR Statewide Conference in Los Angeles. Rosaura shared messaging guidance to better communicate about sexual violence. We are honored to have the opportunity to work with such dedicated advocates.

Public health experts know what to say, and need support to say it right. Here are a few tips from BMSG’s leadership team in September’s issue of Health Affairs. Read the full article here: vist.ly/5h7ed

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. The way outlets report on mental health and suicide matters. Reporting practices can discourage contagion and encourage people to seek support. Suicide Awareness Voices on Education has guidance for reporters: vist.ly/5gwe4

While BMSG staff live all over the country, we do prioritize in-person time together every chance we get! Several of our California-based staff were able to grab lunch together last week. We are so grateful that our hardworking staff get time to unwind!

Describing issues and solutions in a way that the public and policymakers can understand is a challenge for public health practitioners and researchers. In a newl perspective for Health Affairs, BMSG’s leadership team addresses this dilemma while offering guidance. Read here: vist.ly/5gdby

Incomplete media coverage leaves young people feeling unseen and unfairly portrayed, diminishing trust in the media. A new analysis from Report for Youth Justice provides guidance for journalists to address the concerns of young people. Read here: vist.ly/5g4v8

The September issue of Health Affairs will include a paper authored by BMSG’s own leadership team. “What can you say when you can't say everything?” explores effective public health communication in today’s media and policy climate. Stay tuned!

BMSG's training team recently provided a message development training for the UCSF Reach program at the EaRTH Center. Through Reach, participants build the skills needed to converse with policymakers to promote lasting change at the state level. BMSG is honored to elevate such important work!

BMSG’s Charles Udeze was recently featured on an episode of the Brothers in Public Health podcast. We are inspired by his resilience and dedication to furthering health equity both in and out of the workplace! Hear more about Charles’ journey here: vist.ly/5etx3

As elections approach, affordability dominates headlines. According to Julie Sweetland, a sociolinguist at FrameWorks Institute, this abstract term may be undermining efforts to change policy. Learn more about why "affordability" is problematic and what we can say instead: vist.ly/5eeew

International Overdose Prevention Day is approaching, and the way journalists talk about substance use matters. To improve coverage, check out Coverage Drugs, a data-rich resource from the Reynolds Journalism Institute. Read more: vist.ly/5eama

Looking to communicate more strategically about overdose prevention? As International Overdose Awareness Day approaches, check out these communication resources from our partners at the National Overdose Prevention Network, including messaging guidance from BMSG. vist.ly/5dzd2

We’re celebrating our co-director Pamela Mejia’s 16th work anniversary! As the head of BMSG research, Pam has informed the communications of many health agencies and community-based organizations. We admire Pam’s dedication to changing narratives about issues from domestic violence to fatphobia.

BMSG’s co-director Pamela Mejia recently presented messaging guidance for domestic violence prevention as a part of a CA Partnership to End Domestic Violence webinar. We are honored to be a part of this incredible work to reframe how people think about this critical issue.

What would help organizations with aligned missions collaborate more effectively? The California Endowment explored that question during this year’s Health Advocates Retreat, which brought together 26 organizations. Thank you for hosting, TCE. BMSG was honored to be part of it!

@narrativepower.bsky.social will be co-hosting a virtual event on 7/29. “The Stories We Tell: The Politics of Stigma and the Language of Immigration Reporting” will address ways to recenter social justice when talking about immigration. Register here: vist.ly/5cdks

We’re grateful our program associate Charles Udeze joined this year’s Roots & Remedies Conference, which unites organizers from across the country as they work together towards equity. Thank you, Praxis Project, for creating opportunities to connect with advocates who envision an equitable future!

It’s Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, yet almost no media covered this. It’s not surprising since this isn’t the only omission of Black women’s voices from the news. A report from BMSG and Unerased found that older Black women are missing from primetime cable news. Read more: vist.ly/5b29g

Junk food marketing to kids leads to chronic illness. To learn more about the predatory tactics that companies use to cement kids as future customers, starting as early as infancy, check out Selling Candy to Kids, a new virtual exhibit from @nationalfoodmuseum.bsky.social vist.ly/5bck5

Congratulations to our partners at CACHI on celebrating their 10 year anniversary! This Thursday, CACHI will be hosting a webinar reflecting on successes, challenges, and lessons learned from the past 10 years. Register here: vist.ly/5b7xm

We’re feeling energized after participating in the Missouri Suicide Prevention Network Conference this week. Thanks to the Missouri Foundation for Health for supporting efforts to communicate effectively about firearm suicide, reduce stigma, and save lives.

Government infrastructure is crucial for health justice, however many Americans view the government in a negative light. An upcoming webinar on 7/15 at 10 AM PT with FrameWorks Institute will show how advocates can transform mindsets to see the government as an agent of care. vist.ly/5aa4h

As we approach July 4th, we’re reflecting on freedom. Can advocates reclaim the term to have a more collectivist meaning? Insights from the FrameWorks Institute shows we can use strategic framing tactics to show how systems shape whether we're free to live thriving lives: vist.ly/59vqt

As the anniversaries of the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile near, BMSG’s Charles Udeze revisits news narratives of police violence in his latest blog. Drawing on one family’s story, he offers lessons for how advocates can challenge problematic framing. vist.ly/59qzv

Youth Radio is back! We are thrilled for this incredible resource that provides media training, career skills, and a creative outlet for young people. BMSG previously profiled Youth Radio’s violence prevention work: vist.ly/59hbx Learn more about Youth Radio: vist.ly/59hc3

We're celebrating two years with Jocelyn Polanco, whose thoughtful coaching has helped advocates communicate complex issues with confidence. Whether she's leading a training or helping someone prepare for a national media interview, she brings dedication, care, and calm to every interaction.

BMSG’s training team recently led a message development and delivery training for UCSF’s Wraparound Project, which provides services for people who have experienced a violent injury. We are honored to support UCSF as they strive to reduce the re-injury rate and support survivors.