by: Chinyere Amobi
posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2022
For every news story about soaring case counts and other struggles facing public health workers amid COVID, there are countless other untold tales about the long-standing work public health advocates and health departments have done in communities to earn trust, dispel misinformation, and meet essential needs. A recent conversation with reporters surfaced several important tips on how advocates can get their issues — and the stories behind their work — into the news.
Tags: health equity, media advocacy
by: Heather Gehlert and Katherine Schaff
posted on Wednesday, December 08, 2021
In this blog, we go behind the scenes to explore strategic communication insights from a housing justice coalition’s recent policy wins and challenges, as well as implications for future campaigns. Advocates share lessons on rapid-response data collection, tailoring frames to different audiences, building a diverse group of spokespeople, and more.
Tags: coalition building, health equity, housing justice, media advocacy, narrative power, strategic communication
by: Heather Gehlert
posted on Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Sharing messages and conducting outreach on social media may be an important way to advance equity, as doing so allows advocates to bypass traditional gatekeepers and elevate voices of color in a historically white, male-dominated industry. But how effective is this approach? A new study about tweetchats, published last month in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, offers insights into how effective these social events have been in making health inequities among Latinx populations more visible and moving people to act.
Tags: health equity, media advocacy, tweetchats
by: Katherine Schaff and Shaddai Martinez Cuestas
posted on Monday, July 06, 2020
Housing policy is complex, and communicating about it can be tricky, especially when you are talking with a reporter. Still, just because you aren’t in full control of the message doesn’t mean you can’t shape the narrative. A recent event with local journalists shed light on how advocates can do just that.
Tags: coronavirus, COVID-19, health equity, housing, strategic communication
by: Berkeley Media Studies Group
posted on Tuesday, February 25, 2020
BMSG is proud to support California’s local health departments and their partners as they create a state where health abounds no matter where you live.
Tags: health equity, local health departments, public health
by: Daphne Marvel
posted on Thursday, July 25, 2019
A new series of briefs from BMSG explores how the food and beverage industry strategically sets prices, leverages cutting-edge technology, and exploits cultural sensibilities to build brand loyalty and sell unhealthy products to low-income communities and communities of color.
Tags: health equity, junk food, marketing to communities of color, sugary drinks
by: Katherine Schaff
posted on Wednesday, May 29, 2019
BMSG’s latest news analysis offers insights into how Bay Area housing justice and public health organizations are leveraging the media to support their policy agendas and elevate the connection to health. Based on those insights, here are seven recommendations for practitioners and advocates working to make safe, affordable homes a reality in their communities.
Tags: health equity, housing, racial equity
by: Katherine Schaff
posted on Thursday, February 15, 2018
It’s being described as a public health crisis, but is news coverage of the opioid epidemic advancing public health goals?
Tags: health equity, opioids, public health
by: Leeza Arbatman and Alysha Aziz and Laura Nixon
posted on Wednesday, November 18, 2015
This seminal piece of legislation has profound implications for health and equity in the state – but is that reflected in the news? We analyzed coverage to find out how the proposition is portrayed.
Tags: health equity, media analysis, Proposition 47
by: Katherine Schaff
posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Making the case for a society that supports health for everyone is easier said than done, even for the most seasoned public health advocates. Here are some tips to help ensure that the messages we use strengthen, rather than stymie, our social change efforts.
Tags: advocacy, communication, health equity, public health
