BMSG statement on police violence and the fight for racial justice
Wednesday, June 03, 2020Our duty now is to listen and align our words and our actions with those at the forefront of efforts to eliminate police violence.
Study: News coverage presents inaccurate, stigmatizing view of abortion
Tuesday, January 31, 2017In an increasingly volatile political landscape, abortion is at the forefront of hotly contested public debates in the media and elsewhere. A new report from the Berkeley Media Studies Group and the Sea Change Program examines media coverage of the issue through a new lens — stigma. While researchers have investigated how news coverage reinforces stigma around a range of public health issues, from HIV to mental illness, this is the first time a national study has looked at how stigma appears in news coverage of abortion in the U.S.
Moving forward with media advocacy in the age of Trump
Tuesday, November 15, 2016Following the election of Donald J. Trump as president, BMSG is moving forward, with our colleagues, to continue our collective, ongoing fight to improve the health of our communities. The fights will likely be more challenging in a Trump administration, but with a new generation of community advocates, we will continue to grow our movement toward a more just and inclusive society.
BMSG statement on DeLauro SWEET Act
Wednesday, May 27, 2015Berkeley Media Studies Group applauds Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) for her reintroduction yesterday of legislation that would help curb consumption of soda and other sugary beverages linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions.
News analysis reveals soda industry pattern of exploiting local concerns to block tax efforts
Thursday, October 09, 2014Soda industry tactics used to defeat a 2013 soda tax proposal in the small mountain town of Telluride, CO, bear a striking resemblance to those used to block similar tax efforts in other cities, found a news analysis published today by researchers at Berkeley Media Studies Group.
Study: Tobacco industry influenced public debate to block a ban on menthol
Wednesday, June 11, 2014Stoking fears of job loss and strategically positioning itself on the side of civil rights groups, the tobacco industry influenced news coverage of mentholated cigarettes — which disproportionately impact the health of African Americans — to prevent a ban on them, found a study published today in the American Journal of Public Health.
Statement from Lori Dorfman on “Children’s cereals: Sugar by the pound,” a report of the Environmental Working Group
Thursday, May 15, 2014Children shouldn’t be eating cookies for breakfast, yet that’s exactly what’s happening according to the Environmental Working Group’s analysis of sugar in children’s cereals. And without labels showing how much added sugar is too much, parents are at an unfair disadvantage trying to determine what to put on the breakfast table.
Study: Soda industry played behind-the-scenes role in influencing news coverage of Richmond and El Monte, Calif., soda tax proposals
Wednesday, February 26, 2014The soda industry influenced news coverage of two soda tax ballot measures in the working-class cities of Richmond and El Monte, Calif., found research released today by the Berkeley Media Studies Group.
BMSG statement on food marketing in schools
Wednesday, February 26, 2014This is an historic moment for food nutrition policy in the U.S. and an opportunity to send food and beverage companies the message that we won’t let them profit at the expense of our kids’ health.
CDC funds National Sexual Violence Resource Center through 2018
Monday, February 03, 2014For the next five years, NSVRC will continue to provide assistance and resources designed to prevent sexual violence. Specifically, NSVRC will work with Berkeley Media Studies Group to uncover the most effective ways to educate people about sexual violence, expand messaging around Sexual Assault Awareness Month, help state and local partners evaluate the effectiveness of their work, and co-sponsor the 2014 National Sexual Assault Conference.