Residents and advocates in Richmond and Contra Costa County know that to create strong, healthy communities, they have to change misconceptions about formerly incarcerated residents and create a greater public understanding about the need for changes to the criminal justice system. This case study explores how a collaboration of city residents, local and county law enforcement, elected officials, community workers, and, most importantly, formerly incarcerated residents have done just that by creating a nationally recognized reentry network — one that owes much of its success to the power of storytelling.
This case study tells the story of how advocates in Kern County, California, succeeded in creating a healthier school climate for students after learning that the local school district was suspending and expelling students of color at much higher rates than white students. Read on to learn how they used a combination of tactics, including community organizing, strategic communication, and legal pressure, to create major changes that will benefit young people for generations to come.
Each year, public health advocates and youth organizers in Salinas, California, close traffic to a mile-and-a-half-stretch of one of the city’s busiest streets, transforming it into a community event filled with physical activity and fun. Known as Ciclovía, the event serves a bigger purpose: to reduce violence, forge community bonds, and promote health equity. To understand how organizers are advancing those goals, this case study explores the origins of Ciclovía, its successes and setbacks, next steps and lessons learned.
As other forms of gun violence dominate the news, officer-involved shootings remain underreported.
These salient quotes grabbed our attention, made us think differently about important issues and provided inspiration amid the year’s chaotic — and often downright depressing — news.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a critical public health issue with implications for every sector of society, but communicating about them can be challenging. In this news analysis, we explore whether advocates have been able to successfully explain the implications of childhood trauma, including how solutions appear in news coverage and whether the link between children’s environments and the trauma they experience is visible.
Media advocacy, the process of using the media strategically to advance policy change for important public health and social justice issues, is central to the trainings we provide at BMSG. But what does that process look like in the real world? How do the principles of media advocacy get applied in different …How public health and social justice advocates can create quotable quotes that journalists use and readers remember.
Strategic communication specialist
Position summary
BMSG is seeking a full-time Strategic Communication Specialist to join our small but nimble team. The ideal candidate will be a dynamic public speaker who can work with advocates, community groups, youth leaders, and others interested in shifting …Amid unprecedented challenges from Trump and his incoming administration, here are four steps journalists can take to preserve the integrity of the Fourth Estate and its crucial role as watchdog in a functioning democracy.
