publications

ROPS commentary — Addressing our fatal blind spot: Applying evidence-based solutions to reduce the most frequent cause of death on U.S. farms

Tractor overturns are the most prominent contributing factor to death on U.S. farms and have been for decades. Yet a highly effective solution — installing rollover protective structures — remains underused, partly because of a lack of public investment. In this commentary, we highlight the science behind this proven solution to tractor overturns and the essential role that the media and implementation science can play in encouraging policy-makers to save lives.

Elevating Latino experiences and voices in news about racial equity: Findings and recommendations for more complete coverage

Racial inequities frequently make headlines, but a new study from BMSG, conducted in collaboration with our partners at UnidosUS, has found that the voices and experiences of Latinos — the country’s largest ethnic minority — are rarely included. Our latest report discusses disparities in coverage and outlines steps that journalists, publishers, philanthropists, and advocates can take to help ensure more inclusive, complete coverage.

Championing public health amid legal and legislative threats: Framing and language recommendations

As some politicians and their political allies try to shrink the authority of public health officials and agencies, it is critical that practitioners and advocates are equipped to speak about why we need public health to keep our communities safe and healthy. To help the field make an effective case for public health, BMSG and Real Language, with support from ChangeLab Solutions and the Act for Public Health group, assessed narratives around the current attacks on public health’s authority to identify problematic language and opportunities for improvement. In this report, we offer 5 key recommendations for change.

Housing, equity, and health in U.S. news, 2020-2021: Findings and recommendations

Understanding how journalists currently frame housing, and how those choices shape long-term narratives, can help housing and health advocates be strategic about their communication strategies. To understand the specific nuances of how news coverage frames the complex intersections of housing and health equity, BMSG analyzed news about housing and health equity from media markets across the country. We share our findings — and recommendations for advocates and journalists — in this report.

Talking about our recovery from COVID: How public health practitioners can emphasize equity

How do California news outlets talk about recovery from the pandemic? Whose voices appear and whose are absent? How are topics like housing, food access, and community safety discussed? In this analysis, BMSG explores these questions and offers tips for centering equity.

‘People like us’: News coverage of food assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic

Before the pandemic, news about food assistance was dominated by stories about abuse and fraud. To better understand portrayals of food benefits and whether they changed during COVID-19, BMSG conducted a content analysis of news articles and photographs about food insecurity or food assistance published by U.S. newspapers and wire services during the first year of the pandemic.

Public health advocacy must be taught

Communicating about vaccines: Meeting people where they are

Shame is all too common in communication about vaccines, but we should avoid it because it is not effective at changing individuals’ hearts and minds. Instead, as research has shown, we need to demonstrate empathy, listen without judgment, and share messages using credible local spokespeople who are easy for audiences to relate to. Learn more in this video, the fourth in a series from Berkeley Media Studies Group.

Communicating about the Nutrition Equity Amendment Act of 2021: An analysis of news, social media, and campaign materials

Public health practitioners around the world are excited about the potential of sugary drink taxes for protecting the public’s health. To better understand public support for — and opposition to — such taxes, BMSG analyzed how a recent Washington, D.C., tax proposal was discussed and debated in the news. We also explored how the issue showed up in social media conversations. In this report, we present an overview of past research on sugary drink taxes in news coverage and share our latest findings.

Communicating about vaccines: How to discuss racial equity in vaccine uptake

To help ensure equitable vaccination rates in all neighborhoods, public health advocates and practitioners must center communities of color in their messages. Being silent on racism allows vaccine opponents to invoke medical oppression in their communication, stoking further division, hesitancy, and distrust. This video, the third in a series from BMSG, offers strategic communication tips for advancing racial and health equity in immunizations.