Berkeley Media Studies Group

Communicating about public health can be a stressful experience, especially in today’s polarized climate. That’s why our partners at the created a checklist for strengthening resilience while serving communities. Read the checklist here: https://vist.ly/585ed

Interested in additional strategies? Check out PHCC’s guide to supporting communicators’ health and safety while serving the public: https://vist.ly/585eb

BMSG was honored to join the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault (LaFASA) Prevention Summit in New Orleans, where our Head of Media Advocacy Rosaura Wardsworth led a session on framing sexual violence and communicating for change.

One of the highlights of the session was examining how the news frames issues related to sexual violence and exploring opportunities to shift narratives toward prevention, solutions, and community well-being.

We were inspired by the thoughtful engagement and energy participants brought to the conversation and grateful for the opportunity to support advocates, educators, and prevention professionals working to create safer and healthier communities.

Building narrative alignment can help strengthen movements for racial and health equity, but how do we get there? Defining a set of values known as a Narrative North Star can help.

Learn more about the north star and the process used to create it on June 22 at 2 PM ET. Our co-director Pamela Mejia, along with partners at the Narrative Initiative and Race Forward, will be leading this teach-in.

Communicators, organizers, and leaders are encouraged to attend. Register here: https://vist.ly/57uzh

Advancing racial health equity requires more than narrative change alone. Organizations need the capacity to navigate complex policy environments and drive systems change. That’s why we're pleased to share this opportunity for public health and community-based organizations working to build healthier, more equitable communities. The Network’s Racial Health Equity Legal and Policy Cohort (RHE Cohort) provides technical assistance, training, and peer learning to support that work. It helps participants navigate complex legal landscapes and build durable, equity-centered solutions that serve communities most impacted by structural racism.

There is no cost to apply or to participate if selected. Submission deadline: Fri., 6/26 at 5pm CT

Racial Health Equity Legal and Policy Cohort - Network for Public Health Law The Racial Health Equity Legal and Policy Cohort (RHE Cohort) is a biennial, national program that supports governments, public health departments, community-based organizations, and advocates in using law and policy as tools to advance racial health equity.

Recent calls for unity may not be what they seem. Research findings from our partners at have found that despite agreement over the need for unity, there are two diverging understandings of what unity means. There’s unity through progress, which encourages facing challenges like homophobia, racism, and sexism in order to advance. Unity through restoration advocates for a return to “simpler times” when forms of inequity and hate went unaddressed, masking deep divisions beneath the veneer of an undivided nation. FrameWorks Institute dives into these two definitions, and how thoughtful framing and narratives can help nonprofit organizations communicate ahead of the upcoming elections. Read the full article here:

How Unity May Tear Us Apart | Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice. We are continually told a story about how starkly divided we are. The obvious solution is that we need to embrace unity. But could the word—unity—actually be a trap for nonprofit leaders and grassroots organizers?

We recognized the harms of to***co sponsorship decades ago — that’s why Big To***co was banned from major sporting events. So why do sugary beverage companies continue to enjoy platforms that help normalize unhealthy products? Big Soda brands continue to attach themselves to some of the world's biggest sporting events, like the , creating a health halo around drinks linked to diabetes and heart disease.

As Sandra Mullin of Vital Strategies put it, “The World Cup should not launder Big Soda's image. It's time to put people before profits.”

As public health leaders increasingly recognize information environments as a social determinant of health, sponsorship deserves a larger place in the conversation. To learn more about Big Soda’s FIFA deal and to demand an end to it, visit https://vist.ly/57anq.

It can be difficult to sift through conflicting narratives when talking about AI and its impact on society. Through the new report, “Framing the Social Implications of AI,” advocates and communicators can learn evidence-based strategies to shape AI discourse. This guidance helps de-center corporate interests and focus instead on the way AI affects marginalized communities and could even serve the greater public good. Read here:

Framing the Social Implications of AI As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms our society, navigating the complex public narratives of promise, fear, and ethics can be challenging. Framing the Social Implications of AI equips researchers, advocates, and communicators with evidence-based strategies to effectively shift the discours...

When Berkeley voters approved the nation's first tax on sugary drinks distributors in 2014, they dealt a serious blow to the beverage industry. Previously, the industry had defeated soda tax campaigns in at least 31 U.S. cities.

The ballot's success showed how much-needed revenue can build critical community health infrastructure. Tens of thousands of Berkeley school children now participate in gardening programs, more adults are receiving medical and dental care, and nearly $12 million dollars has gone to the Black, Latino, immigrant, and lower-income neighborhoods most targeted by soda companies. In this op-ed for CalMatters, Xavier Morales, executive director of The Praxis Project , argues that Berkeley can be a model for other cities looking to support health.

Read the full op-ed here: https://vist.ly/56ms8

To learn more about what made Berkeley's soda tax campaign successful, check out BMSG's analysis of campaign materials, related news, and social media: https://vist.ly/56ms3

Opinion | Berkeley's soda tax success story deserves wider attention across California After Berkeley voters first passed a soda tax in 2014, the city has invested millions of dollars into impactful health programs.

BMSG is excited to celebrate the leadership of two new co-directors, Pamela Mejia and Katherine Schaff. Their combined experience bridges research and practice, pairing deep expertise in media narratives and communication strategy with decades of experience advancing equity through institutional and narrative change. The dynamic duo are stepping into their co-director roles while Lori stays on as founder and continues to share her experience from leading the organization for 33 years.

“This transition has been in the works for some time,” Dorfman said. “It’s the logical next step for BMSG where we have been blessed with Pamela and Kathi’s talents, commitment, and deep understanding of how to build narrative power for public health and social justice. Seeing how they have grown into their roles these last few years makes me beam.”

“One of the things that’s made my 16 years at BMSG so meaningful is how central partnerships, trust, and community are to our approach — and that’s not changing during this transition,” Mejia said. “Kathi and I are so excited that we get to work together to live out those values and keep BMSG’s work moving forward to support communities as they resist authoritarianism, stand up for community health and justice, and build narrative power.”

“One thing I’ve learned from working with Lori is there is always a step forward we can collectively take, even in challenging times,” added Schaff. “We don’t always know it from the news cycle, but communities across the country are building more power every day. It’s an honor to work with Pam, BMSG staff, and partners to help these communities raise their voices and take an even stronger stand for equity and health.”

Read more from Lori, Pam, and Kathi here: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Looking-back-and-leaning-forward--News-about-BMSG-s-next-chapter.html?soid=1114978407061&aid=GjhEWpvqKMc

We often think about misinformation as something people intentionally spread. Recent research highlights a more complicated reality: Government agencies and health organizations may be inadvertently funding misinformation sites through routine digital advertising.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, estimates that 1 in 10 health advertising dollars went to websites flagged for spreading misinformation between 2021–2024.

For public health communicators and advocates, it’s a reminder that where messages appear can matter as much as the messages themselves.

Read the full article here:

1 in 10 health ad dollars go to sites spreading misinformation Advertising on health misinformation websites reached $336.4 million, with $35.7 million from public health entities, threatening credibility in health info.