Berkeley Media Studies Group

blog: Rethinking heroes: How to tell fuller stories of movements and advocacy

blog: One statistic that should change how journalists cover domestic violence

Top 10 public health and social justice media bites of 2025 by: Saneeha Mirza posted on Thursday, December 18, 2025 2025 has been marked by political absurdity. When President Donald Trump took office for the second time, he filled key federal positions with high-profile political actors such as Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr — a shift that has amplified disinformation and political mudslingi…

blog: A better blueprint for trans coverage: Lessons from TJA’s Kae Petrin

After the headlines fade: Honoring Marshawn Kneeland by expanding the conversation on suicide and firearms by: Heather Gehlert posted on Thursday, November 13, 2025 Last week, football fans were shocked to learn that Dallas Cowboys’ defensive end Marshawn Kneeland died by suicide. News quickly spread beyond the football community, with outlets as large as USA Today, The New York Times, and People…

Beyond full bellies: How to communicate the shared benefits and ripple effects of SNAP by: Berkeley Media Studies Group posted on Tuesday, November 04, 2025 As public health advocates, we know that food is foundational to well-being. And for decades, SNAP has been an effective tool for improving health and reducing poverty in the United States. Yet too often, the public conversation about SNAP is…

Power mapping for narrative change by: Lunden Mason posted on Thursday, October 23, 2025 Although our communities — and public health generally — are facing an onslaught of new and varied challenges, it’s important to remember that we already have many of the tools we need to resist injustice and advance health equity. Power mapping or power analysis — a visual aid developed by community organize…

Storytelling strategies for policy change by: Diana Guardado posted on Thursday, September 18, 2025 Heart racing. Hands trembling. The room was cold and still. All I could see were tiny dust particles catching the light. In that moment, I found myself face-to-face with the elected leader I had voted for, supported, and believed in, now seated across from me in a quiet office on the sixth

What makes some health policies feel controversial while others are embraced as common sense? It’s not the data — it’s the narrative. Strong public health narratives are why people today overwhelmingly accept drunk-driving laws or tobacco regulations that keep airplanes, restaurants, and other common spaces smoke-free. But those policies — and the narratives surrounding them […] The post Changing…

As we move ever closer to legislation that will significantly curtail the federal funds that flow to states, communities, and individuals for health and wellbeing, it’s vital that voices in the movement for health equity speak up consistently and effectively.  Harmonized framing is one of our most powerful forms of resistance in this moment — […] The post Making the case for Medicaid: 6 tips for …

You wouldn’t know it from news coverage, but U.S. residents are more united on many issues than we realize — even seemingly controversial ones. For example, recent research found that more than 80% of us support diversity, equity, and inclusion, and want to help end divisiveness. However, we mistakenly believe that only 55% of people […] The post The ‘spiral of silence’ makes us think we’re more …

As the policies and upheavals of this administration bring fear, uncertainty, and pain to our communities, BMSG staff are processing and grieving this moment alongside all of you, dear readers.  Many of us are bouncing back and forth between calling our legislators and binging garbage TV with a pint of ice cream in our hands. […] The post Coping with chaos: What’s keeping us going in this politic…

In 2020, amid a global pandemic and a national reckoning with deeply rooted racism and white supremacy, folks increasingly came to acknowledge racism for what it is — an existential threat to public health. In response, more and more communities began to make formal declarations that racism is a public health crisis. To better understand […] The post What advocates and journalists can learn from …

For public health professionals and communicators focused on equity and justice, this year, in many ways, was overwhelming. In the wake of the election, we face deep uncertainty and an environment more hostile to the future we long for. At the same time, we are met with communities and advocates across the country renewing our […] The post Top 10 public health and social justice media bites of 20…

Brian Malte, Executive Director of the Hope and Heal Fund, is a nationally recognized leader in the gun violence prevention movement and deeply believes all people and communities have a right to be safe and free from firearm-related violence, deaths, injuries, and trauma. Over his 30-year career, he has led community-based movements and strategic policy […] The post ‘A vehicle of hope’: Hope and…

Against a deeply divided political backdrop and a media landscape rife with misinformation, the theme for this year’s gathering of the American Public Health Association, Rebuilding Trust in Public Health and Science, could not be more timely.  BMSG is excited to join fellow researchers in Minneapolis to do our small part in fostering healthy information […] The post Join BMSG at APHA 2024 appear…

In the two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, journalists have been working tirelessly to show how continued efforts to restrict abortion impact the lives of women and pregnant people. We regularly hear horrifying stories, like that of a Tennessee woman whose state forced her to carry a high-risk pregnancy even though […] The post Women’s everyday experiences must be at the cen…

For Sammie Rayner, longtime advocate for people experiencing homelessness, lasting narrative change is only possible when we elevate women’s voices. Many social issues, including our lack of stable and affordable housing, have unique and disparate impacts on people who identify as women, yet that reality is often missing from news coverage. How news covers social […] The post 5 narrative change s…