Katelyn Jetelina, founder of the public health newsletter @ylepidemiologist.bsky.social is urging advocates and practitioners to partner with influencers. Influencers can build trust by meeting audiences where they are, making messages more accessible. vist.ly/5s87x

Race Forward’s Facing Race conference is right around the corner. BMSG’s co-director and head of Equity and Racial Justice, Katherine Schaff, will be presenting on Friday, Nov. 13 alongside our partners at Narrative Arts and FrameWorks Institute. Learn more and register at vist.ly/5rrhx

Menopause is a fact of life for billions, yet it’s often excluded from media. This year, @19thnews.org set out to bring menopause into the media spotlight. The Media Education Foundation has released a new film about The 19th’s mission to tell fuller stories about menopause. vist.ly/5riz7

It’s evident that many voters rejected transphobic fearmongering, despite the GOP spending $183M on anti-trans ads. Voters recognized the failed anti-trans rhetoric for what it was: a distraction. Read more about the narrative landscape from Them: vist.ly/5rewa

As trust in the media wanes, student journalists are giving us hope. Across the country, they are covering the midterms, building voter guides, and serving their communities in the process. vist.ly/5r89z #CivilEngagement #StudentJournalism

A new initiative from @poynterinstitute.bsky.social and @politifact.bsky.social, Well Informed, aims to investigate health claims made in media. As viral health trends pose risks, a debunking effort could keep readers safe, just in time for #MediaLiteracyWeek! Check it out: vist.ly/5qq5x

Dolores Huerta broke barriers ahead of her time, taking a stand for farmworkers’ and women’s rights. We've been honored to work with the Dolores Huerta Foundation and will carry the lessons she taught us to keep fighting for justice. Read her obituary from the Foundation: vist.ly/5qke5

We’re celebrating U.S. Media Literacy Week! With concerted disinformation campaigns and the growing use of AI, it can be hard to tell fact from fiction — that’s why media literacy is more important than ever! For free media literacy resources, check out this page from PBS: vist.ly/5qjyg

Recently, BMSG’s training team had the privilege of working with LA Best Babies Network, an organization that connects families with resources and support services. During two training sessions, our team helped LA Best Babies’ staff learn about message development and storytelling.

This week marks one year since Vibhuti Kacholia joined BMSG as a media researcher. Vibhuti helps turn data into easier-to-understand findings and takeaways. Her favorite projects have been analyzing media coverage of trans rights and abortion access, as well as working with local health departments.

It’s #IntersexAwarenessDay. Did you know that anti-trans policies often hurt intersex people as well? Learn more about the fight for body autonomy and access communication best practices from @interact.bsky.social: bit.ly/intersex-awareness-30

Climate communication has long used an impending sense of doom to push the public to take action. Instead, it's creating feelings of helplessness and, in turn, inaction. A new study shows that messages leading with the emotional benefits of climate action were more effective. vist.ly/5pj8x

Last year, trust in journalism hit an all-time low. A key factor could be how certain news outlets spend time criticizing other outlets, or media as a whole, known as inter-journalism disparagement. A Duke study shows that Fox News attacks the media every 14.5 minutes. vist.ly/5pdx3

It’s Disabled Women’s Equal Pay Day. Disabled women make just 56 cents for every dollar paid to able-bodied men, with worse disparities when taking race or parenthood into account. This clever campaign uses social math to put the inequity into perspective: vist.ly/5p8tv #DWEPD #MoreWithLess

A report from @everytown.org cited BMSG research on gun violence narratives in CA news. We’re honored to be mentioned, and we admire Everytown's important work, which has successfully influenced policymakers to create life-saving violence prevention laws. Read here: vist.ly/5p39v

Helen Branswell, a public health journalist, passed away. Branswell is remembered for her clear, fact-based reporting that made topics like COVID easy to digest for wide audiences. Amidst anxiety and misinformation, her reporting was an example to follow. Read her obituary: vist.ly/5nj8a

Health equity might be a serious topic, but who says we can’t poke fun at how we talk about it? This satirical article from @plosglobalpublichealth.org points out the pitfalls of common public health-speak in a playful way — though there’s certainly much to be learned! vist.ly/5ndz4

October is National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, and with intentional messaging, advocates can influence policy to save lives. With the National Overdose Prevention Network, BMSG created a messaging guide for communicating about overdose prevention. vist.ly/5naac

Today marks Indigenous People’s Day, a day to honor the traditions, lives, and history of Indigenous people across the U.S. Want to find a local celebration? Check out this list from @nativenewsonline.bsky.social: vist.ly/5n3hq

Here is What's Happening Across Indian Country on Indigenous Peoples' Day

Indigenous Peoples’ Day, observed on October 12, 2025, is a time to recognize the history, culture, and ongoing contributions of Indigenous peoples across the United States.  The day serves as a response to Columbus Day, shifting the focus from colonization to survival, self-determination, and the continued presence of Native nations. Across Indian Country, communities are […]

nativenewsonline.net

Narrative and framing changes what people believe is possible. BMSG’s co-founder Lori Dorfman presented at the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science’s annual meeting with Sarah Gollust and Ayesha McAdams-Mahmoud. They shared guidance with advocates for building narrative power.

People with breast cancer are likened to warriors going to battle, but are war metaphors backfiring? For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re revisiting this blog from BMSG’s Heather Gehlert, who uses her lived experiences with breast cancer to explore the nuances of language. vist.ly/5meqe

Since 2021, BMSG has worked with the Missouri Foundation for Health to build the communications capacity of their Firearm Suicide Prevention cohort. Our training team presented key communication lessons at ComNet last week. We’re grateful for the opportunity to lift up this work.

As midterms approach, candidates have been pledging to attack trans rights to win over voters. BMSG and @transjournalists.org conducted a media analysis on attacks on trans rights, with takeaways for journalists hoping to improve their coverage of trans issues. Read more: vist.ly/5m5e6

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Awareness matters. So does how stories are told. A news analysis from BMSG and Blue Shield of California Foundation found that just 1 in 5 CA news stories regarding domestic violence included survivor voices. Read more: vist.ly/5ksx4

We’re inspired by “The Cigarette Surfboard,” a film and example of media advocacy that shows surfer Taylor Lane’s trek to start a dialogue about single-use cigarette filters. Lane collected cigarette butts and made them into surfboards, prompting policy action in Santa Cruz. vist.ly/5jj26

California's "Cigarette Surfboard" documentary highlights scourge of discarded cigarette butts

The Cigarette Surfboard focuses on surfboards created, and decorated, using intricate designs made from discarded cigarette butts.

cbsnews.com

BMSG was honored to co-host a training with RadComms last week. Together, we presented a new framework on how to determine audience values, behaviors, and power. BMSG is grateful for our partnership, and looks forward to testing this framework with RadComm’s Raising Majority cohort.

It’s #NFSHW26, we're raising awareness of the hazards facing agricultural workers — and life-saving interventions. With the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety, BMSG created a toolkit to bring media attention to the proven track record of one such intervention. vist.ly/5jb9y

For Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re revisiting our work with Unidos. We found that Latinos are underrepresented both as authors and sources in news about racial equity. We created recommendations for reporters, publishers, philanthropists and advocates. Read more: vist.ly/5ivv9

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! Our friends at Salud America! have shared 31 ways to celebrate this month. From learning about history, to sharing your experiences, and opportunities to serve your community, there’s a thoughtful way to mark this month every day. Read here: vist.ly/5ipy5

Today marks one year since Saneeha Mirza rejoined BMSG as our strategic communication associate! Nearly every newsletter you've read and social post you’ve seen carries her fingerprints, and we’re so grateful to have her back on the team. Please join us in celebrating Saneeha!