Paola Scommegna
Senior Writer
Media Contact
PRB Support and Training for Journalists
We build the capacity of individual journalists and youth activists to use data to more effectively communicate with their audiences to help shape public discourse on health, gender, and population issues.
American Community Survey Data Users Community
As a U.S. Census Bureau partner we help inform policymakers, the media, and the public about the value of data from the decennial census and American Community Survey(ACS).
PRB staff are experts in global health, population data and trends, and U.S. Census data. We also provide training in issues-based journalism and policy communication.
To learn more about our experts, please visit Leadership and Staff.
MEDIA MENTIONS
Is the Poverty Line, Created Five Decades Ago, an Effective Measure of Need? Experts Say No.
USA Today | Dec. 9, 2022
Beth Jarosz discusses the history and limitations of the current federal poverty line and offers recommendations.
As Biden Turns 80, Americans Ask ‘What’s Too Old?’
Reuters | Nov. 11, 2022
The article cites PRB data on aging trends in the United States.
Russia’s ‘Catastrophic’ Missing Men Problem
The Week | Nov. 5, 2022
The article highlights a blog by PRB board member Jennifer D. Sciubba about the link between demographic changes in a country and its approach to foreign policy.
Lawmakers Push to End Maternal Health Crisis
The Hill | Nov. 4, 2022
The article cites PRB reporting on the disparity in mortality rates between Black women and white women.
The Math Behind the Poverty Line: Researcher Says Calculations Don’t Account for High Housing Costs
Here & Now, WBUR | Nov. 1, 2022
Beth Jarosz discusses how the federal poverty line was set, why it’s outdated, and what changes might help.
Delaware (barely) surpasses 1 million residents − and many of them are older adults
Delaware Online | Nov. 1, 2022
The article cites a 2020 PRB article on the changes in the size of families in the United States.
‘Full-Time Work Doesn’t Pay’: Why Are So Many Working American Families Living Day to Day?
USA Today | Sept. 6, 2022
The article cites a PRB explainer on how poverty is measured in the United States.
I Work An Extra Job Because Childcare Costs More than My Salary. It’s Either That or Give Up My Career.
Market Insider | Aug. 29, 2022
The article cites KidsData’s findings on the cost of childcare in San Francisco.
Involve Stakeholders in Implementing Reproductive Health Policy
The Standard | Aug. 8, 2022
The article cites data on contraceptive use among adolescent girl from PRB’s 2021 World Population Data Sheet.
A 50 year shift to Virginia’s suburbs likely to move to the exurbs next
Virginia Public Media | July 12, 2022
Mark Mather discussed population changes in Virginia over the coming 50 years.
US Birth Rates Rose Slightly in 2021 After a Steep Drop in the First Year of the Pandemic, CDC Data Shows
CNN | May 24, 2022
Beth Jarosz discussed new data showing a slight increase in U.S. birth rates in 2021.
Featured Experts
Linda A. Jacobsen
Senior Fellow
Toshiko Kaneda
Technical Director, Demographic Research
Beth Jarosz
Program Director
Experts
Linda A. Jacobsen
Senior Fellow
Barbara Seligman
Chief Strategy & Growth Officer; Senior Vice President, International Programs
Elizabeth Leahy Madsen
Associate Vice President
Many of our partnerships span decades, built on good faith relationships established by our direct experiences with individuals and organizations across the globe at the intersection of the environment, health, family planning, and population.
We work with a wide range of partners in sectors including government, nonprofit, research, business, and philanthropy. Our approach focuses on evidence, audience, and context.
For more than 30 years, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has relied on PRB to build the capacity of organizations around the world to accurately and effectively convey messages to decisionmakers that propel changes in areas such as gender, family planning, and reproductive health. Our capacity-building approach supports partners’ leadership in sustainable development. We work with longstanding partners to provide resources and limited, highly specific technical assistance. For those facing institutional challenges, we provide a full suite of support, including mentorship from peer institutions, technical training, and collaborative creation of communications materials.
Researchers and decisionmakers have relied on PRB’s expertise to oversee multiple programs for the U.S. Census Bureau since 2013. In partnership with the Census Bureau, PRB created and manages communities to support researchers, data users, and policymakers working with American Community Survey (ACS) data; organizes annual ACS Data Users conferences; and plays a key role in the creation of Census Bureau data products.
PRB’s manages multiple complex technical programs for several partners and clients around the world each year.
Examples
American Community Survey Data Users Group
Since 2012, PRB has worked in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau to increase knowledge and use of American Community Survey data by establishing and maintaining an ACS Data Users Group and Online Community of more than 2,000 members.
MOMENTUM Knowledge Accelerator
PRB leads this USAID-funded program supporting improvements in voluntary family planning and reproductive health activities, providing health and cost benefits to USAID priority countries. (Photo: Kate Holt/MCSP)
The PACE Project
Working with local partners PRB builds champions, bridges sectors, and distills evidence to ensure that family planning, reproductive health, and population issues are recognized as key to sustainable and equitable economic growth and development.
