ANSWER EACH DISCUSSION QUESTION IN ITS ENTIRETY. 1-5

Chapter14UsingMediaAdvocatoInfluencePolicy.ppt

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Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy

Health Promotion Strategies & Tactics

National University

* Bensley, R.J., & Brookins-Fisher, J. (2009). Community health education methods. Third edition. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc.

Chapter 14 Learning Objectives

1. Identify and explain steps for developing effective media advocacy.

2. Explain a health education media strategy.

3. Develop a media message strategy.

4. Discuss tips and techniques for successful media advocacy.

5. Identify strategies to overcome challenges in media advocacy.

Policy

The primary tool available to the public for influencing social conditions and environments

Defines the structure and set rules in which society lives

Improving social conditions and physical environments is done via:
Policy development
Policy advocacy

Success in policy advocacy = paying attention to the news

Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy

Steps for Developing Effective Media

Advocacy Campaigns

Organize an approach to communications

Develop overall strategy
Ultimate goal of the campaign
Media Advocacy
Message Strategy
Access Strategy

Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy

Develop overall strategy:

Clarify, articulate, justify the desired change.

Ask: “What changes will improve the public’s health?”

What is problem or issue?

What is a solution or policy- the desired outcome?

Who has the power to make the necessary change?

Who must be mobilized to apply pressure?

Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy

Develop overall strategy:

What is problem or issue?

Public health is problem oriented

Health departments, social service agencies and CBOs can endlessly discuss health issues

Advocates have to isolate the piece of the large public health problem and address it specifically

Alcohol use = ~100,000 deaths/year

Focus how alcohol creates problems on college campuses

Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy

Develop overall strategy:

What is a solution or policy- the desired outcome?

Advocates need to identify a clear solution

One that can make a difference in the outcomes

Alcohol on campus

Eliminate happy hour price specials encouraging quick consumption of large quantities of alcohol

Advocates often work on one “most important” part of the problem at a time

Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy

Develop overall strategy:

Who has the power to make the necessary change?

What person, group, organization, or body has the power?

Using media advocacy the focus shifts from the one with the problem to a different target dependent upon the stage of development

Legislator/other elected official

Regulatory agency

Small business owner

Corporate officer

Primary target for alcohol drinking on and around campus would be the alcohol vendors and those who regulate them

Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy

Develop overall strategy:

Who must be mobilized to apply pressure?

Many legislators/policymakers are unlikely to support the change unless constituency groups put pressure on them

News coverage can

Let the policymaker know that their vote/position is being watched

Mobilize constituency groups to contact the policymaker or get involved which increases pressure

Media provides periodic coverage = pressure at key times

Constituents can apply pressure on a continual basis

Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy

Develop overall strategy:

Who must be mobilized to apply pressure?

Students/local merchants around campus can put pressure on:

Bar owners directly to change alcohol pricing

Campus administration

City government

Alcoholic beverage regulating agencies

Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy

Sample Policies:

Develop Media Strategy

Table 14-1 p. 368

Differs from traditional public health campaigns
Media Advocacy
Use of mass media to advance public policy by applying pressure to policymakers

Media Advocacy differs from PH Campaigns – HOW?

Links social problems to inequities in society rather than individuals
Alter public policy not personal behavior
Focus is on reaching policymakers not those with the problem
Work with groups to increase participation

Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy

Develop Message Strategy – what is said to the target

Legislative committee

Framing – how the information is represented
Personal responsibility and motivations are highlighted
Identify how the story will be depicted – the “package”

Portrait vs. landscape
Individual problem vs social
Framing for content – shifting individual problem to social issue
Better understand the industry role in causing the social issue, then we can assign advocacy roles
Parents do not control do not control pricing strategies that make 20oz of soda cheaper than 20oz of milk

Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy

Every time there is a story on asthma it should include information about secondhand smoke

Every time there is a story on secondhand smoke it should include information about asthma

Message components p.373

Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy

Access strategy

Monitoring

Listen to the news and build relationships with journalists

Notice what the coverage is communicating

Does it tell the whole story? Are important aspects missing?

Newsworthiness

Is the issue controversial – freedom of choice vs restricting SSBs?

Is there a milestone event – IOMs report on childhood obesity

Can a local issue be tied to a larger national event – local school district improve nutrition in schools tied to state policy campaign

Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy

Access strategy

General strategies

Creating news

Public release of new data or announcing a specific demand

CNBC – Vaping & Vitamin E Acetate: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/vaping-illness-breakthrough-points-to-vitamin-e-oil-as-a-cause-cdc-says-73170501631

Piggybacking

Identify a connection between the breaking news of the day and a public health issue

Viagra hype and pointing out that health insurance plans not covering contraceptives

Paid advertising

Buying space is sometimes the only way to ensure information gets released clearly and not diluted or mixed with other issues

Editorial strategies

Letters to the editor, editorials and opinion editorials can bring opportunities to bring attention to a policy solution

Tips and Techniques for Successful

Media Advocacy

Localize stories
Alert news contacts about local relevance of a story
Why does the story matter to people that live here?
Vaping & Vitamin E KSHB, Kansas City: https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/local-vaping-dealers-react-to-cdcs-vitamin-e-acetate-bombshell

Evaluate authentic voice
Characters are involved with stories
With every new activity ask themselves how will this help change the environment surrounding the people’s health?

Reuse the news
If an op-ed has been published it can be clipped and sent to the target
Re-use to educate reporters

Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy

Tips and Techniques for Successful

Media Advocacy: Calculate social math Review examples: p. 379

Overcoming Challenges

Avoid murky strategies
Message needs to be clear and target well defined

Avoid institutional constraints

Distraction by opposition

Stay on message

Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy

Outcomes

Increase skills

Better relationships

Increased visibility and influence

Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy

Summary

Media advocacy is the right choice when public demands must be made and pressure brought to bear on decision makers to protect and promote the public’s health

Using Media Advocacy to Influence Policy