Presentation by Katie Woodruff-Berkeley Media Studies Group

7/27/2019 Presentation by Katie Woodruff-Berkeley Media Studies Group

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Grantmakers In Health Fall Forum Overview

Katie Woodruff, MPH November 2, 2006

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Communicating for A Change

Making the Most of Media

For Health Policy Change

Katie Woodruff, MPH

Berkeley Media Studies Group

Grantmakers in Health

November 2, 2006

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Focus on policy means:

Put media in its proper place

Use media in its most powerful form

Focus on the institutional solution

Provide support for skills-building

Dont worry about reaching everyone


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Prime Directive

You cant have a communications

strategy without an overall strategy.

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Message Is Never First

What do you want to change in theworld?

How will you change it?

Why do you want it to be changed?

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Overall strategy

Media strategy

Message strategy

Access strategy

Layers of Strategy

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Media advocacyis the strategicuse of mass media to supportcommunity organizing to advancea social or public policy initiative.

Media Advocacy Definition


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Key Functions of the News

Setting the Agenda

what we think about

Shaping the Debate

how we think about it

Reaching Opinion Leaders

what we do about it

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As with most public health challenges,

more and better consumer education

is the answer.

Sean McBride, National Soft Drink Association

writing in Beverage World, November 15, 2003

Who can argue with education?


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Use Medias Power

Public health issues are matters oflife and death far too important to

be left to public service time.

Policy debates are shaped by newsstories, opinion pieces, paid ads.

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The Need to Reframe

Institutional

Accountability

Personal

Responsibility


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Problem vs. Solution

Reverse the ratio

Have a clear policy solution

Name the institutional target

Explain why individual change isnt

enough

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Same Question, Different Answer

Why is obesity on the rise?

Eliminate food/bev advertising to kids

Establish grocery stores in low-income

neighborhoods

Adopt worksite policies to support

breastfeeding

Institute healthy food standards in all

school and after-school settings


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The story continues

Nearly half of new mothersreturn to work within the firstyear of their childs life. But

federal law offers no protectionto mothers who express milk onthe job.

I had to choose betweenfeeding my baby the best foodand earning a living, -Jennifer Munoz, a former casinocashier.

New York Times

September 1, 2006

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Framing for Content

Who will be presumed to be responsible

for causing and solving the problem?

What is your preferred solution?

What story elements will help tell your

preferred story?

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Developing Story Elements

Use compelling visuals and symbols.

Develop media bites.

Calculate social math.

Identify authentic voices.

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Use Good Visuals

The average 12-oz can of soda containsabout 10 teaspoons of refined sugar.


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Social Math: What Not To Do

The number of babies born to teen

mothers (aged 15 to 19) in California

peaked in 1991 at 70,322. By 1998,

the California teen birth rate decreased

to 53.2 per 1000 -- down to 58,141

babies born to teen mothers that year.

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Social Math

Number of candy-bar wrappers needed to

win a basketball as part of Cadburys new

anti-obesity campaign: 90

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Social Math

Number of candy-bar wrappers needed to

win a basketball as part of Cadburys new

anti-obesity campaign: 90

Number of hours an 85-pound child would

need to play basketball in order to burn off

the calories in that many candy bars: 100

Harpers Index, August 2003


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Authentic Voices

"We're living in the headwaters of a diesel death zone here.

If I could be a part of a group of citizens who can diminish even afraction [of the air pollution at the port], I would have saved far morelives than I would ever save working as an ER doctor, trying to treatindividual victims of this problem. We have to go after the source.

Dr. John Miller

California Aims to

Slash Port Pollution

NPR Morning Edition

May 30, 2006

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Getting Attention

To gain the medias attention, you cant

just say something; you have to DO

something.

Russell Sciandra

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Access Strategies

Creating news

Using breaking news

Using editorial pages

Paid advertising

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Media Advocacy Players

Health departments

Researchers

Community organizations

Community activists

Authentic voices


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Dont worry about reaching everyone

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Conclusions

You cant have a media strategywithout an overall strategy.

Media advocacy focuses on policy,because we want to create healthy

and safe environments.

With hands-on support to developstrategic communications skills,

advocates can shift the debate andcreate lasting change.

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Berkeley Media Studies Group

www.bmsg.org

510. 204. 9700

Presentation by Katie Woodruff-Berkeley Media Studies Group

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