Media advocacy is a strategy that relies on media attention to change policy. To decide whether media advocacy is the best way to reach your goal, consider whether behavior change arises primarily as a result of individuals getting knowledge about health behaviors or as a result of groups getting the power to change social and economic conditions. Most communications strategies start with the assumption that change comes from knowledge, and therefore are information-based. However, media advocates know that power determines change.

Media advocacy uses a range of strategies to do the following:

• Stimulate broad-based media coverage
• Reframe and shape public discussion about a behavioral health issue
• Increase support for and advance healthy public policies

Social Marketing Vs. Media Advocacy
Social marketing seeks to change individual behavior by using advertising techniques to reduce the barriers and increase the benefits inherent in the new behavior. In contrast, media advocacy seeks broad change affecting a larger group that is subject to the policy at hand. An example is the national age 21 drinking law, which saves more lives than any information campaign does. Media advocacy frames behavioral and mental health problems not solely as problems of individual behavior, but also due to social conditions that have social policy solutions.

The following chart illustrates the difference between social marketing and media advocacy:

Social Marketing Media Advocacy

Media advocacy can:

• Generate public debate
• Increase media coverage
• Promote a behavioral health perspective
• Influence public opinion
• Influence public policy

Media advocacy shifts the focus:

• From problem definition at the individual level to problem definition at the policy level
• From health as a personal concern to health as a social issue
• From a short-term focus on program development to a long-term focus on policy change
• From using mass media to change health habits to using mass media to influence policy

Media Advocacy Examples

• MADD-changes in minimum drinking age laws have reduced underage drinking crashes by 22%
• Tobacco-successful initiatives to increase state tobacco tax have resulted in a 14% decrease in smoking in California vs. a 4% decrease nationwide
• Obesity-focusing on food manufacturers and store location in addition to individual behavior (i.e., diet and exercise)
  • How has the industry responded?
• How have communities responded?
• Suicide prevention-training teachers to detect early warning signals as opposed to simply waiting for an event

Framing for Content Vs. Framing for Access

Framing for content means thinking through how you want media to characterize your issue:

• Translate an individual problem to a social issue
• Assign primary responsibility
• Present a policy solution
• Make it practical
• Develop story elements
• Use compelling pictures and images
• Use authentic voices
• Offer media sound bites
• Tailor it to an audience

Framing for access means thinking how to best frame your story to get coverage. Some attention-getting methods include:

• Controversy
• Anniversary of event
• Irony
• Celebrity
• Local angle to national story
• Injustice

General Strategies for Media Advocacy

• Develop media relationships
• Create news-a rally, protest, press conference
• Use breaking news-how is it related to a policy solution you want?
• Use paid advertising