Media Advocacy and Public Health: Power for Prevention

How we think about health problems, and what we do about them, is largely determined by how they are reported on television, radio and in the newspapers. Often, crucial issues of public health policy are debated and decided on only after they are made visible by the media.

The concept of media advocacy as a central strategy for the prevention of public health problems is discussed in this book. Traditional communication strategies like social marketing focus on giving people a message; media advocacy gives people a voice. The book lays out the theoretical framework and practical guidelines to successful media advocacy strategies and includes case studies on such vital issues as AIDS and alcohol abuse.

Using the media to promote public health is an innovative and valuable approach. Media Advocacy and Public Health develops the concept of media advocacy as a central strategy for the prevention of public health problems. How we think about health problems, and what we do about them, is largely determined by how they are reported on television, radio, and in the newspaper. Often, crucial issues of public health policy are discussed and decided only after they are made visible by the media. A traditional communication strategy like social marketing focuses on giving people a message. Media advocacy gives people a voice. The first book of its kind, Media Advocacy and Public Health lays out the theoretical framework and practical guidelines to successful media advocacy strategies. Eight case studies, ranging from alcohol to AIDS, vividly illustrate how media advocacy has been successfully applied.

"This book is a thought-provoking, practical guide of how to make a difference to public health using the powerful tool of media advocacy. . . . The book is eminently readable, with handy summaries at the end of each chapter. The penultimate chapter on case studies makes for stimulating, entertaining reading and gives good practical examples, sound advice, and valid reasons for the success or failure of various campaigns. . . . Being an advocate is not easy (indeed, media advocacy is about controversy), but using the strategies outlined in this book will fill those who yearn to make a difference with hope, and provide them with a tool to help make it happen." --Tobacco Control

"The authors of Media Advocacy and Public Health are successful in delineating [their] strategy, both philosophically and practically. . . . Extraordinary detail provided on how to implement media advocacy. . . . This text is the first of its kind and deserves attention both from the standpoint of potentially using the principles, as well as for what it says about the way people are affected by the media."

--NARPPS Journal

USE THIS QUOTE FIRST

"Do you want to convey your health and safety message through the mass media? If you answered yes, this is the book of concrete examples and advice for you. Media Advocacy and Public Health can catapult your media advocacy skills to unsurpassed levels of success."

--Ralph Nader, Public Citizen

ALWAYS USE THIS QUOTE SECOND TO NADER¿S

"This book is for those who want to move beyond caring to action. Media Advocacy and Public Health is a valuable resource for those seeking effective, informed, and principled action. For those who want to make a difference, this book can be the difference."

--Reed V. Tuckson, M.D., President, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science

"Media Advocacy and Public Health is an invaluable tool for activists, health professionals, community groups--anyone who seeks to use the media for social change. Its lively and down-to-earth style makes it a joy to read. It is full of vivid case studies that provide dramatic illustrations of media advocacy¿s power to shape the debate on critical public health issues."

--Kathryn C. Montgomery, President, Center for Media Education

"Through its provocative and insightful analysis of the mass mediäs role in the framing of public health debates, Media Advocacy and Public Health offers a clearly articulated blueprint for potentially successful health interventions. This is a ¿¿must read¿¿ for professionals and academics in the fields of public health, planned social change, and health communication."

--Charles T. Salmon, Emory University School of Public Health