Media advocacy
If you are already familiar with media advocacy, here
are some quick links to information and resources on general
health communication, persuasive or behavioural communication (including
social marketing), risk
communication, entertainment
education, interactive
health communication and
THCU's 12-step
process.
Introduction
Media advocacy is the strategic use of mass media to advance a
social or public policy initiative (US Department of Health and Human
Services, 1989).
THCU resources
Media Advocacy Workbook
Media advocacy is the process of working with the media to
influence healthy public policies through shaping debate about
the topic. Successful media advocacy ensures that issues include
a public health perspective, emphasize the social, cultural,
economic and political dimensions of health problems, and stress
the importance of participation and empowerment in health promotion.
This 2002 workbook provides a recommended process with many tips
and strategies. (PDF, 520 kb)
Media Relations Powerpoint Slideshow
(PDF, 1,344 kb) Added October
8, 2003
THCU's policy development section
This page introduces policy development and links
to resources. Added Aug 30, 2002
Ontario Health Promotion
E-mail Bulletin
The Ontario Health Promotion E-mail Bulletin (OHPE) is a free weekly newsletter
for people interested in health promotion produced by the Ontario
Prevention Clearinghouse and THCU. We provide information on workshops,
conferences, job postings, projects, issues and resources. Learn how to search
for information in our archives here.
THCU
Literature Searches
When needed, we contract a wonderful librarian named Barbara Scott to do literature
searches on various topics that our clients ask us about. The requests from
the last couple of years are posted here.
Journals
of interest
This list, updated in 2003, indicates where journal contents of
interest to health promotion and health communication practitioners are
indexed and describes their related websites.
Non-THCU resources
Media
Advocacy for Tobacco Control
This resource discusses
media advocacy as a strategy for achieving sustainable health
behaviour changes, with a specific focus on tobacco policy
initiatives. It includes a description of media advocacy,
an overview (with examples) of how to successfully apply media
advocacy to guide the development of tobacco policy, and a
list of relevant resources. (The Health Communication Unit,
Council for a Tobacco-Free Ontario, and the Program Training and Consultation
Centre,
2000) (PDF, 214 kb) Added
August 2, 2002
Media
Advocacy Manual
A
helpful, ‘how-to’ manual on media advocacy (link opens PDF
file, 70 kb). Topics include advocacy and public health, writing
news releases, letters
to the editor and op-ed pieces, meeting with an editorial board
and organizing media events. (American Public Health Association,
2000) Added
August 2, 2002
Community Toolbox
This electronic compendium of program planning resources developed
by the University of Kansas includes a section on media advocacy.
Stratcomm
This list focuses on strategic communication for professionals
working on advocacy for social development. There are two ways
to subscribe: send e-mail to stratcomm-subscribe@topica.com or
visit the Topica website.
Print Resources of Interest
News For Change: An Advocate's Guide
to Working With the Media
Wallack, L., et al.Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications,
1999. A
helpful, user friendly resource illustrating how grassroots social change groups
can access the print and broadcast media in order to lobby for policy change.
Added
August 2, 2002
The Fight for Public Health
Chapman, S., and Lupton, D. London: BMJ Publishing
Group, 1994
Structured around a series of Australian case studies, this resource contains
a number of practical tips for the application of media advocacy to achieve
anti-smoking and tobacco cessation policies. Added
August 2, 2002
Prime Time Activism: Media Strategies
for Grassroots Organizing
Ryan, C. Boston: South End Press, 1991. This book presents tips for community
change groups trying to access the media to promote action on their issues.
Added August 2, 2002
Media Advocacy and Public Health:
Power for Prevention
Wallack, L. et al. Newbury Park, California: Sage Publications, 1993. Written
by the one of the ‘pioneers’ of the approach, this resource is considered by
many to be the key reference for understanding the concept of media advocacy
and its application to health-related issues. Added
August 2, 2002
