Media as Medium for Change
“Great changes may not happen right away, but
with effort even the difficult may become easy.”
- Bill Blackman
“If you want to make enemies, try to change something.”
- Woodrow Wilson
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Overview
As most people are aware, mass media can be used as a vehicle for both social change AND for maintaining the status quo. Mass media is any method of communication that reaches large groups of people quickly and effectively, thus many means of communication can be considered “mass media”. Television, radio, print media (magazines, newspapers, journals, pamphlets, flyers, books, letters, etc.), the world wide web, email, chat rooms, advertising, marketing, publicity, photography, documentaries, video, – even theatre, movies, songs, dance, art, storytelling, and so on can all be categorized as media that can be used as a medium for social change. The central criteria is that any of these mediums can be used to get messages out to thousands, even millions of people.
One of the key distinctions of mass media is that it can affect people's perceptions of social norms. The media play a significant role in forming and influencing people's attitudes and behaviour. Media has a central role in mediating information and forming public opinion. The media casts an eye on events that few people directly experience and renders remote happenings observable and meaningful.
Ends In View
This learning activity is intended to provide learners with the opportunity to:
1. Describe how various media mediums can contribute to a social change program.
2. Recognize how planned change is the foundation for social marketing initiatives.
3. Apply systematic processes to plan potential media campaign ideas for change.
In Preparation
1. READ: JHUCCP (2000). Notes from the Field: P-Process withstands the test of time and continues to evolve and guide design of strategic health communication programs. Global Health Council.
2. EXPLORE: Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (2005). Mythbusters and Evidence Boost. (NB: Look at these keeping the context of this lesson in mind. Copy one of your choice and bring to class to share impressions.)
3. READ: Schmidt, K. (2001). A sharper image: Nurses strive to garner more – and more accurate – media coverage. NurseWeek, December 10.
4. READ: Agre, P. (1999). Designing effection Action Alerts for the Internet. Department of Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles.
5. VIEW: Gumucio, A. (2008). Communication for Social Change: A Key to participatory development. Power Point. La Paz, Bolivia.
6. EXPLORE: Population Media Center Social Change Media.
7. EXPLORE: Health Canada. (n.d.) Seven Steps to a Marketing Plan.
8. EXPLORE: . Media Rights: Media that Matters.
In Practice
1. The P Process described in the Global Health article provides one model for planning media features, stories, news, campaigns for health and social change. How does this model resemble the nursing process? How does it provide direction to nurses who wish to utilize the media to encourage public participation in the proposed change?
2. Schmidt emphasizes the work done by a new coalition, Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow. What is the mandate of this coalition? How does it aspire to help all nurses from around the globe? What modes of mass media could be used to further the mandate of this group?
3. Since the early 1990s, the web and email have become useful tools for lobbying, coalition building and active use of mass media to spur social change intiatives. Agre provides some useful tips for organizing email and web action alerts. Following the guidelines provided in this article, in small groups, draw up an action alert plan (in point form) for a selected issue that requires public participation and support. How does this sort of alert differ from planning another form of media campaign such as a television or newspaper presentation?
4. Population Media also offers guidelines for mass media usage for social change, but the media emphasized is radio. Radio is one of the oldest forms of mass media used today. What unique strengths and weaknesses does this media offer to nurses? How could radio be used to champion the action alert that you worked on in #3 above?
5. The Communication for Social Change Power Point and the Media resource sites also offer more general rules of thumb for planning a media campaign for change, with a focus on print and “news” stories. This can be summarized as:
In a nutshell, what you want to achieve by getting your message up in the media is to:
- set an agenda
- get people thinking
- stimulate debate & interest
- soften the ground
- provoke interest
- put decision makers 'on notice'
Are these steps that can be taken by a single nurse? Could this be as effective as a campaign spearheaded by a group or organization of nurses? Why? Give some examples of issues that a single nurse could successfully draw news media attention to. What issues would be best represented by provincial or even national nursing organizations? Why?
6. Form into small groups and choose one of the mass media mediums addressed in the readings. Write up a one page plan to initiate a media campaign to address one of the following issues:
- aboriginal health issues
- crystal meth usage
- nursing shortage
- nursing image
- homelessness
- female genital mutilation
- sexual assault
- fetal alcohol syndrome
- surgical bed waiting lists
- nurse practitioner or registered midwife roles
- primary health care adoption
- emergency room overloads
7. Share your impressions of your selected “Myth Busters” feature with the class. What issues for nursing are addressed in the feature you chose to highlight? How could the media serve as a vehicle to disspell the myth you chose? Would nurses be the best group to do spearhead this sort of media initiative?
In Reflection
1 What skills and abilities would you need to develop to feel comfortable using various media mediums for addressing social change initiatives?
2. Which media mediums interest you the most? Why?
References
Agre, P. (1999). Designing effection Action Alerts for the Internet. Department of Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles.
Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (2005). Mythbusters and Evidence Boost.
Community – Media.com: Services and Resources for Community Organizations. Getting on the Air.
Health Canada. (n.d.) Seven Steps to a Marketing Plan.
JHUCCP (2000). Notes from the Field: P-Process withstands the test of time and continues to evolve and guide design of strategic health communication programs. Global Health Council.
Schmidt, K. (2001). A sharper image: Nurses strive to garner more – and more accurate –media coverage. NurseWeek, December 10.
Social Change Media. (n.d.) Using the Media. Social Change Media.
Whiteman, D. (2001). Using Grassroots documentary films for political change: Outreach tips for nonprofits and activist organizations. Media Rights: Media that Matters.
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Welcome to NRSG 4111!
Media/Materials Clearinghouse
JUHCCP Center for Communication Programs
MEDIA RESOURCES
Shaping Youth (videos, posters)
Half the Sky Movement
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