Effective media communication of disasters: Pressing problems and recommendations

Public health officials and journalists play a crucial role in disseminating information regarding natural disasters, terrorism and other human-initiated disasters. However, research suggests that journalists are unprepared to cover terrorism and many types of natural disasters, in part because of lack sufficient expertise in science and medicine and training. The objective of this research was to identify solutions to problems facing journalists and public health public information officer (PIOs) of communicating with the public during natural and human-initiated disasters

“Making Birth Control Respectable”: The Birth Control Review, 1917-1928

In this examination of Margaret Sanger’s the Birth Control Review, we discuss the themes of the eugenics and neo-Malthusian (overpopulation) movements that helped Sanger reach two important audiences (legislators and the medical community) during the effort to push birth control into the national spotlight. We show how Sanger and her editors used these themes and a mix of information sources to raise awareness, change attitudes, and build support for legal and behavioral change

Assessing the State of Public Relations Ethics Education

Using an online survey and telephone interviews, this study examined how and to what extent ethics is currently being taught in the public relations curricula seven years after the Commission on Public Relations Education recommended that ethics pervade all public relations courses and that the curriculum have, if possible, a dedicated PR ethics course. Overall, educators perceive ethics instruction to be very important for PR students, but few programs require an ethics course or recommend one as an elective. The preferred method of ethics instruction delivery is embedding it into each course in the public relations curricula. The most effective methods for teaching ethics were case studies, simulations, and small group discussions. The least effective were Socratic dialogues, research papers, and lectures. The most helpful materials were current events, the PRSA Ethics Code, and PRSA online ethics resources. Class discussions, reflexive/position papers, and student presentations were the most effective forms of assessment. Several of the interviewees, however, noted how difficult it was to assess ethical knowledge

Context, communication, and the organization-donor relationship: towards a critical framework for understanding philanthropy in the arts

This research was a mixed method, multiple case study of four small nonprofit arts organizations in Birmingham, Alabama. This study focused on small organizations for several reasons. First, their contributions to the cultural ecology of the community are highly significant and disproportionate to the modest resources they require. Second, justifications for arts funding are complex because they are based on a combination of intrinsic and instrumental benefits of arts participation. Third, the sector faces intense competition and a declining funding base. Finally, while small organizations dominate the nonprofit arts sector, there is a paucity of research in this area. There were four aspects of this study: explicating context, text analysis, in-depth interviews, and a co-orientation study. The literature review provided context necessary to understand the complexities of the nonprofit arts sector, how it is organized in society, and peculiarities of the arts economy. The text analysis investigated the use of various persuasive strategies in fundraising letters. The in-depth interviews investigated the perceptions of fundraisers and donors regarding intrinsic and instrumental benefits of arts participation. The co- orientation study investigated the organization-donor relationship along a series of relationship dimensions, cultivation strategies, and stewardship strategies. The text analysis showed that the fundraising letters were largely expository in nature, focusing on the programs offered and the number of individuals served. The use of persuasive strategies was quite constrained. The text analysis guide developed for the study compiled iii research from a variety of disciplines and may serve as a template for fundraisers wishing to craft effective arts funding appeals. The in-depth interviews identified donor and fundraiser perceptions regarding the benefits of arts participation, which pro-arts funding arguments were thought to be efficacious, what challenges small arts organizations face, who the beneficiaries of donations to the organization might be, and the reasons donors support the arts. Donor and fundraiser perceptions were also categorized along the arts benefits continuum proposed by McCarthy and colleagues (2004). Donors identified an extremely wide range of intrinsic and instrumental benefits, which suggests that typical justifications for arts funding might be unnecessarily constrained. The benefits identified in this study should help expand the discourse of arts philanthropy. The co-orientation study is methodologically significant because it is the first time co- orientation theory has been used to investigate the organization-donor relationship in the nonprofit arts context. Further, the co-orientation study was not conducted via survey; rather it was incorporated into the in-depth interviews. As a result, the co-orientation study generated rich qualitative data that otherwise would not have been available. Finally, the study showed that donors and fundraisers were in a high state of agreement along the relationship dimensions, cultivation strategies, and stewardship strategies. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Effective media communication of disasters: Pressing problems and recommendations

Abstract Background Public health officials and journalists play a crucial role in disseminating information regarding natural disasters, terrorism and other human-initiated disasters. However, research suggests that journalists are unprepared to cover terrorism and many types of natural disasters, in part because of lack sufficient expertise in science and medicine and training. The objective of this research was to identify solutions to problems facing journalists and public health public information officer (PIOs) of communicating with the public during natural and human-initiated disasters. Methods To assist in identifying the most pressing problems regarding media response to health-related risks such as terrorism and large-scale natural disasters, 26 expert advisors were convened, including leaders representing journalists and public information officers, state health officials, experts in terrorism and emergency preparedness, and experts in health, risk, and science communication. The advisory group participated in pre-arranged interviews and were asked to identify and review bioterrorism educational resources provided to journalist. All advisory group members were then invited to attend a day long meeting January 29, 2004 to review the findings and reach consensus. Results The most pressing problems were found to be a lack of coordination between PIO's and journalists, lack of resources for appropriately evaluating information and disseminating it efficiently, and a difference in perception of PIO's and journalist towards each others role during emergency situations. The advisory board developed a list of 15 recommendations that may enhance communication plans betweens PIO's, journalist and the public. The solutions were meant to be feasible in terms of costs and practical in terms of the professional and organizational realities in which journalists and PIO's work. Conclusion It is clear that PIO's and journalists play crucial roles in shaping public response to terrorism and other disasters. The findings from this formative research suggest that perspectives and organizational processes often limit effective communication between these groups; though practical solutions such as participation of journalists in drills, scenario exercises, sharing of informational resources, and raising awareness at professional trade meetings may enhance the timely dissemination of accurate and appropriate information.</p

Sex appeals and wartime messages in beauty and health product advertising: 1941-1946

Health and beauty product advertising from American women's magazines during World War II exhibits a unique combination of sex appeals and wartime messages. Ad campaigns from Ladies Home Journal and Collier's, from the years 1941-1946, were selected and analyzed for their use of sex appeals in conjunction with war-related messages. Ads from these campaigns from 1941 and 1946 were included to compare and contrast the use of these messages. Several trends emerge. Examination of these campaigns shows a distinct trend to idealize enlisted men as romantic partners. Also, the campaigns studied contain messages to address home front issues, such as conservation of materials and labor shortages. After the war's conclusion in 1946, the men depicted in advertising become increasingly civilian as the ads begin to refrain from including war-related messages and themes. At this point in time, these campaigns for health and beauty products in these women's magazines continue to run, but are mostly scrubbed of their wartime context. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries