Role of Media in Policy Implementation

As the state of Louisiana anticipated the January 1, 2007 enactment of The Louisiana Smoke-Free Air Act, The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (TFL) and The Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Louisiana (CTFLA) worked to 1) position CTFLA member organizations as a pro-health community resource for tobacco control and prevention, 2) place targeted radio, television, print and billboard advertising statewide with positive compliance and awareness messaging, 3) advocate for earned media coverage of the law with a focus on demonstrating grassroots and industry support for the law, and 4) utilize a statewide network of volunteers to respond quickly to tobacco-related news and editorials through an organized letter to the editor campaign. As a result, more than 90 neutral to positive earned media placements were generated statewide one month prior to and one month following the enactment of law for a total of $385,505 in earned media value and 3,196,598 impression.

This presentation will help you (1) defend public health policy victories through media and communications, (2) use media and public relations to develop and increase positive public opinion and support of policies that protect public health, (3) develop clear and concise messaging across partner organizations for the purpose of drafting effective talking and copy points for message control, (4) anticipate media questions and arguments related to implementing new policies, and (5) determine what collateral materials are useful to effectively educate the public and support the policy implementation process. Examples of materials created and headlines generated will be showcased.