Media Advocacy
by Janet Williams
Deputy Executive Director of Public Affairs
American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago

Media advocacy is a relatively new term. Its use appears to originate in the 1980s, a period when organizations dedicated to social welfare and public health found themselves lacking in resources to make significant changes in public health policies. These organizations needed to develop creative strategies to convey their messages to the public. The literature credits such organizations as the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving with bringing media advocacy to the forefront and demonstrating its usefulness and effectiveness. At its most basic level, the first use of media advocacy can be traced back to the civil rights movement and the war protests of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Individuals in these movements knew that by bringing media attention to their cause it would then bring their struggle to the attention of millions, rather than merely maintaining an intimate dialogue between political leaders and activists. However, the use of media advocacy as part of a multi-layered approach really came to the forefront with public health causes such as tobacco control and drunk driving. It is through these public health initiatives that one sees the difference between the approach used by the civil rights and peace activists, and the approach taken by public health advocates.

All media coverage on health serves to increase awareness and knowledge. Media advocacy moves beyond this function and involves the public in the policy development. For example, the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago used media coverage to reframe the problem of childhood smoking by urging local passage of an Underage Tobacco Youth Ordinance. By eliminating access to tobacco, children would be prevented from ever smoking in the first place. The difference between media coverage and media advocacy is that with media advocacy, in addition to having a story to tell and a message to convey, the advocate seeking media coverage also has a policy issue that they want to advance.

Media advocacy and public health issues have an illustrious history albeit a young one. Examples of effective use of media advocacy to affect public health and social policy initiatives include several tobacco control examples, efforts against drunk driving, removal of community alcohol and tobacco billboards, and restrictions on firearms. What all these examples have in common is that media advocacy is still just a part of a cohesive policy strategy. The other elements include coalition building, leadership development, policy development, legislative alliances and grassroots community participation.

The major themes suggested by recognized media advocacy experts are: how powerful a tool the media is for legislative action in the public health arena, media advocacy is grounded in issue framing, the media's tendency to reduce public health issues to the individual level and, that the media advocates must urge a shift towards society's contribution to the health problem. The focus of media advocacy is the use of the media to address the conditions of disease rather than disease condition.

Media advocacy differs from traditional uses of the media with relation to public health issues. First, as an advocacy, it involves a coalition and community-based action rather than an organizational message. It develops healthy public policies rather than health messages. An example of healthy public policy is encouraging restrictions on tobacco advertising so that the tobacco industry is held accountable for the misleading messages in its advertising such as "Alive with Pleasure." An example of a health message is "Quitting smoking contributes to a healthy, longer life." A point that is stressed in the literature is that media advocacy shifts the focus from changing the individual to changing the environment in which the individual acts.

The key elements of media advocacy include three concrete, fundamental steps: setting the agenda, shaping the debate, and advancing the policy. Setting the agenda involves framing for access. This means shaping a story to get the attention of a journalist or news outlet. Once you have their attention you need to then involve them in greater societal issues that advance the policy agenda. For example, the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago was involved with a DePaul University study of the illegal sale of cigarettes to minors. The University was conducting operations at stores in Chicago that involved sending underage children into stores to buy cigarettes. We enticed the media with being able to accompany the children on their sting operation; we then framed the coverage to involve our work in stricter enforcement of existing laws.