How do you write a PSA? Public Service Announcement

What is a public service announcement? This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?" "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." "Friends don't let friends drive drunk." "You could learn a lot from a dummy." How many of these phrases ring a bell? These widely recognized slogans from national public service announcement campaigns by the Ad Council have become a part of our culture. Public service announcements, or PSA's, are short messages produced on film, videotape, DVD, CD, audiotape, or as a computer file and given to radio and television stations with messages intended to serve "the public interest."

How do you write a PSA? Target your audience! What type of people are you hoping to reach through your PSA? This will help you focus your PSA content.

You Need a Vivid Message Because you've only got a few seconds to reach your audience (often 30 seconds or less), the language should be simple and vivid. Take your time and make every word count. Make your message crystal clear.

Hook Your Audience The content of the writing should have the right "hooks" -- words or phrases that grab attention -- to attract your audience (again, you need to know who your audience is). For example, starting your PSA off with something like, "If you're between the ages of 25 and 44, you're more likely to die from AIDS than from any other disease."

A Call to Act The PSA should usually (though maybe not 100% of the time) request a specific action, such as calling a specific number to get more information. You ordinarily want listeners to do something as a result of having heard the PSA.

Choice Your Points Carefully 1.Don't overload the viewer or listener with too many different messages. 2.Decide on the one or two most vital points. 3.For example, if your group educates people about asthma, you might narrow it down to a simple focus point like, "If you have asthma, you shouldn't you shouldn't smoke."

Brainstorm and/or Research 1.Look at other PSA's for ideas. 2.With your colleagues, toss around ideas about ways you can illustrate the main point(s) you've chosen. 3.If possible, survey members of your target group. If you're aiming your PSA at women between the ages of 20 and 30, for example, be sure to invite some women between the ages of 20 and 30 to take part in brainstorming.

Get Your Facts Straight It's extremely important for your PSA to be accurate. Is the information up to date? Use concrete details.

Hook Your Audience Grab the listener or viewer's attention. How are you going to keep them from changing the channel or leaving the room or letting their attention drift when your PSA comes on? A hook can be something funny, it can be catchy music, it can be a shocking statistic, it can be an emotional appeal -- whatever makes the listener or viewer interested enough listen to the rest of your PSA. For example, if you're aiming for Hispanic listeners, your hook might be to have your PSA use Tejano or salsa background music.

Getting ready to write your PSA Remember: 1.30-second spot = words 2.Include 5 Unit 4 vocab words (underline) 3.Include 2 details from the Intro passage on pp (put quotes in quotation marks -“”) 4.Topic = Vote 5.Target audience = your choice (but it should be obvious)

PSA example - 30 seconds (read by announcer, adoption professional, or other) November is National Adoption Awareness Month - a month to celebrate adoptive families and to remember that thousands of children still need a permanent home and loving family. If you've ever wanted to be a parent - to help children grow and develop to their fullest potential - consider adoption. Children of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities, are waiting for parents to make a difference in their lives. If you want to make a difference, call or Georgia DFACS for more information.

PSA Announcement Assignment words 5 Vocabulary words: 2 points each 2 Quotations: 2.5 points each Audience clear: 2 points Message clear: 3 points