MASS MEDIA Lecture 8: Health Communication media choice model

Media professionals have an abundance of facts and information about changes but have few mechanisms with which to respond strategically to changing consumer preference.

Traditional health communication techniques Traditional health communication techniques. (old media; authoritative and credible, one-to-many) Effective health communication today (dynamic network of human beings and technology) Consumers are taking charge يترأسof their communication needs and desires and rejecting passive acceptance of information.

(Research theory known as Uses and Gratificationsإرضاء ) This theory moves the discussion away from the notion that media “Do” things to people, and toward the idea that people use media to fulfill various needs. Our model posits يفترض that People have communication needs that drive them to: Select communication media and Adopt communication behaviors that best gratify those needs at a given time.

منفذ::customizability-aperture: التفصيل-امكانية التصوير بالسكان-scann-ability-opinionated:عقدي-له علاقة بالعقيدة-:gratification:الإرضاء-الآنية:immediacy-إبداعي:created-:الكمال :completeness

Communication Needs

Connectivity (relateيتعلق , support, engage يرتبطwith others) Information (need to gain knowledge) Entertainment (amusedمضحك , relaxedيحرر من التوتر العصبي , divertedملهي-مسلي ) Shopping (acquire goods and services)

1.Connectivity Can be seen in Friendships, religious affiliationsالانتماءت , clubs. YouTube : videos related to health… Social networking sites: facebook, twitter…etc.. :Twitter:التغريد

2.Information Informational behavior might involve searching WebMD or going to see a health professional with specific questions. Search engineماكنة : consumers are satisfying their information needs online.

3.Entertainment To be psychologically healthy (play, divertedمسلي ) Wide range of sources with which to fulfill that need . It’s important that some health related messages be presented in an entertaining fashion similar to the strategies using humor and other attention- getting devices that advertisers do to “cut through the clutterضوضاء ”, e.g., celebrity الشهرةculture

4.Shopping Going to the local drugstore, OR ordering vitamins online. Health consumers are moving away from dependence on sources from which they have traditionally bought health-related goods and services and they are using searches to inform their purchase decisions. to inform: لإعلام

Individual Differences in communication Needs

variables that affect media choice: Demographic, Cultural, Personal and individual characteristics such as : Age, Education, Gender.

The concept of Apertureمنفذ

Can be defined in terms of day part (morning or evening) OR Refers to The optimal time when people are most receptive to persuasive message. Can be defined in terms of day part (morning or evening) OR In term of times of life (childhood, adulthood) OR Types of human connection with a particular health issue. (e.g.,: celebrity شخص مشهور- الشهرةand illness) celebrity::مشهور

Health communicators must be highly sensitive to variations in media by different segments of the population.

Media Featuresخصائص

Different media have features that make them attractive to different target audiences Audiences fulfill their communication needs at different times of the day.

Media offers at least seven features: Immediacyالآنية Mobility Participation Rich media Search Customization التحوير-التخصيص-التكييف Time shifting. Mobility: التنقل -- -Time shifting: انتقال الوقت

Voice in health communication

In creating content and selecting media, health communicators must use the preferred voice of the target audience to convey information. Communicators: بليغوا

Authoritativeموثوق voice: Information comes from long-established source Opinionatedعقدي-ذو علاقة بعقيدة voice: Information that seems to share viewpoints and attitudes Created مبتدع-مبدعvoice:غير محاكي Health information comes from the perspective of people who are experiencing it.

The Media Choice Model is really useful way to evaluate the various ideas and proposals news organizations are coming up with as they attempt to carve out لإقامة a viable presence on the Web.

Media Choice Model spells out يوضح the fundamental needs people are seeking يبحثوا to be met when they go online: Information Entertainment الترفيه Connectivity Shopping

Uh, okay. Sounds pretty vague, right Uh, okay. Sounds pretty vague, right? But where the rubber meets the road comes in helping you to avoid doing something…Web video or audio, for e.g.,…just because you CAN, thereby wasting valuable resources. Save those tools for when you think they will meet people’s needs.

Say you have an idea on how to pull تسحب together some evergreen دائمة الخضرة content your organization already produces in one place on your site.

How does this proposal meet the above needs?

For e.g., have you provided opportunities for your audience to interact with that content in ways that meet connectivity needs? And so onهكذا and so forth هلم جرا

Thank You