1. Tracy Sabetta Susan Jagers

4.  Challenges for Public Health Communications  What Makes a Good Message  How to Frame Your Issue  Developing Your Own Public Health Message

6.  Public health initiatives often pit individual freedom or responsibility against collective good or responsibility.  Examples ◦ Smoking ◦ Obesity

7.  Do make your message: ◦ Clear ◦ Concise ◦ Create Interest  Do avoid: ◦ Abbreviations/Acronyms ◦ Technical language ◦ Too much detail

8. Three Levels of Framing Messages  Expression of Overarching Values ◦ Fairness, responsibility, equality, equity  General Issue Being Addressed ◦ Obesity, Smoking, Clean Air  Details of The Issue ◦ Policy change detail, tactics for achieving change

9. President BushSenator Kerry “ The debate is about whether or not the marketplace ought to have a function in determining the cost of health care or whether the federal government should make all the decisions. I believe the best health care policy is one that trusts and empowers consumers, and one that understands the market.”  Have your co-pays gone up? Have your deductibles gone up?... [my plan] will reduce the average premium by $1,000 a year an it will crack down on the skyrocketing drug prices we face today.”

10.  Gun Industry... “Safety and education are the main components for addressing problems of this nature. You cannot legislate against accidents happening.”  Fast Food.. “I wouldn’t say we’re part of the [obesity] problem. There are not good or bad foods. There are good and bad diets. This comes down to personal responsibility.”

11.  Know what change is needed to achieve goals and analyze what it will take to make the change happen.  Understand and be able to describe the core values and beliefs motivating the change.  Integrate those values with a description of a key aspect of the problem and its solution.

12.  Goal: Reduce illness from tobacco use  Change needed: Workplaces and public places smoke free  What will it take to make the change happen: change in state law  Core values motivating change: fairness, people shouldn’t have to risk their in public places or workplaces

13.  Everyone has the right to breathe clean air, free from the proven dangers of secondhand smoke.  No one should have to risk their health in order to earn a paycheck or enjoy a dinner out in a restaurant or bar.

14. And Don’t Forget...  Know your audience and their values  Messenger matters

15.  Goal: Reduce childhood obesity rates in Central City School District, a mid-size urban school district.  You decide: ◦ Change needed ◦ What it will take to make the change happen ◦ Core values motivating change ◦ Simple message to school board/school leaders in that district.

16. Thank You! Tracy Sabetta Initiative Consulting tsabetta@initiativeohio.com 614-581-2907 Susan Jagers Initiative Consulting sjagers@initiativeohio.com 614-314-5512