Media advocacy aims to influence public policy decisions through strategic use of mass media. It allows community groups to apply pressure to key decision makers by framing issues from a policy perspective and gaining access to news media. Effective media advocacy is based on solid planning principles like GOTME - defining goals, objectives, targets, messages, and evaluations. The biggest example is the worldwide ban on tobacco advertising. The target audience includes those with power to create change as well as groups that can apply pressure on them and the general public. Evaluation assesses if the issue gained media attention and if coverage advanced the desired message.

1. Media Advocacy
Media in the Contemporary World
Lecture 4.

2. What is Advocacy
o Public support for or recommendation of a
particular cause or policy.
o Advocacy is a systematic effort by an individual
or group which aims to influence public-policy
and resource allocation decisions within political,
economic, and social systems and institutions.

3. Role of Media in Advocacy
• Media advocacy is the strategic use of mass
media to support community organizers' efforts
to advance social or public policies.
• The desired product is the ability of community
members to be heard and to exercise influence
over the policy environment.
• By gaining access to the news media and framing
problems from a public policy perspective ,
community groups can apply pressure
strategically to key decision makers.

4. Biggest Example of Media Advocacy
Ban on tobacco advertising world over.

5. Planning Media Advocacy
Media advocacy needs to be based on solid
principals of planning. The planning approach
used by media advocates is "GOTME": goal, objective, target, message,
evaluation.
Goal : Understanding of a common ground is important.
Objectives: Define a set of objectives from all functions.
Target Audience: The primary target is the person, group or organization that
has the power to make the change being requested.
The secondary target is groups or individuals who can be mobilized to apply
Pressure on those with the power to make the change (an NGO may be. Ansar Burney
etc.).
The third target group is the general public.

6. Planning Media Advocacy
Message: One of the most frequent criticisms of
the news media is that they just do not get the
story right.
There are at least three elements to the message. First,
there is the clear statement of concern. The second part
of the message represents the value dimension, such as
the threat to community and family well-being. The third
Part describe the policy solution as it is to describe the
problem.
Evaluation:Did the issue get on the media agenda?
Did the media coverage advance the message?

7. ENDS