Introductions Talking about Health Equity Name Before you can - - PDF document

Berkeley Media Studies Group Public Health Alliance of Southern California• Los Angeles • July 27, 2018 1

Communicating about the Healthy Places Index to Further Health Equity

Public Health Alliance of Southern California July 27, 2018 Lori Dorfman Katherine Schaff

bmsg.org

• Research on news coverage of public

health issues

• Media advocacy training and strategic

consultation for community groups and public health advocates

• Professional education for journalists
• Name
• Health Department/Organization
• Work focus
• One social determinant of health (e.g.

social issue that affects health) that you are passionate about

Introductions

Before you can know what to say about health equity, you have to know what you’re going to do about health equity.

Talking about Health Equity

• What do you want to change in the world?
• How will you change it?
• Why do you want it to be changed?

Message is Never First

• Overall strategy
• Media strategy
• Message strategy
• Access strategy

Layers of Strategy

Berkeley Media Studies Group Public Health Alliance of Southern California• Los Angeles • July 27, 2018 2

Stronger together: Working with Allies Activity: Developing your overall strategy

In your county teams, pick one area to focus on today and fill out the Overall Strategy worksheet.

• Economics
• Education
• Transportation
• Social
• Neighborhood
• Clean Environment
• Housing
• Healthcare

Frames as Mental Structures Frame Definition

Frames are mental structures that help people understand the world.

Just a few cues…

The Need to Reframe

Institutional Accountability Personal Responsibility

Berkeley Media Studies Group Public Health Alliance of Southern California• Los Angeles • July 27, 2018 3 News frames are more often portraits than landscapes. The Need to Reframe

Institutional Accountability Personal Responsibility

• Message: what we say
• Messenger: who says it
• Target: who we want to hear it

Message Strategy What’s on the slate? Competing Values

Market Justice Social Justice Personal responsibility Shared responsibility You’re on your own We’re in this together Duty to your family Duty to the collective good Government interferes Government protects

A mashup of Daniel Beauchamp 1976 & Jared Bernstein 2006

Competing Stories: Obesity

You Are What You Eat What Surrounds Us Shapes Us Poor parenting Junk food marketing Bad habits & personal choices Neighborhood connectivity & safety (transit, recreation) Overactive thumbs, underactive legs No time for physical activity in school Exercise, and exercise willpower Local, state, & federal policy (taxes, advertising, zoning, etc.)

HPI in the news

Berkeley Media Studies Group Public Health Alliance of Southern California• Los Angeles • July 27, 2018 4

HPI in the news HPI in the news

➜What’s wrong? Statement of concern ➜Why does it matter? Value dimension ➜What should be done? Policy objective

Activity: Message Development

Activity: Answering Hard Questions

Move to a hard question. Use your message development worksheet to create an answer.

• What’s wrong with the low ranking areas?
• What are you going to do about this?
• What do you want from me? Isn’t this the health

department’s job?

• My district is doing well—are you going to try to take our

resources?

• What’s the return on investment?
• Why hasn’t the health department addressed our

communities needs before this?

Pivot Phrases

“What’s really important to remember, however…” “Let me put that (individual story) into perspective by showing how (insert new frame and solutions here)…” “That’s not my area of expertise, but what I can tell you is…” “That’s an interesting point, but I think your readers will also be interested in knowing that…” ➜ Know your goals. ➜ Stay on message. ➜ Speak to shared values. ➜ Resist the urge to say everything. ➜ Stick to your expertise. ➜ Prepare for hard questions. ➜ Provide compelling examples. ➜ Use reasonable, clear language. ➜ Remember to follow up.

Tips for responding to hard questions

Berkeley Media Studies Group Public Health Alliance of Southern California• Los Angeles • July 27, 2018 5

Wrapping up

• What other support do you need to

integrate the HPI into your LHD work?

• What do you see as next steps and

challenges?

Contact us! bmsg.org @BMSG Find us on Facebook! dorfman@bmsg.org schaff@bmsg.org

Further Questions?