Enhancing smoke-free policy change by understanding patterns of media coverage

Audience: Tobacco control coalition leaders and members engaged in efforts to attain a local community comprehensive smoke-free air ordinance. Key Points: A tobacco control expert and two journalists will present information from a completed project to provide a better understanding of the natural cycles of media coverage, how this knowledge can sharpen existing media advocacy efforts of tobacco control leaders, and help local coalitions plan activities that will be most effective during these timeframes. Educational Experience: Using a mixed methods approach, over 4500 articles were subjected to content analyses to better describe the usual pattern or “natural cycle” of news media coverage when 8 communities in Missouri were engaged in the policy change process. This includes examining published articles pre-policy change, during the time a policy change was formally being considered, and the post-policy change timeframe. A codebook was developed for use in conducting the analyses that includes a variety of elements, including examination of: timeframe, type of story, placement of the article, length of article, headline tone, story topic, presence of tobacco control theme, presence of public health facts, amount of pro-tobacco control quotes, and localization of source(s) for the story. Benefits: By the end of the panel discussion the audience will be able to: 1)Recognize media coverage patterns that occur during the smoke-free policy change process;2)Understand newsworthiness from the perspective of a journalist;3)List key elements of effective media advocacy;4)Plan tobacco control activities that maximize health-focused media coverage.