Short description:

Written by two practitioners with deep professional experience, this book introduces readers to the practice of public interest communications, a profession that takes an evidence-based approach to using strategic communications to drive positive social change. It is ideal for students in various fields including advertising and marketing.

Long description:

Written by two practitioners with deep professional experience, this book introduces readers to public interest communications, which takes an evidence-based approach to using strategic communications to drive positive social change.

Each chapter includes accessible, applicable insights, exercises and real-world examples undergirded by theories and research from a range of academic disciplines: social and cognitive science, communications, systems thinking and human-centered design. The authors provide step-by-step frameworks for practicing public interest communications and illustrate each framework with multiple perspectives through practitioner interviews. Through a focus on fairness and ethics, the book helps readers acquire the mindset of a public interest communicator.

This book is an ideal resource for students in strategic communications, health and environmental communications, public relations, journalism, social entrepreneurship, political science and advertising, and in public interest communication courses specifically, who wish to promote lasting change on issues that advance the greater good.

Accompanying online materials include worksheets and links to further resources such as videos and podcasts. Please visit www.routledge.com/9781032531915.

?Public interest communication demands that we have solid strategies to do work that matters to human and community wellbeing. This book gives professionals, academics, and students a useful model and a connected set of questions to help with strategy, so that our work is focused, effective, and measurable.?

Jacqueline Lambiase, Texas Christian University, USA

?This textbook offers a much-needed resource for teaching public interest communication with its emphasis on applied communication strategy and campaign planning. Ann Christiano and Angela Bradbery bring a wealth of bona fides to this project. They have the relevant expertise, research-grounded knowledge, and classroom-tested approaches to help students, practitioners, and educators not just understand theory but also put it into action. For educators and students passionate about creating meaningful, issue-driven change, this book is an essential classroom resource.?

Natalie Tindall, University of Texas at Austin, USA

Table of Contents:

Acknowledgments  1 What?s public interest communications? 2 The Six Spheres of Influence: The building blocks of strategy 3 The power of policy 4 The power of activism 5 Activating media 6 The market and industry sphere 7 Issue shapers: Communities of influence 8 Using social norms to drive change 9 Using the six spheres to create your theory of change 10 Back-of-the-Envelope strategy 11 What do you want to be true that isn?t true right now? 12 Who must act for that to happen? 13 What would they believe if they were taking action? 14 How will we connect with them? 15 Measuring what matters 16 Putting together your plan  Glossary  Index