Mass Media

Pros and Cons

• Public service announcements are short and memorable with a strong call to action, but it is difficult to convey complex information.
• Serial dramas allow the audience to engage with plot lines with deeper coverage of topics and role models, but they can be expensive to produce to a high quality.
• Talk shows allow for youth and local experts to take part, but it may be hard to keep everyone on topic.
• Call-in shows and open microphone programs allow for two-way communication, but you may lose focus on audience or message.
• Newspapers or magazines can have large reach, but you are limited to high-literacy populations.
• All mass media can reach very large audiences at once, but this means you may not meet specific needs of smaller audience segments.

Reminders for Using Mass Media

• Works best when paired with other communication channels.
• Radio is generally more affordable and widespread than TV.
• Contact media (e.g., TV and radio stations, newspaper offices) for follow-up analysis to make sure that placement of promotional materials occurred as planned.
• Newspapers can be effective in reaching those who influence urban adolescents (i.e., parents, community leaders, teachers and policymakers).
• Images and text on outdoor media need to be designed so that they can be understood quickly since they are seen by people driving by in vehicles or walking along the road.
• For live radio or TV shows, make sure your host is well-informed and prepared to respond to unexpected questions.
• Involve young people in the production and dissemination of mass media (e.g., radio hosts, callers for call-in shows and articles written for newspapers).

Example

Jongo Love (Kenya), is a radio series set in urban Kenya that addresses love, relationships and family planning to increase contraceptive use among urban adolescents. Each episode is followed by a phone-in discussion during which listeners, DJs and experts continue the conversation started during the show. Jongo Love also engages listeners through interactive question and answers posts on Facebook and Twitter.

Considerations for Using Mass Media in an Urban Environment: 

• Urban youth have more consistent access to mass media than their rural peers.
• Urban youth might prefer television to radio.
• Easier to work closely with mass media on a consistent and continuous basis in a city.
• Urban youth can interact with talk shows by calling in or text messaging. Questions can be immediately answered, which is important for youth.