Working with the Media to Promote Teen Pregnancy Prevention

MAKING IT HAPPEN102hours, confidentiality, and easyto-getappointments. The mediacan also help recruit adults tovolunteer in your program, orpromote special events.Promoting change on an issue.You may want to promote yourpoint of view on importantissues (this is often calledmedia advocacy). For example,you might encourage support fora youth development agenda bypublicizing the stories of successfulyoung people who havecompleted a particular program.(Note: Be aware of federal andstate regulations about lobbyingactivities by non-profits.)You may find that you would liketo work on all these fronts. That ispossible, but only over time andonly if all four support your overallgoal. A better approach is todecide which desired result is yourtop priority, focus on that, andthen work on the others in turn.The following worksheet mayhelp you figure out a specificdesired result.Define your targetaudienceAlong with determining yourdesired results, you will need todefine your target audience oraudiences. These audiencesDesired results worksheetGeneral CategoriesSample:Promote a specific programSpecific Action or Awareness DesiredSample:Motivate the business community to support expansionof after-school programs in inner-city neighborhoods.Promote a specific programIncrease community awarenessof teen pregnancyChange the behavior ofteens or parentsPromote youth-orientedpublic policyOther

A VAGUE TARGET AUDIENCEAll sexually active teensconsist of those whose behavioror attitudes you want to change.Target audiences may include,among others:Teens• sexually active teens• abstinent teens• pre-teens and young teens• older teensA MORE FOCUSED TARGETAUDIENCESexually active teens in theservice area of a clinic whereteen pregnancy rates are highWAYS TO DEFINE YOURTARGET AUDIENCE• geography/communityenvironment• demographics• age• gender• cultural background• out-of-school teensAdults• parents of teens• others who influence teens(coaches, youth workers)• adult volunteers• young adult men who dateyounger teenage girlsOrganizations that Work withTeens• agencies that serve teens• community service groups• religious/faith organizations• schoolsPotential Partners or Supporters• business leaders• community and civic leaders• public officialsAs with your desired result, themore specific you can be indescribing your target audience,the better. You will need to knowthe composition of the targetaudience so that you can developappropriate messages and testthem with all subgroups.There are many ways to defineand refine a general list ofaudiences:Geography. Your audience maybe made up of urban, suburban,and rural individuals, if the targetedprogram area is largeenough. You should divide theminto these segments and refinemessages and testing proceduresaccordingly.Age. The age of the audiencetargeted by a pregnancy preventioncampaign can range widely.Choosing the right age group isa function of your overall preventiongoal. For example, a103MEDIA

MAKING IT HAPPEN104campaign to delay sexual initiationmay target a different agegroup than one that seeksincreased contraceptive useamong sexually active, olderteens. The basic message willneed to be tested—and mayneed to be different—with eachdifferent age group.Breaking the Cycle inHartford, Connecticut, targetsdiverse audiences with variousmessages, though all are consistent:to parents (“talk to yourteens about sex and values”), toother adults (“get involved asmentors”), and to teens (“stayabstinent” for young teens and“be responsible” for sexuallyactive teens).The Montana Department ofHealth and Human Services’Don’t Kid Yourself campaignreaches an audience of sexuallyactive 18- to 24-year-oldsthrough radio and newspaperads, as well as pamphlets andposters, with messages aboutavoiding unintended pregnancy.Gender. Teens are not a monolithicblock; boys and girls needdifferent messages to motivatetheir behavior. The choice ofboys or girls as your targetaudience depends on what willbest achieve the community’soverall prevention goal.As part of its comprehensive maleand father involvement initiative,the California Department ofHealth Services has developed acampaign about sexual responsibilitytargeted to teen boys andadult men.Cultural background. Beingknowledgeable about the cultureof the target audience is essential.Subtle differences in the waydifferent cultures think aboutfamily, birth control, pregnancy,education, the role of girls, maleresponsibility, education, careers,and planning for the future canaffect how various messages areperceived. Culture can also affectyour choice of media. Once messagesare selected, you need toknow about the newspapers thatparticular cultures read, the TVstations they watch, and the factorsthat motivate them to accepta message.Study your targetaudienceA certain amount of informationabout your target audiencewill emerge during the initialprocess of audience selection.At some point, though, you’llneed to explore these groups inmore detail. For example:• Whom do they trust? Whowould be a credible carrier ofthe message—a sports figure?Another teen? A communityorganization or leader?• What do they already thinkabout teen pregnancy? Boys

may think, “It’s a girl thing.”Parents may think, “It’s someoneelse’s problem.”• Where do they get information?Do they watch TV?Listen to the radio? Readperiodicals? In what language?Expand your understanding ofyour target audience. If a programintends to reach teens,watch the TV shows they like,read their magazines, listen totheir music. If parents of teensare the potential audience, youmight attend a local PTA meetingor church gathering. If public officialsare the target, consult thepublic affairs staff of an organizationwith similar interests.The following tools can furtherhelp you study your targetaudience:Advisory groups. Many teenpregnancy prevention initiativescreate ad hoc or permanentgroups of teens or parents toadvise them on all aspects of aninitiative or campaign. This canbe a relatively inexpensive wayto learn more about your targetaudience. It will also draw teensinto the program. Choose anadvisory panel that is similar tothe target audience. Createmore than one if there are multipleaudiences.Surveys. Surveys allow a programto assess the views of arepresentative number of thepotential audience. Large-scaleprofessional surveys or pollscan be expensive, but somepollsters may be willing to addteen pregnancy questions to aplanned poll. A simple questionnaireto administer to smallergroups is another option.Focus groups. A focus group isa gathering of 8 to 10 peoplewho are interviewed by atrained moderator using a preparedlist of questions. Focusgroups are often used to testmessages or actual media products,such as posters or radiospots, for acceptability and easeof comprehension. Table 1 atthe end of this chapter is afocus group discussion outlinethat shows how to structuresuch a conversation.The worksheet on the next pagecan help you define specifictarget audiences.Develop your coremessagesYour core messages contain themost important ideas you wantto get across to your audience.They should reflect your initiative’svalues and should be theFOR MORE INFORMATION ONHOW TO CONDUCT A SURVEYSee Chapter 12 (Volume 3),“Tailoring a Program to YourCommunity Through NeedsAssessment.”105MEDIA

MAKING IT HAPPENkernel from which you createevents, slogans, advertising,fundraising, and all the otherelements that go into any teenpregnancy prevention effort.While there may be many possiblecore messages at this stage,try to whittle the number downto no more than three. Decidingon these few core messagesdoes not mean that they are theonly things your program standsfor; they just provide a focus foryour current media efforts. Youneed to decide what you want tosay, then find a way to get theword out.Developing your messages takestime. Think of it as similar to theprocess a sculptor goes throughin transforming a solid block ofmarble into a finished figure.First, you start with a basic ideaof what you want to say. Then,through discussion, revision,testing with potential audiences,and refining, a finished phrase orsentence emerges, couched insuch a way that it resonates withthe target audience.106Target audience worksheetPotential TargetAudienceSample:Parents of teen boysAge, Gender, Culture,Location33-35, many single parents,most working, innercityOther ImportantCharacteristicsWhat they read, listen to,watch; where they shop;what form of transportationthey use; who theircommunity leaders are

Here are examples of messagestargeted to teens used by theNational Campaign to PreventTeen Pregnancy. Although theysound simple and straightforward,they are the result of considerablediscussion, testing,and reworking.• For girls: You don’t have tohave sex to keep a boyfriend.You don’t have to have sex tobe popular. You don’t have tohave sex unless and until youdecide to.• For boys: Boys can say no,too. You don’t have to havesex to prove anything to yourfriends or girlfriend. Havingsex doesn’t make you a man;waiting until you’re ready andacting responsibly does.Table 2 at the end of this chapterprovides more details onthese National Campaign toPrevent Teen Pregnancy messages.The worksheet on thenext page can also help youbrainstorm core messages.THE STARTING POINT FOR ACORE MESSAGE DIRECTEDAT TEENSDelay sexual activity.THE FINISHED PRODUCT“Not everyone is ‘doing it.’It’s okay to say no.”Select the most appropriatemedia channelsOnce you have determined yourdesired result, clearly definedyour target audience, and developedyour core messages, youwill be ready to choose the bestvehicle for reaching your audience.Each of the three majormedia channels described herediffers according to the credibilityit adds to a program’s message,the breadth of audience itreaches, and the amount of controla program has in using it.The news mediaNews coverage has high credibility(it is written by independentreporters) and a broadreach (TV, newspapers, andradio reach large audiences atthe same time). The tradeoff isthat you have little control overhow your message gets throughto the audience. News mediawork is not expensive, but itsometimes takes long-term,consistent work to pay off.Public service advertising(PSA)This strategy involves developingprint, radio, or TV ads, billboards,or bus boards to carry a preventionmessage—a productionprocess that may be costly evenif an advertising firm has offeredto provide its creative work forfree. Messages conveyed throughsuch advertising are typicallyshort (a headline, a 10- or 30-second radio spot, a slogan). Ifyou buy air time or ad space, youcan use an advertising campaignto target a precise audience.With donated space, the audiencereach is questionable (your TV107MEDIA

Core message worksheetDesired ResultSpecific Core MessagesSample:Sample:Increase community awareness Most people don’t know that one out of every twoof teen pregnancy girls in this city will be pregnant by the time she is 19.Increase community awarenessof teen pregnancyPromote a higher profile of aparticular prevention programMAKING IT HAPPEN108Change the behavior of teensor parentsPromote youth-orientedpublic policyOtherspot may run free at 2 a.m.).Because the messages areclearly from an organizationwith a point of view, credibilityis only as good as the organization’sreputation.Public affairs work andspecial eventsThese vehicles provide programswith an ongoing way to reinforceTHE 3 MAIN MEDIA CHANNELS• news media• public service announcements(PSAs)• public affairs work andspecial eventstheir messages and put a humanface on what they say in themedia and advertising. Bothinvolve direct contact with audiencesthrough activities such asgiving speeches to communitygroups, writing articles for professionaland communitynewsletters, and offering freeworkshops to schools, businesses,or community organizations. Forexample, a program could kickoff a media campaign with ahealth fair, and then describe itsongoing work in the resultingnews coverage. A successfulspecial event can raise the profileof an initiative. Often thegreater value of special events

comes from news coverage ofthem rather than the event itself.You have a great deal of controlover the message in specialevents because you are deliveringit directly to the audience.Public affairs work and specialevents do not have to be expensive(though they often are).Both require considerable staffor volunteer time to plan andcarry out the activities.Messages delivered in this waygenerally have medium credibility—lessthan news stories(because they are delivered byan advocate with a point ofview), but more than advertising(because the message comesdirectly from a respected organizationor a community event).Another attribute of thisapproach is that public affairswork and special events have afairly narrow reach; only thosewho come to the event or readabout it receive the message.The box on the next page summarizessome of the considerationsinvolved in using variousmedia options.Test and refine yourmessagesBefore you roll out your messages,you need to be sure theaudience is ready to listen tothem. For example, a motherwho is already concerned abouther daughter’s well-being will bereceptive to a message abouttalking to her teen about sex.On the other hand, a messageabout the long-term consequencesof unprotected sexmight not be the right way toreach teen boys because theyoften focus only on short-termconsequences.You also need to be sure thatthe message can be expressedin simple, clear, layperson’s language,particularly if TV or radioare involved. For example, theCatawba County Social Services’Age of Consent Campaignhas a very specific message forolder teen males and adult men:Sex with a minor who is at leastfour years younger is now acrime in North Carolina.Finally, you need to make surethe message is worded andframed in just the right way totouch your audience. A messagemay sound good to you, but youmust let the target audience’sopinion guide your final decisionabout its suitability and power.Message testing will help youreach all these objectives.Testing provides a crucialopportunity to refine your messagesand make them morememorable, attention-getting,and motivating.Testing proved invaluable for theFamily Planning Council ofSoutheast Pennsylvania when109MEDIA

Selecting a media optionOPTIONCONSIDERATIONSMAKING IT HAPPEN110News mediaRadioTelevisionNewspaperMagazinesSpecialty publicationsTeens listen.Advertising is expensive, hard to get coverage, goodfor saturating the community with a message.Credible place for program name and ideas to bementioned in editorials, news stories, advertising.Good for targeting specific audiences.Good for targeting specific audiences, may be interested inarticles written by program.Public service advertisingRadioTeens listen, advertising is inexpensive, audience reach isquestionable with donated air time.TelevisionGood for targeting a large audience, production is expensive,audience reach is questionable with donatedair time.InternetHard to measure impact, but popular with teens.Bus boardsHighly visible way to reach teens who use publictransportation, diffuse reach.BillboardsHighly visible.Public affairs work and special eventsSpeechesGreat way to reach audiences in person.Direct mailExpensive, low credibility for message work.Public workshops Great way to reach parents.Organizational workshops Great way to reach parents.FlyersInexpensive, little impact, best for specific events.EventsTake a great deal of work with uncertain payoff.Promotional items If cleverly done, can be useful in getting the message out.the slogan, “Pregnancy: It’s Notfor Me,” tested poorly among parents,but was very popular withteens. Abstinent teens interpretedit as a supportive message,and sexually active teens believedit was a credible reminder topractice effective contraception.Testing can also help you figureout how to reach multiple targetaudiences with variants on thesame core message.In Maryland, Campaign forOur Children has distinct messagesfor parents (“talk to yourteens about sex before theymake you a grandparent”) andteens (“you can go farther whenyou do not go all the way”),which reinforce the same

prevention goal of reducing teensexual activity.FOR MORE INFORMATIONON EVALUATION...See Chapter 16 (Volume 3),“Building Evaluation intoYour Work.”Some campaigns use focusgroups to test messages.Participants give immediatefeedback on potential messages,offer suggestions for changes,and even suggest where to runit or who would make a goodspokesperson. Other programsuse surveys, which can be moreexpensive. Still others haveongoing advisors.Not Me, Not Now, in MonroeCounty, New York, maintains ateen panel for message testing.Commercial marketers knowthat people remember messagesthat meet their needs or supporttheir values. Experts on teenssuggest that young people aremore receptive to positive messages.However, fear appeals area staple of public health PSAs—particularly in relation to AIDS,drugs, and drunk driving. Whilethere is some disagreementabout the use of fear appeals,research shows that they areeffective in limited circumstancesand when done very carefully(DeJong & Winsten, 1998).Create a system forongoing monitoringSuccessful media initiativesinclude ways to track theirprogress, evaluate whether theyhave successfully reached theirultimate goal, and find out whenthey need to make correctionsalong the way. Formal evaluationof media campaigns can bevery challenging, especially ifyou want to measure behaviorchange, but there are less expensiveways to track progress,including:• collecting press clips, listingthe audiences for presentations,and keeping track ofthe number of times a PSAhas run and where;• continuously testing the validityof messages with teenadvisory panels; and• conducting audience surveysto measure how far the messagehas reached, or whether,for example, parents are talkingwith their children aboutsex more since the campaignbegan.HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVETEEN PREGNANCY PREVEN-TION COMMUNICATOR• create a buzz• keep the message out there• always have something newto say• convey a sense of urgency• inspire action111MEDIA

Working with the news mediaMAKING IT HAPPEN112The most efficient way to reachthe general public is through thenews media: newspapers, radio,and television. Reporters andeditors—especially on the locallevel—are always looking forstories to fill their pages andnewscasts, and teen pregnancyprevention initiatives have importantstories to tell. Seeking newscoverage, however, should not bea one-shot deal; you should developrelationships with reportersand keep your initiatives prominentin their Rolodexes.What is news?To generate coverage, a programmust create a news“hook”—that is, a reason for areporter to tell a story.Reporters look for:• new information (statistics ortrends);• conflict (disagreement andcontroversy);• personal stories (reporterstell stories through the livesof individuals);• local angles to nationalstories;• counter-intuitive information(“teens want to hear fromtheir parents about sex”); and• quotable people.Creating a media listThe first step in creating successful,ongoing relationshipswith the news media is to identifyand develop the right mediacontacts. In some communities,the local library will stock amedia guide with detailed informationabout newspapers andbroadcast stations and theirpersonnel. Many United Wayorganizations publish mediaguides as well. Another way toidentify likely reporters is byreading local papers and magazinesand finding out who coversyouth, education, health,and social policy.Potential sources of names for amedia list:• newspapers (from majordailies to suburban weeklies)—city,health, and editorialpage editors; health,education, lifestyle, and politicalreporters;• television—news assignmenteditors; news directors;health, education, lifestyle,and political reporters; segmentand show producers;• radio—news directors,talk show producers, radiopersonalities;

• wire services—bureau chiefs,daybook editors (the daybooklists events taking place eachday in the community),reporters; and• other news outlets—communityand faith-based publications,high school or collegenewspapers, and specialinterest and professionalnewsletters.You may also want to develop alist of nonmedia individuals andgroups whom it may be useful toinform or influence. These mightinclude funders, policymakers,community leaders, and collaboratingagencies and institutions.Making contact withlocal news mediaYour goal should be to becomethe first person a reporter oreditor thinks to call when doinga story on teen pregnancy. Someideas for becoming a crediblesource for local news media(National Campaign, 1997a):• introduce yourself, yourorganization, and your issueto the producer of a local talkradio or TV show;• send reports, updates, andnotice of upcoming events orpublications; always senditems to a specific person, notto a title (John Jones, not“News Editor”);• offer to do a briefing for theeditorial board of your localpaper;• get to know the communityaffairs liaisons for local newsmedia outlets whose job is tostay abreast of communityissues and concerns;• when national stories breakabout teen pregnancy, givereporters a local angle towork with—offer data, astatement, visuals, or accessto a successful local program,if possible;• when a local story runs thatis related to teen pregnancy,offer the reporter additionalinformation that wouldenhance or provide contextfor the story; and• develop a group of crediblespokespersons who can discussdifferent aspects of teenpregnancy with reporters,including school teachers,parents of teens, teens themselves,and health officials.USE THESE SOURCES TO PUTTOGETHER YOUR MEDIA LIST• newspapers• television• radio• wire services• other news outlets113MEDIA

MAKING IT HAPPEN114Using the tools ofthe tradeReporters expect story ideasand messages to be packaged inparticular ways. Each of thesetools has particular uses:Press releases. A short descriptionof the story you want totell, a press or news releasedescribes the who, what, when,where, how, and why right upfront. Never more than onedouble-sided sheet of paper,double-spaced, a release usessimple, nonjargony language,short sentences, and shortparagraphs. It should be writtenin a news style so that it can beprinted in smaller papers as is.Press or news releases followa standard format.Media advisories. Similar to anews release, a media advisoryannounces the particulars of apress event in bullet form. Itoften is sent a few weeks beforean event so that it can be addedto reporter’s coverage schedules;in contrast, a press releaseappears on a reporter’s desk muchcloser to the actual event. SeeTable 3 at the end of this chapterfor a sample media advisory.Press conferences and mediabriefings. Press conferences andbriefings offer a visual eventaround which to organize anews story you are pitching. Itis essential, however, that youhave something newsworthy toannounce and an effectivespokesperson to announce it.There is nothing worse thanholding a press conference in anempty room—and it does happen.Here are a few guidelines:• Choose a convenient site forthe media. Get a room thatwill just accommodate thenumber of people you expect(or even a few less) so thatthe event will not look underattended.• Make sure you have the necessaryequipment —microphones,podium, chairs forreporters, a banner or posterfor a backdrop.• Time your event carefully.Give reporters time to attendyour event, do additionalreporting, and file their storiesbefore deadlines—10 or11 a.m. is often ideal. Connectyour event to a related hook—like National Teen PregnancyPrevention Month in May.• Hand out press kits and havea sign-in sheet for the press.Press kits. For distribution toreporters at a press event, apress kit usually includes apress release, an event agenda,a fact sheet about your organization,brief biographies of eventparticipants, and supportingdocuments (reports, statistics,

lists of story ideas, and expertcontacts).“One-pager.” A one-pagedescription of the basics onyour initiative or program:• name, address, phone, fax,and email• program description• funding sources andsponsors• brief program history includingstart date and purpose• leaders and participantsFacts and stats sheet. Reporterslike to be able to cite the latestteen pregnancy data available. Ifpossible, get community statisticsfrom your health department.National and state dataare available from several agenciesand organizations listed inthe Resources section. Be sureto list your organization as acontact. See Table 4 at the endof this chapter for an exampleof a facts and stats sheet.Story ideas. Although mostreporters do not like to be toldhow to cover a story, they doappreciate leads on potentialangles, sources, and interviews.Look at your initiative with areporter’s eye. Tell a personalstory. Locate a good visual for aTV crew or print photographer.Describe how this issue affectsviewers or readers. Tell themFOR MORE ON WRITING AFACTS AND STATS SHEETSee Table 4 at the end of thischapter for an example.how much teen pregnancy costsyour community.Editorial board meetings. Makean appointment to offer a backgroundbriefing to your localpaper’s editorial writers on teenpregnancy, your initiative, ora new report. Explain to themhow important this issue is totheir readers.Opinion pieces (op-eds) and lettersto the editor. Op-eds areusually written by experts in theirfield—like you!—or by prominentpeople in the community. Mostop-eds are between 500 and1,000 words long. Check withyour local paper about how tosubmit an opinion piece. Sendyour op-ed to the opinion pageeditor at least two weeks beforeany related event. Letters to theeditor, which are much shorter(less than 200 words), mustusually be written in responseto something that has alreadyappeared in the paper. Submitthem as soon as possible followingthe original article.Reactions to events. Dependingon what kind of news you wantto make, you should considerproviding reactions to teenpregnancy-related news: legislativebriefings, governmentalproclamations, and similarevents. Do so by crafting a threetofour-sentence commentaryand faxing it to your local paper.115MEDIA

FIELD NOTESMAKING IT HAPPEN116Getting professional help withmedia workPublic relations and advertisingfirms can be invaluable. If youplan to launch a long-term mediaeffort, select a firm early on andstick with it over time. Itsresources, relationships, andadvice will be very helpful. Tomake the relationship productive,however, you must know whatyou want from them before youbegin working together. Thesetips can help.1. Write down exactly what youneed before you talk with apublic relations firm. This canbe formal (a “Request forProposal” or RFP) or an informalmemo. Include:• your goals for public relationsand media work• the amount of money youhave available to spend(choose a number less thanthe true maximum).• your desire to have donatedcreative services and a discounton production costs• the time frame in which youwant the work to be done• the person at your organizationwho will be the liaisonwith the firm• key deadlines that are nonnegotiable2. Take your RFP or list of needsto two or three firms and seewhat they can offer you. Askto see samples of past work—for both paying and pro bono(non-paying) clients.3. Ask the firms to send you abrief proposal of what theywould be able to do for you.Be sure it responds to the needsyou have identified.4. Ask to meet with several firmsin their offices to get a feel forthe way they work and theirmix of clients. Consider thefollowing to help you knowwhich firm is right for you.• Do you like the style thatthey have used with otherclients?• Do you trust that the peopleyou have met understandyour message and yourgoals?• Did they seem eager to winyour business?• What benefit might theydraw from working with you(e.g., added exposure, creativechallenge)? It’s better towork with a firm that mightget something out of therelationship, too.• Small firms may be moreeager to get exposure andmake a name for themselves,so they may view workingfor you as a chance to makea splash on a compellingissue. However, small firmsneed to pay the bills, so youmay end up as a lower priorityat deadline time.• Larger firms may have morestaff to devote to your work,and might assign a juniorperson to take charge ofyour account. This can benefityou because they maybring added enthusiasm andrigor to the work. Larger firmsalso have access to databases,clip services, and ahost of other resources thatthey can tap for your project.However, pro bono projectscan get lost at larger firms,so be sure to invest time instaying on top of the work.5. Ask other nonprofits in yourcommunity about their experienceswith local firms, and getsuggestions from them onthings to watch out for.

Dealing with reportersThe following tips will help youdeal smoothly with reporters.The bottom line is that whenyou are working with reporters,you will always have differentagendas: you are selling, thereporter is buying. Make surereporters feel as though theyare getting value for their timeand effort. Some advice fromthe experts:• Respond immediately. Returnreporters’ phone calls rightaway; they may be on a deadline.If you cannot talk, tellthem when you can or suggestothers who are available.If you promise to get themmore information, deliver iton time. If you are helpful,reporters will call you againand again.• Anticipate questions. Preparetalking points so that you arenot caught off guard.WHEN YOU’RE DEALINGWITH REPORTERS,REMEMBER...You’re selling, thereporters are buying.• Choose three main points youwant to get across in yourpress event, press release, orinterview, and then repeatthem. For television, focus ononly one or two simple points.• Do not raise subjects with thepress unless you haveanswers. If you say there’s ateen pregnancy problem inyour community, be preparedto offer simple numbers andsolutions, or explain why theyare hard to find.• Personalize the story. Makestatistics come alive withexamples of real people,preferably people the reportercan interview.• Stay on your message. Do notlet a reporter get you to saysomething you do not wantto say.117MEDIA6. Once you select a firm, worktogether on a plan that willmeet your needs. Specificsmay change over time, as thefirm comes up with new ideasfor you.7. Be open to new ideas, but bevigilant about your budget. Ifyou cannot afford a great idea,perhaps the firm can help youfind ways to cover costs, orother funders may be willingto support the idea.8. Most firms can donate“creative”—ideas, slogans,artwork—but they mustcharge for the cost of paper,printing, mailing, and otherservices. To save money, askthem for a list of reporters andideas for what to send, thendo the mailing yourself.9. Think of this work as startinga long-term relationship. Overtime, the firm can get to knowyour organization and yourgoals, and can continue tothink of creative public relationsstrategies beyond the limits ofa single campaign or project.

MAKING IT HAPPEN118• Do not go “off the record.”Do not say anything youwould not want quoted. Youcannot control what reporterswrite or air, only what you sayto them.• Do not be pushy. Make yourbest pitch and let reportersmake their own decision. Ifyou make them an enemy,they will not be likely to coverfuture stories for you.Making the mostof your successThe value of news coverage ishard to measure precisely,though collecting news clips andvideo highlights is one good wayto keep track of your success.Professional clipping servicesare available (for a price), butfollowing your own mediaappearances is not too difficult,particularly in smaller communities.A stack of positive newspaperclippings can be veryinfluential with funders, politicians,and other groups that youare trying to impress.It is not quite true that “anycoverage is good coverage,” somake sure your public image iswhat you want it to be. Changeyour tactics if it is not.Public service advertisingA public service advertisingcampaign is a high-profile,expensive communicationsstrategy. A good PSA campaigncan reach your target audiencevery effectively. A poorlydesigned and executed campaigncan damage your causeand organization. The followingstrategies can help ensure asuccessful campaign.Be sure public serviceadvertising is right foryour messageDo not try to convey complexmessages using PSAs. If you cannotreduce your message to aslogan or sound bite that you canuse over a long period of time, aPSA is not the right strategy.Make a long-termcommitmentYou and your funders must bewilling and able to make a longtermcommitment—measuredover several years—to thePSA campaign. One PSA, nomatter how good, is not worththe expense.Get adequate fundingand in-kind supportPSA campaigns are expensive.Besides production costs, you

must pay or negotiate for airtime or print space. Print andradio campaigns are less expensivethan television. For example,a radio announcer could reada brief announcement aboutyour nonprofit initiative for free.On the other hand, TV PSAscan cost tens or hundreds ofthousands of dollars to produceand air.The California Department ofHealth Services has budgeted$29 million over three years forits total media/public informationcampaign about responsibleparenting and teen pregnancy.The more than 40 states andcommunities that are developingor planning to develop a teenpregnancy prevention mediacampaign have been veryresourceful in seeking publicand private grants, as well asin-kind and pro bono support,including:• Public funds—federal andstate government offices,including adolescent pregnancyprevention, maternal andchild health, public healthprograms, general funds,welfare reform, labor andemployment security, education,and juvenile justice;commingled state agencyfunds; county and city funds.• Private funds—national,state, and local foundations,the March of Dimes, corporatefoundations, insurancecompanies.• Pro bono and in-kind contributions—freeand discountedair time from local broadcasters,pro bono services fromad agencies, donated PSAsfrom other communities, partnershipswith the Ad Council.Putting together a mixed portfolioof funding sources and in-kindsupport is the best hedge againstinconstant funding. Some suggestthat there are fewer stringsattached to private money,although all funders expect tohave some oversight of campaignmessages and tactics.Set specific goals foryour PSA campaignA PSA campaign must have aclearly stated, specific communicationsgoal. For example:KEYS TO PSA SUCCESS• a good fit with your message• a long-term commitment• adequate funding and in-kindsupport• specific goals• coordination with other preventionactivities• audience research• a persuasive message• the right media channel• cooperation with local broadcastersand ad managers• support from other activities119MEDIA

MAKING IT HAPPEN120Florida’s six-year EducationNow and Babies Later campaignseeks to promote abstinenceamong fifth and sixthgraders through TV and radioads, along with other activities.The Idaho Governor’s Council onAdolescent Pregnancy Preventionruns a campaign, Sex Lasts aMoment, Being a ParentLasts Your Whole Life. Theywant to reach 95 percent ofIdaho teens ages 12-17 with amessage to delay sexual activity.Other campaigns have linkedtheir goals to those of relatedhealth promotion campaigns:The Michigan AbstinencePartnership targets 9- to 15-year-olds and their parents witha message of abstinence fromsex, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.The Mississippi State Departmentof Health’s Take Care Campaignseeks to reduce teen pregnancyand infant mortality rates byencouraging teens, especiallysexually active teens, to takecare of their health by protectingthemselves from the consequencesof unprotected sex.Because behavior change—theultimate goal of many PSA campaigns—isso hard to achieve, itis a good idea to set interimgoals, as well. These may berelated to the process of creatingthe PSA campaign or may bemeasures of how widely andwell your messages reach thetarget audience.The interim goal for Idaho’s SexLasts a Moment, Being a ParentLasts Your Whole Life campaignis to achieve a better than 70percent message recall rateamong the target audience.Coordinate your PSAcampaign with otherprevention activitiesYour PSA campaign should bepart of a larger, integrated initiative.Campaigns are mosteffective when they are combinedwith other programs atthe local level. If you want yourPSAs to motivate your audienceto do something, you must offerthem opportunities, support, ormore information if they are totake the next step.Invest in audienceresearchInvesting the time and resourcesto learn about your target audienceand to test your messageswith them is absolutely critical.The material earlier in thischapter can help you plan waysto carry out this task.Craft a persuasivemessageA PSA campaign is like any otherad campaign: you are sellingsomething. However, selling achange in behavior (social marketing)is much harder than

getting someone to change hisor her brand of toothpaste(commercial marketing). Socialmarketing has the great challengeof changing deeplyingrained attitudes and behaviors.Behaviors related to teenpregnancy are influenced bymany factors, too many to begreatly affected by media messagesalone. If your goal is tochange your audience’s longtermbehavior, commercial marketingtechniques suggest youfollow these steps in craftingyour message (DeJong &Winsten, 1998):• Highlight the seriousness ofthe problem and get the audienceto reevaluate their ownrisk. For example, make itclear to lawmakers that thehigh rate of teen pregnancycontributes to all kinds ofFIELD NOTESsocial problems, or that itmeans teens will likely remainpoor as adults.• Anticipate the audience’sresistance to the message andpresent the advantages of thechanged behavior. Tell boysthat being sexually responsibleis what makes them men.• Teach behavior skills. It is notenough to tell teens to “sayno.” Show them behaviors toemulate.• Build the audience’s selfconfidenceabout being ableto make the change. Convinceteens that talking to theirpartners about condoms isnot too embarrassing.• Show them that their peersare adopting the behavior.Use teen voices or actors orcite survey results.121MEDIAMessage DOs and DON’Ts forPSA campaignsPractitioners who have workedwith teens on message developmentoffer these tips:• Scare tactics and negativeimages can backfire.• Teens do not like to think ofthemselves as teens. Teensand preteens are more receptiveto messages from peopletwo or three years older thanthemselves.• Use images that are visuallysimilar to what teens usuallywatch (music videos andaction movies).• Immediate consequences(tonight, tomorrow) are farmore real to some teens thanlong-term ones.Reprinted with permission fromthe National Campaign to PreventTeen Pregnancy. (1997a). Sendingthe message: State-based mediacampaigns for teen pregnancyprevention. Washington, DC:Author.

MAKING IT HAPPEN122• Create a buzz. Use complementarystrategies (focusgroups, previews, T-shirts,etc.) to stimulate conversationamong your target audienceso that your message will finda larger audience.Select the type of mediafor your PSAConsider a number of factors,including the type of message(Does it lend itself to visualexpression?), the audience’spreferences (Do they listen to alot of radio? Will they see thebillboards?), the resources available(Has a graphic designeroffered free services?), and cost(Can you afford a sustained TVcampaign?). Each medium hasits advantages and its limitations.TelevisionTV is great for expressing clear,uncomplicated, and visualmessages. A well-placed adcan reach a large and broadaudience quickly. However, itcan be expensive to produce TVPSAs and even more expensiveto secure quality air time,because broadcasters offer freetime at odd hours and chargehigh rates for prime spots.The Family Health Council’sBreak the Silence campaign inPittsburgh has negotiated a goodmix of paid and free radio and TVair time, as well as reduced feesfrom a professional ad agency.RadioBecause radio enjoys a disproportionatelylarge youth audience,it is a particularly good wayto reach teens. Radio audiencesare often highly segmented byage, race, culture, and geography,which can be a benefit if youwant to reach a very specificgroup. Radio time is muchcheaper than TV time, and acampaign can submit a 15- or30-second script to be read bya radio personality.PrintAlthough they often commandless attention, print advertisementsare good for reachingpolicymakers and communityopinion leaders. They are bettersuited for delivering more complicatedand detailed messages.Other forms of print materials—pamphlets, feature articles incommunity newspapers, andposters—offer similar advantagesand provide opportunities forthe audience to reread andreflect on your messages.Nontraditional mediaCampaigns have found othercreative and cost-efficient venues.Billboards, bus boards, videotapes,newsletters, communityaccesscable, promotional items,comic books, photo-novellas, andthe Internet are among the manyother ways to get a message out.

The Kansas Children’s ServiceLeague runs PSAs in Topekaareamovie theaters usingmessages created by teenfocus groups.Work with local broadcastersand advertisingmanagersGetting your PSA acceptedinvolves negotiating free orreduced rates with those peoplewho decide what to print or air.As business people, local broadcastersare unlikely to air controversialspots. They like PSAswith a tie-in to a communityinstitution or event. Many ofthem welcome the opportunityto contribute to the developmentof the campaign messages, PSAs,and related products and events.Consider asking one station inyour area to sponsor your campaign.That way your messagewill be assured good air time, andthe station will reap the benefitof community recognition.Bolster your PSA campaignwith other activitiesBecause PSA campaigns aremore likely to be effective if theyare supported by complementaryactivities, teen pregnancyprevention initiatives have integratedtheir media strategieswith other programs and eventsat the community level.PSAs developed by the ScottCounty Teen PregnancyPrevention Campaign inEastern Iowa offer a hotlinenumber and a resource packetto help parents and teens talkabout sexual issues.Nevada Public HealthFoundation’s abstinence-basedcampaign encourages parentand teen involvement inCommunity Action Teamsthroughout the state.The Pregnancy: It’s Not forMe campaign by the FamilyPlanning Council of SoutheastPennsylvania is supported byextensive programs in local highschools and middle schools.The Ohio Family and ChildrenFirst Initiative is launching astate-wide abstinence-basedcampaign and encouraging countiesto develop their own localcampaigns using Wellness BlockGrants from the state.Iowa’s Adolescent PregnancyPrevention Campaign kicksoff a new ad campaign each Mayduring Teen PregnancyPrevention Month.The Lincoln-Lancaster (NE)Teenage PregnancyPrevention Coalition givesstate legislators cardboard“Remember Me” Dolls withrepresentative stories aboutteen mothers.123MEDIA

ConclusionMedia campaigns designed tochange behavior require a longtermcommitment: Cutting thesmoking rate in half amongadults took nearly 40 years ofintense media and nonmediawork. Your work can keep ateen pregnancy preventionmessage in the air and on theminds of teens and adults, and,over time, help make a differencein your community’s teenpregnancy rates.MAKING IT HAPPENReferences124Advocates for Youth. (1997).National teen pregnancy preventionmonth planning guidebook.Washington, DC: Author.Campbell, J., & Nelson-Weaver, J.(1997). Public awareness for adolescentpregnancy prevention: Aguide for involving communities.Columbia, SC: South CarolinaCouncil on Adolescent PregnancyPrevention.DeJong, W., & Winsten, J. (1998).The media and the message:Lessons learned from past publicservice campaigns. Washington, DC:National Campaign to Prevent TeenPregnancy.Kirby, D. (1997). No easy answers:Research findings on programs toreduce teen pregnancy. Washington,DC: National Campaign to PreventTeen Pregnancy.Media Campaign Resource Center,Office on Smoking and Health, U.S.Centers for Disease Control andPrevention. (1995). Media campaignresource book for tobacco control.Rockville, MD: Author.National Campaign to Prevent TeenPregnancy. (1998). Adults on teenpregnancy: A focus group report.Washington, DC: Author.National Campaign to Prevent TeenPregnancy. (1997a). Sending themessage: State-based media campaignsfor teen pregnancy prevention.Washington, DC: Author.National Campaign to Prevent TeenPregnancy. (1997b). Partners inprevention: How national organizationsassist state and local teenpregnancy prevention efforts.Washington, DC: Author.National Campaign to Prevent TeenPregnancy. (1997c). Snapshots fromthe front-line: Lessons about teenpregnancy prevention from statesand communities. Washington, DC:Author.Schlitt, J., & Jennings, P. (1993).Creating public awareness for adolescentpregnancy prevention: Amanual for state and communitycampaigns. Washington, DC:Southern Regional Project on InfantMortality.

Programs and resources mentionedin this chapterAge of Consent CampaignCatawba County Social ServicesPO Box 669Newton, NC 28658(828) 326-5636Fax: (828) 322-2497Break the SilenceCenter for Adolescent PregnancyPreventionFamily Health Council, Inc.960 Penn Avenue, Suite 600Pittsburgh, PA 15222(412) 288-2130Fax: (412) 288-9036Campaign for Our ChildrenHal Donofrio, Executive DirectorCampaign for Our Children120 W. Lafayette St.Suite 1200Baltimore, MD 21201(410) 576-9000Fax: (410) 528-8809Don’t Kid YourselfMontana Department of Health andHuman ServicesFamily Planning1400 BroadwayCogswell BuildingHelena, MT 59620(406) 444-7331Fax: (406) 444-2606Kansas Children’s Service League3616 SW Topeka BoulevardTopeka, KS 66611(785) 274-3100Fax: (785) 274-3181Lincoln-Lancaster (NE) TeenagePregnancy Prevention CoalitionPO Box 5009Lincoln, NE 68505(402) 441-7716Fax: (402) 441-6824Nevada Public Health FoundationOne East First Street, Suite 806Reno, NV 89501(702) 323-3325Fax: (702) 323-3378Not Me, Not NowJohn Riley, DirectorMonroe County Department ofCommunications and Special Events39 West Main St.Suite 204Rochester, NY 14614(716) 428-2380Fax: (716) 428-3268www.notmenotnow.orgOhio Family and Children FirstInitiative65 East State Street, 9th FloorColumbus, OH 43215-0011(614) 466-1822Fax: (614) 728-3504Pregnancy: It’s Not for MeFamily Planning Council ofSoutheast Pennsylvania260 South Broad Street, Suite 1000Philadelphia, PA 19102(215) 985-2619Fax: (215) 732-1252Scott County Teen PregnancyPrevention CampaignMaternal Health Center852 Middle Road, #11369Bettendorf, IA 52722(319) 359-6633Fax: (319) 359-5261125MEDIA

MAKING IT HAPPEN126Sex Lasts a Moment, Being aParent Lasts Your Whole LifeIdaho Governor’s Council onAdolescent Pregnancy PreventionIdaho Department of Health andWelfare450 West StatePO Box 83720Boise, ID 83720(208) 334-5957Fax: (208) 334-6573Take CareDepartment of Reproductive HealthMississippi State Department ofHealth2423 North State StreetJackson, MS 39215Teen Pregnancy PreventionInitiativeThe California Wellness Foundation6320 Canoga Ave., Suite 1700Woodland Hills, CA 91367(818) 593-6600Fax: (818) 593-6614www.tcwf.org.Partnership for ResponsibleParentingJulie B. Linderman, Public HealthEducation ConsultantCalifornia Department of HumanServices714 P St., Room 440Sacramento, CA 95814(916) 657-2949Fax: (916) 657-1608The National Campaign toPrevent Teen Pregnancy2100 M St., N.W., Suite 300Washington DC 20037(202) 261-5655www.teenpregnancy.orgOther useful resourcesCenter for Substance AbusePrevention’s Technical AssistanceBulletins:• Identifying the Target Audience,June 1997• Urban Youth Public Education forthe African American Community,June 1997• Developing Effective Messagesand Materials for Hispanic/LatinoAudiences, June 1997• Communicating Appropriatelywith Asian and Pacific IslanderAudiences, June 1997• You Can Increase Your MediaCoverage, September 1994Available from the NationalClearinghouse for Alcohol and DrugInformationP.O. Box 2345Rockville, MD 20852(800) 729-6686

Sample discussion outline for afocus group with teensTABLE 1DISCUSSION GUIDEI. Introductions, Explanation, Ground Rules (5 minutes)A. Moderator introduces her/himself and explains project’s purpose. We are workingwith an organization in Washington, D.C., and some folks there are interested inhearing your thoughts and opinions about some issues that teenagers face, dealwith, or are concerned about. More of the topic will unfold.B. Explain focus group process. A research method for collecting data similar to surveys,except that rather than asking and answering questions on a one-on-onebasis, questions are posed to the whole group and all are asked to respond andtalk to each other. Ask respondents to explain why they are here and what isexpected; define “opinion:” it’s what you think or feel.C. Explain ground rules.Audio- and video-taping: review and summarize your thoughts in a report; consentforms: “what you say is very important to us.”Assure confidentiality and stress importance of honest opinions - relax and becomfortable.Pace of discussion is controlled: move from topics, and allow all an opportunityto speak.This is not school and we are not teachers.No rules about appropriate language.Do not need to raise hands, but need to speak loudly, clearly, and one at a time.Agree/Disagree: speak up; no right or wrong answers.One-way mirror and observers.D. Respondent introductions. Names, grades/ages, school attending, what enjoydoing for fun, and icebreaker as appropriate.127MEDIAII. Saliency of Teen Pregnancy as a Problem (Group Formation) (10 minutes)A. What types of things are important to you in your life right now - things that youthink a lot about or are concerned about?LISTEN FOR: school/education, drugs, family problems, poverty, violence,finances.PROBE: Try and think of what the number-one issue that you most worryabout is.PROBE FOR: sexual pressures and associated problems, i.e., pregnancy,STDs, AIDS.B. [IF IT EMERGES IN DISCUSSION:] Some people mentioned thinking about orworrying about sex or things related to sex, like pregnancy or AIDS. Whatworries you about sex? How much does it worry you - a lot, somewhat, orjust a little? Why?PROBE FOR: getting pregnant, doing it because someone wants you to, not doingit and feeling left out, getting STDs/AIDS, getting a reputation.

TABLE 1 (cont.)MAKING IT HAPPEN128III. Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors about Preventing Teen Pregnancy (15 minutes)A. So... [IF MENTIONED] some of you consider teen pregnancy something that ispretty important - something that concerns you or that you worry about. I amcurious... How much of a “problem” is teen pregnancy in your school? ...in yourfamily? ...in your life?PROBE: Does anyone have friends who have babies?PROBE: Do you know anyone around your age who has a baby?B. Why do you think some teens get pregnant? What are the reasons they mightgive? Do you think there are some teenagers who want to get pregnant? Why isthat do you think? What are the reasons to not get pregnant as a teenager?C. How concerned are you about teen pregnancy compared with some of the otherissues people mentioned? How much does it worry you - a lot, somewhat, or justa little? Why? How do you think pregnancy is related to or similar to these otherissues? How is it different from the other issues?D. Where do you go, or whom do you talk to, about some of these things you havementioned - some of the things that are related to sex and pregnancy?LISTEN FOR: friends, parents, siblings, teachers, coaches, et al.PROBE: How do teens talk about teen pregnancy? What kinds of words do youuse? What kinds of things do you say?PROBE: Whom do you listen to about this issue? Who influences your attitudesor your opinions? ...Peers? ...Parents? ...Teachers? ...Other adults? ...Music andmedia?E. Has anyone heard or read about a recent study that found teen pregnancy isdown in the United States - that it has fallen to the lowest levels in 20 years? Ifso, what do you remember thinking about that? Do you think it’s true? Why orwhy not?F. Would you agree or disagree that teen pregnancy is something that can be prevented?If so, how? Why do you believe that? What do you think can be doneabout it? How would you go about trying to stop it? What do you think it will taketo solve the problem of teen pregnancy?IV. Barriers to and Motivations for Preventing Teen Pregnancy (20 minutes)A. What are the most common ways teenagers can prevent teen pregnancy?Which are most effective?LISTEN FOR: contraceptive methods and abstinence.PROBE: What words do you use to describe contraceptive methods andabstinence?B. [FOR CONTRACEPTIVES:] Some of you mentioned various kinds of pregnancyprevention methods that people use. What are some of the most popular contraceptives,do you think? Why do you think some teenagers use contraceptives?Why do you think some teenagers do not use contraceptives?C. [FOR ABSTINENCE:] Some of you mentioned not having sex as a way to preventpregnancy. Why do you think some teens choose to not have sex? Why do someteens choose to have sex? Do you think this is an easy choice to make? Why orwhy not?FOR SEXUALLY-EXPERIENCED GROUPS:D. Do you know if many of your friends are having sex? How do you know that theyare having sex? How do you feel about that?E. We know that at your age, some teenagers choose to have sex and others chooseto not have sex. Without necessarily telling your personal story here today, couldyou tell me why teens like you have sex? For example, what reasons would yourfriends give?F. Do you think a typical teenager who has sex always uses a contraceptive method,such as [NAME SOME MENTIONED]? What do you think can get in the way forsomeone who wants to use a contraceptive method, but doesn’t always? Haveyou ever used any of these contraceptive methods? If so, why did you use it? Ifnot, why didn’t you use it?

TABLE 1 (cont.)FOR SEXUALLY-INEXPERIENCED GROUPS:D. Do you think most of our friends are currently having sex or not having sex? Whydo you think that? How do you feel about that? What age do you feel mostteenagers first have sex?E. We know that at your age, some teenagers choose to have sex and others chooseto not have sex. The people in this room told the person who invited them toattend this group interview that they have not had sex. Without necessarily tellingyour personal story here today, could you tell me some reasons why teens likeyou have chosen to not have sex?F. Which do you think is an easier decision to make - to have sex or to postponesex? Why? What kinds of things do you think can make it difficult for someonewho has made a decision - either way - to stick with it?FOR MIXED SEXUALLY-EXPERIENCED GROUPS:D. Do you think most of our friends are currently having sex or not having sex? Whydo you think that? How do you feel about that? What age do you feel most teensfirst have sex?E. We know that at your age, some teenagers choose to have sex and others chooseto not have sex. Some people in this room told the person who invited them toattend this group interview that they have not had sex and some indicated thatthey did have sex. If you feel comfortable talking about it, can you talk a little bitabout that? Try and explain what some of the reasons are why you have chosento either have sex or not have sex.F. Which do you think is an easier decision to make - to have sex or to postponesex? Why? What kinds of things do you think can make it difficult for someonewho has made a decision - either way - to stick with it?V. Ten Things about Teen Pregnancy (15 minutes)[ASK ONLY IF NOT ELICITED WELL ENOUGH THROUGHOUT INTERVIEW]A. Imagine that you are talking to a group of other teenagers who are around yourage. What is the one most important thing you would want to say to them aboutteen pregnancy and teen pregnancy prevention?ACTION: Go around the room and ask each participant to respond.B. OK. Now imagine that you are talking to a group of adults - parents, teachers, andother adults you interact with. What is the one most important thing you wouldwant to say to them about teen pregnancy and teen pregnancy prevention?ACTION: Go around the room and ask each participant to respond.129MEDIAVI. Acknowledgements and ConclusionsACTION: Provide NCPTP www address: www.teenpregnancy.org.Reprinted from The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. (1999). What aboutthe teens? Research on what teens say about teen pregnancy. Washington, DC: Author.

TABLE 2Sample media messages for a teenpregnancy prevention initiativeMAKING IT HAPPEN130Here are 9 messages developed by theNational Campaign to Prevent TeenPregnancy that can help to reduce teenpregnancy. Some are directed to teens andothers to parents and other adults. Eachmessage suggests a specific action, conveysan important idea, or encourages aparticular point of view. Based on soundresearch and data, these messagesemanate from two ideas that are at theheart of the entire National Campaign:• Teen pregnancy is not “okay.”Adolescence is for education and growingup, not pregnancy and parenthood.Children need adult parents, not parentswho are children themselves.• There are only two ways to avoidpregnancy: either do not have sex atall, or use contraception very carefully.Teens must actively choose one orthe other. Public opinion overwhelminglysupports abstinence as thedesired standard for teens still inschool; there is also strong support forsexually active teens having access tocontraception.Building on these two core ideas, here arethe messages:1. Teens want to know what adults thinkabout sex, love, and what the differenceis. Take a position, be specific, and startearly. Talk with teens about values, notjust body parts. Research shows that parentsand other adults have more influenceon teens’ sexual decision-making thanthey think. Teens say in surveys that theywant to hear from their parents about sex,love, and relationships.2. Talk to boys as well as girls. The onemillion teen girls who got pregnant lastyear didn’t do it alone. We have to talkto our boys as well as our girls about consequences,responsibility, sex, love, andvalues.3. Not everyone is “doing it.” It is okayto delay, and many teens do just that.Only about half of teens under 20 havehad intercourse, and the majority reportthat they wish they had waited longer tobegin having sex. In fact, recent data showa slight but important decline in the percentageof teens who report ever havinghad sex.4. Younger girls should not date boyswho are much older. Among mothersaged 15-17, about one in four (27 percent)has a partner who is at least 5 years older.Teen girls who date much older boys areless likely to use contraception and aremore likely to have unwanted first sex.5. Have a plan. Know what you are goingto do “in the moment.” Finding yourselfin a sexually charged situation is notunusual; you need to think about howyou’ll handle it in advance—and how toavoid difficult situations altogether. Thevast majority of teens report that their firstsexual intercourse was unanticipated andunplanned. More than 80 percent of pregnanciesamong girls aged 15-17 areunplanned.6. It only takes once. A big myth amongteens is that pregnancy cannot happen the“first time.” In fact, 20 percent of teenpregnancies happen in the first month ofsexual activity, and 50 percent happen inthe first six months of sexual activity.Communication between the partners isoften poor; sex is almost alwaysunplanned and sporadic; denial and guiltmay impede using protection; and themechanics of securing protection may beunfamiliar. The message is: use protectionevery time.7. Do not be afraid of contraception. Arecent Kaiser Foundation survey confirmedwhat many professionals who work withyoung people have always suspected: thata basic distrust of contraception liesbehind a lot of teen pregnancy. Young peopleeagerly spread rumors about terriblecontraceptive side-effects, while those whouse contraception with no ill effectsremain silent.8. You do not have to have sex to keep aboyfriend. You do not have to have sex tobe popular. You do not have to have sexunless and until you decide to. A recentMs. Magazine poll found that 3 out of 4teenaged girls said they had sex “becausemy boyfriend wants me to.” Girls needhelp to resist the pervasive pressure tohave sex.9. Having a baby does not make you aman. Acting responsibly does. Many teenboys feel pressure to have sex and getgirlfriends pregnant. They need encouragementand support to abstain from sex oruse protection every time.

TABLE 3Sample media advisorytheNationalCampaign toPrevent Teen PregnancyMedia Advisory Contact: Bill Albert, 202-261-5655April 13, 1999Director of CommunicationsSEX AND TEENS: ARE PEERS GETTING A BAD RAP?New research, polling data, and advice for teens and parents to be releasedWinners of Teen People Public Service Campaign Contest Also AnnouncedWhat:New research and polling data—released by the National Campaign toPrevent Teen Pregnancy—on the surprising ways peers affect adolescentsexual debut and pregnancy will be discussed at a press conference to kick offMay as National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. New analysis ofpeer-led and peer-support groups will also be discussed.New national and state-by-state teen pregnancy and birth data—releasedthe same day by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and theAlan Guttmacher Institute, an independent research organization—will alsobe discussed.Two new consumer pamphlets—ten things teens want parents to knowand ten things teens want other teens to know about teen pregnancy—willbe released.Winning entries will be unveiled in the “Take a Stand Against Teen Pregnancy”contest, which challenged teens to create their own teen pregnancy preventionmedia ads.131MEDIAWhen: 10:30 am, Thursday, April 29, 1999Where:2222 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DCSpeakers: Reps. Michael Castle (R-DE) and Nita Lowey (D-NY), Co-Chairs of the NationalCampaign’s House Advisory Panel.National Campaign Chairman, and former New Jersey Governor, Tom KeanNational Campaign President Isabel SawhillNational Campaign Director Sarah BrownTeen People Executive Editor Amy PaulsenResearchers Peter Bearman, Ph.D., Susan Philliber, Ph.D., and B. BradfordBrown, Ph.D.About the National Campaign To Prevent Teen PregnancyFounded in 1996, the National Campaign is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whosegoal is to reduce the teen pregnancy rate by one-third between 1996 and 2005.

TABLE 4Sample facts and stats sheetMAKING IT HAPPEN132Taxpayers pay a high price for teen childbearingTotal: $6.9 billion ($2,831 per teen parent)$0.1$1.7$1.4(estimated annual costs to taxpayers ofteen childbearing, 1998 dollars)■ Lost Tax Revenues■ Public Assistance Expenditures■ Health Care Costs for the Children of Teen Mothers■ Foster Care Costs■ Criminal Justice Costs$2.7$1.0• The teen birth rate has declined slowlybut steadily for 6 years. In 1986, thebirth rate reached 50.2 births per 1,000females ages 15-19, its lowest point inmore than half a century. Between 1986and 1991, the teen birth rate rose byone-fourth, peaking at 62.1 per 1,000females in 1991. Since 1991, the rate hasdeclined by approximately 16 percent, to52.3 per 1,000 in 1997.• The younger a sexually experiencedteenaged girl is, the more likely she is tohave had unwanted or non-voluntary sex.Close to four in ten girls who had firstintercourse at 13 or 14 report it waseither non-voluntary or unwanted. 58050How bad is the problem?• The United States has the highestrates of teen pregnancy and births inthe western industrialized world.Teen pregnancy costs the UnitedStates at least $7 billion annually. 1• More than 4 out of 10 young womenbecome pregnant at least oncebefore they reach the age of 20-nearlyone million a year. 2 Eight in ten ofthese pregnancies are unintended 3and 80 percent are to unmarriedteens. 4Teen birth rates are dropping but remain high401974 1978 1982 1986 1990 19941972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996——•—— Births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19Teen mothers are less likely tocomplete high school6050402032%68%Who suffers the consequences?• Teen mothers are less likely to completehigh school (only one-third receive ahigh school diploma) 6 and more likely toend up on welfare (nearly 80 percent ofunmarried teen mothers end up on welfare).7 The children of teenage mothershave lower birth weights, 8 are more likelyto perform poorly in school, 9 and are atgreater risk of abuse and neglect. 10 Thesons of teen mothers are 13 percentmore likely to end up in prison while teendaughters are 22 percent more likely tobecome teen mothers themselves. 110Teenage Mothers:Educational Attainment by Age 30■ High School Diploma■ No High School Diploma

TABLE 4 (cont.)Teen girls’ main reasons for abstaining from sex4020044%20.3%19.7%12.7%3.3%Reasons for Abstaining■ Against Values■ Avoid Pregnancy■ Avoid STDs■ No Right Partner■ Other• Contraceptive use among sexually activeteens has increased but remains inconsistent.Two-thirds of teens use somemethod of contraception (usually a condom)the first time they have sex. 15 Asexually active teen who does not usecontraception has a 90 percent chance ofpregnancy within one year. 16• Parents rate high among many teens astrustworthy and preferred informationsources on birth control. One in twoteens say they “trust” their parents mostfor reliable and complete informationabout birth control, only 12 percent say afriend. 17• Teens who have been raised by both parents(biological or adoptive) from birthhave lower probabilities of having sexthan teens who grew up in any otherfamily situation. At age 16, 22 percent ofgirls from intact families and 44 percentof other girls have had sex at leastonce. 18 Similarly, teens from intact, twoparentfamilies are less likely to give birthin their teens than girls from other familybackgrounds. 19What helps prevent teenpregnancy?• The primary reason that teenage girlswho have never had intercourse give forabstaining from sex is that having sexwould be against their religious or moralvalues. Other reasons cited includedesire to avoid pregnancy, fear of contractinga sexually transmitted disease(STD), and not having met the appropriatepartner. 12• Teenagers who have strong emotionalattachments to their parents are muchless likely to become sexually active at anearly age. 13• Most people say teens should remainabstinent but should have access to contraception.Ninety-five percent of adultsin the United States-and 85 percent ofteenagers-think it important that schoolagedchildren and teenagers be given astrong message from society that theyshould abstain from sex until they areout of high school. Almost 60 percent ofadults also think that sexually activeteenagers should have access to contraception.14Teens’ most trusted informationsources about birth control604020055%39%24%■ Parents■ Doctors or other health professionals■ Teachers, school nurses, or sex ed classes133MEDIA

TABLE 4 (cont.)BRING “BEST BETS TO YOUR COMMUNITY OR STATE134ENDNOTES1 National Campaign to Prevent TeenPregnancy. (1997). Whatever Happened toChildhood? The Problem of TeenPregnancy in the United States.Washington, DC: Author.2 Analysis of Henshaw, S.K., U.S. TeenagePregnancy Statistics, New York: AlanGuttmacher Institute, May, 1996; andForest, J.D., Proportion of U.S. WomenEver Pregnant Before Age 20, New York:Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1986, unpublished.3 Henshaw, S.K. (1998). UnintendedPregnancy in the United States. FamilyPlanning Perspectives, 30(1):24-29, 46.Based on data from the 1982, 1988, and1995 cycles of the National Survey ofFamily Growth, supplemented by datafrom other sources.4 National Campaign to Prevent TeenPregnancy. (1997). Whatever Happened toChildhood? The Problem of TeenPregnancy in the United States.Washington, DC: Author.5 Moore, K.A., & Driscoll, A. (1997).Partners, Predators, Peers, Protectors:Males and Teen Pregnancy. In Not Just forGirls: The Roles of Men and Boys in TeenPregnancy (pp. 5-10). Washington, DC.The National Campaign to Prevent TeenPregnancy.6 Maynard, R.A. (Ed.). (1996). Kids HavingKids: A Robin Hood Foundation SpecialReport on the Costs of AdolescentChildbearing. New York: Robin HoodFoundation.7 Calculations based on the NationalLongitudinal Survey of Youth (1979-1985)in Congressional Budget Office. (1990,September). Sources of Support forAdolescent Mothers. Washington, DC:Author.8 Wolfe, B., & Perozek, M. (1997). TeenChildren’s Health and Health Care Use. InR.A. Maynard (Ed.), Kids Having Kids:Economic Costs and Social Consequencesof Teen Pregnancy (pp. 181-203).Washington, DC: The Urban InstitutePress.9 Maynard, R.A. (Ed.). (1996). Kids HavingKids: A Robin Hood Foundation SpecialReport on the Costs of AdolescentChildbearing. New York: Robin HoodFoundation.10 George, R.M., & Lee, B.J. (1997).Abuse and Neglect of Children. In R.A.Maynard (Ed.), Kids Having Kids:Economic Costs and Social Consequencesof Teen Pregnancy (pp. 205-230).Washington, DC: The Urban InstitutePress.11 Maynard, R.A. (Ed.). (1996). KidsHaving Kids: A Robin Hood FoundationSpecial Report On the Costs of AdolescentChildbearing. New York: Robin HoodFoundation. See also Haveman, R.H.,Wolfe, B., & Peterson, E. (1997). Childrenof Early Childbearers as Young Adults. InR.A. Maynard (Ed.), Kids Having Kids:Economic Costs and Social Consequencesof Teen Pregnancy (pp. 257-284).Washington, DC: The Urban InstitutePress.12 Moore, K.A., Driscoll, A.K., & Lindberg,L.D. (1998). A Statistical Portrait ofAdolescent Sex, Contraception, andChildbearing. Washington, DC: TheNational Campaign to Prevent TeenPregnancy.13 Blum, R.W., & Rinehart, P.M. (1997).Reducing the Risk: Connections That Makea Difference in the Lives of Youth.Minneapolis, MN: Division of GeneralPediatrics and Adolescent Health,University of Minnesota.14 Princeton Survey Research Associatesfor the Association of Reproductive HealthProfessionals and the National Campaignto Prevent Teen Pregnancy. (1997, May).National Omnibus Survey Questions AboutTeen Pregnancy. Washington, DC: Author.15 National Campaign to Prevent TeenPregnancy. (1997). Whatever Happened toChildhood? The Problem of TeenPregnancy in the United States.Washington, DC: Author.16 Alan Guttmacher Institute. (1994). Sexand America’s Teenagers. New York andWashington, DC: Author.17 Princeton Survey Research Associatesfor the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.(1996, June). The 1996 Kaiser FamilyFoundation Survey on Teens and Sex:What Teens Today Say They Need toKnow, and Who They Listen To. MenloPark, CA: Author.18 Moore, K.A., Driscoll, A.K., & Lindberg,L.D. (1998). A Statistical Portrait ofAdolescent Sex, Contraception, andChildbearing. Washington, DC: TheNational Campaign to Prevent TeenPregnancy.19 Moore, K.A., Driscoll, A.K., & Lindberg,L.D. (1998). A Statistical Portrait ofAdolescent Sex, Contraception, andChildbearing. Washington, DC: TheNational Campaign to Prevent TeenPregnancy.Reprinted by permission of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.