Working with the Media to Promote Teen Pregnancy Prevention

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.