The Role of Mass Media in Health Promotion - Coursework Example

Mass Media Presented by Foundation Affiliate Department Introduction Several forms of campaigns are used by the social media in their efforts to pass health messages. Radio broadcasts, print media, and television are some of the forms used by the social media in the campaigns. In addition to print and digital media, a number of other creative avenues for communicating health-related information exist. The use of puppetry and dramas as a way of delivering health messages is on a rapid rise and mainly targets a specific audience. Advantages and drawbacks are offered by each medium, and it is important that they are considered in the contexts of the goals of the program for improving education on health. Role of Mass Media in Health Promotion Campaigns carried out by the mass media helps in exposing a high proportion of the public to health promotion information. Mass media is used as a tool for education on the population on health-related matters (Cook& Frances 2004). Campaigns by the mass media are favorable because they can pass information around, increase awareness and impact a large portion of the population. Interventions by the mass media result in positive health changes on a big scale. These interventions enforce positive health characters in the population. Radio is used by media organizations to broadcast information on health because it can reach many people and still maintain a strong impact. Some media interventions have been classified as cost effective bearing in mind the gains that related to expenditure. Health messages disseminated by the radio are less costly than the television because information on Radio reaches people at their workplaces, in cars and at home. Short educational radio segments are put in between programs when the largest part of the population is tuned in. A research conducted by an American organization found out that the ability people who listen to the radio to recall the broadcast’s details is high even after several months. The findings of the study support the ability of the radio as a mass media tool for disseminating health promotion messages which positively impact listeners. Like other public health campaigns, interventions carried out on the radio must be designed and implemented carefully (Nwaerondu& Thompson 2007). Successful radio interventions use experienced trainers who understand the local community, work together with community leaders, develop programs from existing work that has succeeded in the region, respect accepted and established social structures, use village intermediaries, and encourage uneducated persons to communicate their concerns and ideas with trusted individuals who act as scribes. Identification of the target audience is crucial so as to choose a proper style of production and transmission. An exceptional conference on HIV/AIDS in June 2001 by the United Nations General Assembly saw the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS signatories agree that by 2010, 95% of young people within the 15 to 24 age brackets should have access to education, information including peer education relating to HIV education and also services required to develop life skills needed to minimize their susceptibility to HIV infection. Regrettably several successful interventions on HIV/AIDS which center on educating people about the social and biological aspects of the disease do not reach the audience on a large scale (Wakefield, Laken & Hornik 2010). Strategies of the social media are innovative tools which can increase HIV/AIDS awareness by enhancing the numbers of people accessing health promotion messages. UNAIDS is in support of the use of media to promote awareness of HIV/AIDS because relaying educational messages through radio or television has successfully reached a big part the target population. Mass media helps in de-stigmatizing HIV/AIDS in areas where discrimination against the infected people is high. Approaches of the mass media have successfully improved the knowledge of people about HIV/AIDS as well as reduced the stigma associated with the disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Mass media is a vital ally in all public health circumstances (Fakolade et al. 2009). It plays a role in providing the correct information and also advocates for right health behaviors. However, it is important that the media understands the virus; matters associated with it, practices and policy as well as recommended right behaviors before it takes that role. International and local media play an important role in linking the public and health workers. The media is educated and entrusted by health authorities and provided with essential health information that is then communicated to the target population in formats that are readily accessible through a number of media channels. For example, the U.S. Government tasked the Academy for Educational Development with a role in creating a program for training the local media to help them comprehend the complexity of the avian influenza disease for them to disseminate information effectively to the public. Mass media assists health practitioners enlarge their target population reach, which is important given that one on one channels of communication needs numerous human resources, and only a few people are reached. Mass media offers a very important link between vital health information and rural residents (Hutchinson, Mahlalela & Yukich 2007). Mass media in the form of television and radio are an effective means of persuading the targeted population to accept new characters, or reminds them of crucial information. Apart from informing the public about immunization campaigns, mass media also updates them on the outbreak of new diseases and places they can get help (Wakefield, Laken & Hornik 2010). Mass media empowers rural population to fight diarrhea and dehydration the main causes of infant mortality. The public especially the rural community is informed of the daily or seasonal changes in activities like immunization campaigns and presence of new services or products. Ethical in Regard to Mass Media The UK constitution guarantees the citizens of United Kingdom freedom of press which is viewed by most people as a critical tool in upholding democratic principles. News media is able to inform citizens about their society’s state if freedom from government’s censorship exists (Patrick 2008). However some instances occur where freedom from restriction and censorship is taken too far by the press. One case is that of a five year old Ashya King which apart from placing clinicians in an impossible position, it has resulted in long term implications for NHS. Ashya King’s parents removed him from the hospital where he was undergoing treatment for brain tumor. At the time of his removal, he was not in a position of swallowing food and was being fed through his nose. According to a member of the nursing staff, the media through you tube showed a child being fed through a tube. The hospital staff was humiliated by the public after this story was aired. The hospital became a target of abuse and at one point the hospital’s switch board had to be shut due to the numerous numbers of hate messages and phone calls. One citizen even wrote that he wished that all the doctor’s children died of cancer. Ashya’s family decided to take him to Prague to seek proton therapy though the doctor’s recommendation was a course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Given that the NHS trust had agreed to assist, they went on and paid for proton therapy. Airing of this case has left the clinicians in a difficult position of explaining to the public why all patients are not treated equally. Conclusion Consideration of how information will be interpreted by the target audience is important when developing an effective mass media campaign. Adequate research is carried out to avoid contradicting cultural taboos as well as ensuring that the wished-for meaning is communicated. Acceptance of health messages is greatly enhanced by using analogies in material design (Lynoe & Hoeyer 2005). References COOK SH, FRANCES GM. 2004, Teaching qualitative research: a metaphorical approach. J Adv Nurs 47: 649–655. FAKOLADE, R., ADEBAYO, SB., ANYANTI, J., & ANKOMAH, A. 2009,The impact of exposure to mass media campaigns and social support on levels and trends of HIV-related stigma and discrimination in Nigeria: tools for enhancing effective HIV prevention programmes. Journal of Biosocial Science, 42, 395-407.  GLIK, DG. NOWAK, T. VALENTE, KS, AND C. MARTIN. 2002,Youth performing arts entertainment-education for HIV/AIDS prevention and health promotion: Practice and research. Journal of Health Communication 7(1):39-57. HUTCHINSON, P., MAHLALELA, X., & YUKICH, J. 2007,Mass media, stigma, and disclosure of HIV test results: Multilevel analysis in the eastern cape, South Africa. AIDS Education and prevention, 19(6), 489-510. LYNOE N, HOEYER K 2005,Quantitative aspects of informed consent: considering the dose response curve when estimating quantity of information. J Med Ethics 31: 736–738. NWAERONDU, N., THOMPSON, G. 2007,The Use of Educational Radio in Developing Countries: Lessons from the Past. The Journal of Distance Education /Revue de lÉducation à Distance, North America, 2. PATRICK, JA, 2008, Paparazzi and Privacy, Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review 28, no. 3: 205. WAKEFIELD,MA., LAKEN, B., HORNIK, RC. 2010,Use of mass media campaigns to change health behavior. The Lancet, 376, 1261-1271.  Read More