Jessica Scharfenberg 2/17/15 Week 7 Assigenment-588
Mass Media
Several mass media outlets will be utilized to communicate the West Nile Virus Prevention initiative. The three main outlets will include the newspaper, radio, and non-traditional media. Television and press conferences will not be utilized because those avenues are not applicable to the rural, target population.
The Stickney Argus is the local newspaper that is distributed throughout the greater Stickney area. Along with local happenings, the newspaper also has space for advertisements. Since the greater Stickney area is sparsely populated, the newspaper is always looking for stories to cover. Becoming a featured story would be easy, but there would also be the option to buy advertising space. A one-quarter size page runs for three weeks, at $100. If funding could be secured, advertising for the first three weeks and middle three weeks of peak mosquito season, would be advantageous.
One of the most important aspects of utilizing the newspaper for communication is building a relationship with the editor of the paper and the reporter. The relationship opens the lines of communication, and ensures needs on both ends are successfully met. Careful planning and coordination would have to occur to be sure of adequate timing of the story and advertisement.
Another outlet for communication in the Stickney area is the radio. The rural geography of Stickney, limits the number of radio stations that come in clearly. The post office, grocery store, lumberyard, and bar all utilize 105.9 KMIT. Throughout the day, a Stickney resident could walk into one of the listed buildings, and 105.9 KMIT would be broadcasted. The communication would be short and simple, stating that it was West Nile season and reminding listeners to utilize insect repellants while venturing outdoors. Securing radio time is fairly inexpensive, and would reach a large number of the residents of Stickney.
Lastly, non-traditional media outlets will be utilized including church bulletins and school system newsletters. There are three churches located within Stickney, with full congregations. By placing information within the bulletin, a large number of people would be reached, within a short period. The school newsletter will reinforce the information presented to the school aged students.
Print Materials
Printed materials will be strategically placed throughout town. Every business has a bulletin board, which displays upcoming events and information. It comes at no cost to place information on those boards. There will be a minimal cost in printing flyers and posters, but that could be secured with appropriate funding.
Other print materials will be provided when the door-to-door survey occurs at the beginning of the initiative. A one-page handout would explain West Nile virus, and how to prevent the disease. There will be just enough text to explain the initiative, without overwhelming the audience with information.
Printed materials will also be utilized while providing seminars and in-services regarding West Nile prevention. One of the strategies of the prevention program is to team up with the county health nurse for school health education. Printed materials will need to be available for the children to take home to their parents. Printed education materials will need to be created based on age of the students. This would become costly, as several different material sets will need to be created, and in low quantities as the school population is small.
Some of the printed materials utilized for the older, school-aged children will be replicated for adults within the community. The goal is to keep all written and oral communication at that of a person with a fifth grade reading level. That reading level promotes comprehension for most adults.
Online Media
Social media will be used as an online outlet for communication. Stickney has three Facebook groups, one for the school, an events page, and a buy/sell/trade page. This will be a great way to communicate information, as all members of the groups will receive Facebook notifications when information is posted. The information will be presented as small reminders, such as reminders to use insect repellants at outdoor events and reminders to drain standing water after it has rained. One large benefit of utilizing the existing social media groups is that it will come at no cost.
Stickney also has their own webpage that can be used to distribute information; along with an interactive calendar of events. Any upcoming West Nile Prevention events and information will be displayed on the Stickney webpage. This would also come at no cost, as the purpose of the page is to share information related to the community, with residents of the community. To gain access to the page a relationship will be built with city finance officer Amy Mulder. Amy is in charge of keeping the website current and accurate.
Numerous websites are in place to promote West Nile prevention. By linking into them, the wheel will not have to be re-created. The Centers for Disease Control Prevention and the South Dakota Department of Health have specific West Nile prevention and control pages with useful public information. By placing the web address on printed materials and as links in online media, community members will be able to investigate if they have further questions or concerns.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). West Nile virus. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/prevention/index.html
Resnick, E. & Siegel, M. (2013). Promotional materials and activities. In Marketing public
health: Strategies to promote social change. (pp. 241-275). Burlington, MA: Jones and
Bartlett.
South Dakota Department of Health. (2012). West Nile virus. Retrieved from https://doh.sd.gov/diseases/infectious/diseasefacts/WNV.aspx
Town of Stickney. (2014). Stickney. Retrieved from