Media Planning and
Media Relations Guide
Communication Training for Comprehensive Cancer Control Professionals 101
1 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Welcome…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Acknowledgments …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
How to Use this Guide……………………………………………………………………………………………. 5
Lesson 1: Health Communication, Social Marketing and Media Advocacy …….6
Defining Communication ……………………………………………………………………………… 6
Defining Health Communication ………………………………………………………………….. 7
Defining Social Marketing …………………………………………………………………………….. 9
Defining Media Advocacy …………………………………………………………………………….. 9
Further Readings and Resources………………………………………………………………….. 11
Lesson References ………………………………………………………………………………………. 11
Lesson 2: Health Literacy and Media Literacy in Public Health
Communication……………………………………………………………………………………… 12
Defining Health Literacy……………………………………………………………………………… 12
Defining Media Literacy………………………………………………………………………………. 13
Further Readings and Resources………………………………………………………………….. 14
Lesson References ………………………………………………………………………………………. 15
Lesson 3: Media Planning and Strategic Principles in Public Health
Communication……………………………………………………………………………………… 16
Understanding the Importance of Planning…………………………………………………. 16
Defining a Communication Plan …………………………………………………………………. 16
Defining a Media Plan…………………………………………………………………………………. 18
Writing S.M.A.R.T. Objectives…………………………………………………………………….. 19
Writing Health, Behavioral and Communication Objectives………………………… 20
Understanding Theory ………………………………………………………………………………… 21
Choosing Audiences……………………………………………………………………………………. 22
Choosing Media Channels …………………………………………………………………………… 23

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Published 8.10.15
2 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Writing Letters to the Editor……………………………………………………………………….. 23
Evaluation…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 26
Further Readings and Resources………………………………………………………………….. 27
Lesson References ………………………………………………………………………………………. 28
Lesson 4: Media Relationships and Media Friendly Materials …………………….30
Understanding Journalists’ Preferences………………………………………………………… 30
Preparing the Online Newsroom…………………………………………………………………. 31
Initiating Relationships with Journalists……………………………………………………….. 33
Building and Maintaining Relationships with Journalists………………………………. 34
Understanding Press Releases ……………………………………………………………………… 35
Writing Press Releases…………………………………………………………………………………. 36
Further Readings and Resources………………………………………………………………….. 38
Lesson References ………………………………………………………………………………………. 38
Appendices …………………………………………………………………………………………….40
A: Media/Communication Plan Template …………………………………………………… 41
Media/Communication Plan Example………………………………………………. 51
B: Letter to the Editor Template and Example ……………………………………………. 72
C: Press Release Template and Example ……………………………………………………… 74
Glossary of Terms …………………………………………………………………………………..77
References ……………………………………………………………………………………………..80
3 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
The George Washington University (GW) Cancer Institute is committed to fostering responsive
health care professionals through applied cancer research, education, advocacy and translation of
evidence to practice. When we were awarded the cooperative agreement from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in September 2013 to provide technical assistance for
Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) Programs to enhance CCC efforts, the first thing we did was
conduct a needs assessment to guide our project activities. One key finding from our assessment was
the need for online training on developing communication plans. This Guide and accompanying
training were created in response to those needs.
We recognize that CCC professionals are often pressed for time and resources. As a result, we
created the training to facilitate and enhance the work that you are already doing or need to do, not
add to your work. Further, with information from the needs assessment and feedback from CCC
professionals, we learned that CCC Programs need to develop and submit a media plan to the CDC,
prompting us to divide the training into two parts. The first, on Media Planning and Media Relations, is
for participants purely interested in understanding the process and requirements for creating a media
plan and developing media relations to fulfill their CDC deliverable. The second, on Making
Communication Campaigns Evidence-Based, is for participants who desire more in-depth training about
the process of organizing a communication campaign.
This Media Planning and Media Relations Guide was developed to efficiently and effectively walk you
through the process of media planning, creating materials and building relationships with media
personnel. We have included background information, tools and resources including customizable
templates in the appendix, so when you have completed them, you will have a tailored media plan
and media-ready materials for you and your program to use. The competencies in this training are
based on content from the National Cancer Institute’s publication “Making Health Communication
Programs Work: A Planner’s Guide.”
We hope that you find this training and corresponding Guide beneficial as you develop your media
plan and ultimately seek to improve health outcomes in your community. A second Guide with
additional resources will accompany the Making Communication Campaigns Evidence-Based training.
Sincerely,

Mandi Pratt-Chapman, MA Director	Aubrey Villalobos, MPH, MEd Director, Comprehensive Cancer Control
GW Cancer Institute	GW Cancer Institute

 

WELCOME

4 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Content Contributor
Monique Turner, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Prevention and
Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health,
The George Washington University
GW Cancer Institute Staff Contributors

Mandi Pratt-Chapman, MA Aubrey Villalobos, MPH, MEd Anne Willis, MA Shaira Morales Monique House, MS, CHES Kanako Kashima

Director, GW Cancer Institute Director, Comprehensive Cancer Control Director, Patient-Centered Programs Project Manager, Health Care Professional Education Project Coordinator, Health Care Professional Education Research Assistant, Comprehensive Cancer Control

About GW Cancer Institute
GW Cancer Institute’s mission is to foster healthy communities, prepared patients, responsive health
care professionals and supportive health care systems through applied cancer research, education,
advocacy and translation of evidence to practice. Our vision is a cancer-free world and health care
that is patient-centered, accessible and equitable.
GW Cancer Institute has deep roots in the Washington, DC community and sets standards for
patient-centered care nationally through its Center for the Advancement of Cancer Survivorship,
Navigation and Policy. GW Cancer Institute is also actively involved in cancer control, patientcentered outcomes and health policy research nationally.
About the Comprehensive Cancer Control Project
In 2013, the GW Cancer Institute was awarded a 5-year cooperative agreement to work with the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to design and implement comprehensive, highquality training and technical assistance to CCC programs and their partners to implement cancer
control activities. To learn more, visit www.CancerControlTAP.org.
Disclaimer
This work was supported by Cooperative Agreement #1U38DP004972-02 from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not
necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Resources used in this Guide were publicly available or permission was granted to use the
templates/tools incorporated in the Guide solely for educational and training purposes. We thank
those organizations for their contributions.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

5 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
The GW Cancer Institute developed the free, web-based Communication Training for
Comprehensive Cancer Control Professionals 101: Media Planning and Media Relations. The
training contains three main components:
1. Interactive learning modules walk you through important concepts in media planning and
media relations
2. This Media Planning and Media Relations Guide provides an overview of important content for
planning and writing CDC required media plans. It is intended to serve as the textbook for
the online course. Each learning module reviews content from and builds upon the Guide.
The Guide can be used alone, but is optimally used with the online training
3. The Appendices include customizable templates that, when completed, help you create a
media plan and media-friendly press materials for your communication program. Each
learning module reviews the templates and provides guidance for completing them
The bolded words throughout the Guide are defined in the Glossary. The underlined words
throughout the Guide are hyperlinks to sources. Text displayed in gray boxes has been directly
quoted from the identified source.
Based on our experience, we recommend starting at the beginning of the Guide and looking through
each section, even if you do not think that it is relevant to your program.
If you have suggestions or comments about the Guide, please email us at [email protected].
Our goal is to make this training as useful as possible for CCC professionals, and we welcome your
feedback.
Permission is granted to use this Guide and the corresponding templates for non-commercial and
U.S. government purposes only.
Suggested citation: The George Washington University Cancer Institute. Media Planning and Media
Relations Guide. In: Communication Training for Comprehensive Cancer Control Professionals
101. Washington DC, 2015.

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

6 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
The study of communication as a formal
discipline is more than 100 years old.
Communication scholars and practitioners
examine the ways in which people use
messages to generate meaning(s).1 Meaning
differs depending on the context, culture,
channel employed, and even the media used.
Communication is also “transactional” (Figure
1). This model clearly tells us what
communication is not. That is,
communication is not the simple transfer of
one message from a sender to a receiver. You
probably understand, having communicated
with thousands of people in your life, that
communication can be between multiple
people who are both sending messages (verbal
and nonverbal) in a context that is full of
mental (and sometimes actual) noise, or any
physical, psychological, or physiological
distraction or interference.
So, the transactional model of
communication reveals the
“collaborative and ongoing message exchange
between individuals, or an individual and a
LESSON 1:
Health Communication, Social
Marketing and Media Advocacy
Figure 1. The Transactional Model of Communication tells us that communication is not the simple transfer
of one message from a sender to a receiver.1 Reprinted with permission from the National Communication
Association. All rights reserved.
Defining
Communication
By the end of this lesson, you should be
able to:

	Define communication and health communication Explain the differences between commercial marketing, social marketing and media advocacy Describe the role of



communication in chronic
disease and cancer prevention
and control
7 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
group of individuals, with the goal of
understanding each other.”1
Communicators must:
1. Translate the message (e.g., put
thoughts into words and gestures);
2. Then convey a new message through
some channel (e.g., speaking, email,
text message) to the other
communicator(s);
3. Who then interpret that message (e.g.,
take the words and apply meaning to
them).1
It is also important to realize that the message
that was communicated will probably
encounter some “noise,” which could prevent
the message from being received or fully
understood as the sender intended.1
People have defined health communication in
various ways. Both the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) and the
National Cancer Institute (NCI) define health
communication as:
“The study and use of communication
strategies to inform and influence individual
and community decisions that enhance
health.”2
People can communicate to convey all kinds
of meaning—from interpersonal
communication to political communication.
When people are communicating with the
intent of talking about health, we define this
as health communication. Specifically, health
communication is the use of information to
improve health, using the transactional model
described above.
Defining Health
Communication
“Communication alone can:
 Increase the intended audience’s
knowledge and awareness of a health
issue, problem, or solution
 Influence perceptions, beliefs, and
attitudes that may change social norms
 Prompt action
 Demonstrate or illustrate healthy skills
 Reinforce knowledge, attitudes, or
behavior
 Show the benefit of behavior change
 Advocate a position on a health issue or
policy
 Increase demand or support for health
services
 Refute myths and misconceptions
 Strengthen organizational relationships
Communication combined with other
strategies can:
 Cause sustained change in which an
individual adopts and maintains a new
health behavior or an organization
adopts and maintains a new policy
direction
 Overcome barriers/systemic problems,
such as insufficient access to care
Communication cannot:
 Compensate for inadequate health care
or access to health care services
 Produce sustained change in complex
health behaviors without the support of
a larger program for change, including
components addressing health care
services, technology, and changes in
regulations and policy
 Be equally effective in addressing all
issues or relaying all messages because
the topic or suggested behavior change
may be complex, because the intended
audience may have preconceptions
about the topic or message sender, or
because the topic may be controversial”
Figure 2: “What Health Communication Can and Cannot
Do,” quoted directly from Making Health Communication
Programs Work2
8 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
There are some vital aspects of the definition
of health communication that should be
pointed out:
1. The purpose of health communication
is “to inform or to influence.”
Certainly, there are times when health
communicators merely want their
audience (individuals or groups) to
become more educated about a
particular health issue. Perhaps you
want people to understand the risks of
a product (e.g., prescription
medication) or the relationship
between nutrition and breast cancer.
Other times, health communicators
want to influence or persuade their
audience(s), such as convincing
women over age 50 to get
mammograms or to be more
physically active each day
2. Communication is just one of many
tools for triggering change and is most
effective when combined with other
strategies (Figure 2)
3. Health communication audiences may
be an individual (e.g. a patient); groups
(e.g. teenagers targeted by an antismoking public service
announcement (PSA));
organizations, communities or
societies (Figure 3). Often, when
health communicators are attempting
to influence large groups of people—
they are using “social marketing”
Health communication is an entire field or
academic discipline that helps us to
understand the best ways to use
communication to inform or influence
audiences. That communication can come in
various forms: doctor to patient, nutritionist
“Communication can affect change among:
 Individuals: The individual level is the
most fundamental level of health-related
communication because individual
behavior affects health status.
Communication can affect individuals’
awareness, knowledge, attitudes, selfefficacy, skills, and commitment to
behavior change…
 Groups: The informal groups to which
people belong and the community
settings they frequent can have a
significant impact on their health…
Activities aimed at this level can take
advantage of these informal settings
 Organizations: Organizations are groups
with defined structures, such as
associations, clubs, or civic groups…
Organizations can carry health messages
to their constituents, provide support
for health communication programs,
and make policy changes that encourage
individual change
 Communities: Community opinion
leaders and policymakers can be
effective allies in influencing change in
policies, products, and services that can
hinder or support people’s actions. By
influencing communities, health
communication programs can promote
increased awareness of an issue, changes
in attitudes and beliefs, and group or
institutional support for desirable
behaviors…
 Society: Society as a whole influences
individual behavior by affective norms
and values, attitudes and opinions, laws
and policies, and by creating physical,
cultural, and information environments.
Health communication programs aimed
at the societal level can change
individual attitudes or behavior and thus
change social norms…”
Figure 3: “Communication Can Affect Multiple
Types of Change” quoted directly from Making
Health Communication Programs Work2
Defining Social
Marketing
9 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
to client, PSAs, family communication,
support groups, or even social marketing.
Social marketing is an approach that uses
elements of commercial marketing to
influence behaviors for the benefit of
individuals and society.
Social marketing is a type of mass
communication strategy that practitioners
often use to impact behavior change in target
audiences and secondary audiences. Social
marketers use the theories, strategies, and
practices of commercial marketers in order to
affect social, or in our case public health,
behaviors. Commercial marketers think about
the 4 P’s of marketing: product, price, place
and promotion (Figure 4):
 “Product represents the desired
behavior you are asking your audience
to perform, and the associated
benefits, tangible objects, and/or
services that support behavior change.
 Price is the cost (financial, emotional,
psychological, or time-related) of
overcoming the barriers the audience
faces in making the desired behavior
change.
 Place is where the audience will
perform the desired behavior, where
they will access the program products
and services, or where they are
thinking about your issue.
 Promotion stands for communication
messages, materials, channels, and
activities that will effectively reach
your audience.”3
Sometimes, the goal of health communication
is to change the way an issue is thought about,
or framed, in society.
This is where media advocacy can be useful.
For example, there was a time when lung
cancer was only viewed from an “individual
responsibility” frame, which argues that
people solely are responsible for their cancer
because they made poor choices.4 Many
public health experts found this to be
objectionable and reframed the issue around
tobacco industry practices, the power of
tobacco advertising, the addictive nature of
the substance, and even the power of pricing
strategies (providing coupons, lowering prices,
etc.).
Public health communication experts used
media advocacy to get these kinds of stories in
the news to reshape how Americans think
about tobacco, the tobacco industry and lung
cancer, as well as other tobacco-related
diseases. Media advocacy, then, is the strategic
use of mass media and community advocacy
to advance environmental change or a
public policy initiative.5
In this example strategic communication was
used for the purpose of policy change. When
society at large looks at public health issues
differently (“Maybe tobacco addiction isn’t all
on the individuals’ shoulders; maybe tobacco
advertising is unethical.”), public opinion
begins to support policy change (“We need to
change the regulations.”).
Media advocacy has been critical in affecting
tobacco regulations and is now being used to
affect other public health causes such as food
and nutrition regulations (e.g., the amount of
allowable sodium in foods) to support a
healthier climate for all.
Defining Media
Advocacy
10 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute

Definition	Commercial Marketing Example	Social Marketing Example
PRODUCT	“Products” can vary from tangible, physical products (e.g., vegetables), to services (e.g., breast exams), practices (e.g., eating a vegetable based diet) and finally, more intangible ideas (e.g., peace of mind). In any case, the core product is the value, the benefits, which you bring to the target audience.	BMW: A luxury car that communicates quality and luxury	Eating 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables today: So that you know you are making your health your priority.
PRICE	“Price” refers to what the consumer must do in order to obtain the social marketing product. This cost may be monetary, or it may instead require the consumer to give up intangibles, such as time or effort, or to risk embarrassment and disapproval. If the costs outweigh the benefits for an individual, the perceived value of the offering will be low and it will be unlikely to be adopted. However, if the benefits are perceived as greater than their costs, chances of trial and adoption of the product is much greater.	$65,000	$15.00 weekly6 + the effort to figure out how to work vegetables into every meal.
PLACE	“Place” describes the way that the product reaches the consumer. For a tangible product, this refers to the distribution system–including the warehouse, trucks, sales force, retail outlets where it is sold, or places where it is given out for free. For an intangible product, place is less clear-cut, but refers to decisions about the channels through which consumers are reached with information or training.	Car dealership	Workshops for women at high risk for breast cancer will be held in local high schools twice per year and will teach women how to cook vegetables in new and fun ways.
PROMOTION	“Promotion” consists of the integrated use of advertising, public relations, promotions, media advocacy, personal selling and entertainment vehicles.	Paid TV advertising	Print materials at providers’ offices + a flash drive with innovative materials that women are sent home with after the workshop.

Figure 4: The 4 P’s of Marketing defined and applied to commercial and social marketing
11 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Health Communication and Social Marketing:

	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Gateway to Health Communication & Social Marketing Practice Healthy People 2020’s Health Communication and Health Information Technology Goals and Objectives


Social Marketing:

	Nancy Lee and Philip Kotler’s Social Marketing: Changing Behaviors for Good Quick Reference Guide

1 What is Communication? National Communication Association Web site.
https://www.natcom.org/discipline/. Accessed March 5, 2015.
2 National Cancer Institute. Making Health Communication Programs Work: A Planner’s Guide. Bethesda, MD: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute;
2004.
3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gateway to Health Communication & Social Marketing
Practice: What is Health Communications? Published May 10, 2011. Accessed March 31, 2015.
http://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/healthbasics/whatishc.html
4 Brownell KD, Kersh R, Ludwig DS, et al. Personal responsibility and obesity: A constructive approach to a
controversial issue. Health Affairs. 2010; 29(3): 379-387. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2009.0739
5 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Media Advocacy. In: Designing and Implementing an
Effective Tobacco Counter-Marketing Campaign. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion, Office of Smoking and Health; 2003.
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/stateandcommunity/counter_marketing/manual/pdfs/chapter9.pdf
6 Stewart H, Hyman J, Buzby JC, Frazao E, Carlson A. How Much Do Fruits and Vegetables Cost? U.S.
Department of Agriculture. Published February 2011. Accessed July 14, 2015.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/133287/eib71.pdf

FURTHER READINGS AND RESOURCES

 

LESSON REFERENCES

12 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
One of the most important considerations any
health communicator makes, regardless of
what type of communication s/he is using, is
audience identification. Health
communication professionals must
understand their audience in depth. In
addition to understanding an audience’s
demographics (education level, household
income, race/ethnicity, biological sex), it is
important to understand the audience’s levels
of health literacy and media literacy.
The Institute of Medicine defines health
literacy as “the degree to which individuals
have the capacity to obtain, process, and
understand basic health information and
services needed to make appropriate health
decisions.”7 This definition conveys the
importance of the issue: Effective
communication is useless if an audience
cannot access it. What if the audience cannot
understand what is being said? What if they
cannot use the information to make good
decisions?
Often, health communication materials that
are developed by public health professionals
are too complicated for their audience. Think
about the leaflets that come with prescription
medications, information on the risks of
cancer treatments, or informed consent forms
for clinical trials. They may be too
complicated and technical for many people.
For example, older adults, recent immigrants,
and many minority populations have low
health literacy.8
Health literacy is dependent on both
individual and systemic factors:
1. Communication skills of
professionals: If professionals present
the health information in a confusing
way or make it too complicated and
technical, it can affect others’ ability to
comprehend or make use of that
information
2. Knowledge of lay people and
professionals of health topics: If the
knowledge of lay people or
professionals is poor from the start
(e.g., not understanding a new
regimen or recommendation), that will
affect their ability to communicate or
understand it clearly
3. Culture: Culture also impacts health
literacy. If one’s culture deems it
inappropriate to ask about certain
topics (e.g., reproductive issues), he or
she will not be able to obtain the
information needed
4. Demands of the message: If the
message is overly demanding,
cognitively or emotionally, then
receivers may not be able to process
the information
By the end of this lesson, you should be
able to:
 Explain the importance of
health literacy and culturally
appropriate messaging for
health communication strategies
 Explain the importance of
media literacy for
communication strategies
LESSON 2:
Health Literacy and Media
Literacy in Public Health
Communication
Defining Health
Literacy
13 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
5. Demands of the situation/context:
Sometimes, the demands of a situation
or context affect health literacy.
Health contexts are unusual compared
to other contexts because of an
underlying stress or fear factor.
Further, healthcare contexts may
involve unique conditions such as
physical or mental impairment due to
illness. Moreover, health situations are
often new, unfamiliar, and
intimidating, all of which can limit a
person’s ability to process information
As health communicators, it is important to
think about health literacy on two distinct
levels: First, consider the health literacy of
your audience and second, consider the
reading level of your messaging. The message
being delivered must match the level of the
audience.
Messaging should be developed in plain
language, which means the audience can
understand it the first time they read or hear
it. Some common techniques to assure that
communication materials are in plain language
include:

	Logical organization of information with the reader in mind The use of “you” and other pronouns Using active voice to engage the audience in doing an action Including common, everyday words Using easy-to-read design features, such as plenty of white space on the page9
 
 

Beyond health literacy, another consideration
when developing effective messages is culture.
Usually, when people think of developing
“culturally sensitive messages,” what they
really mean is messages that are translated
properly into the correct language.
Translating messages is one component of
cultural sensitivity. However, this alone does
not make a message culturally sensitive. What
health communicators mean by “culturally
sensitive messages” is messages that take the
cultural meaning of a group into account.
What metaphors work with the cultural
group? What might offend them? What do
they want to be called (e.g., “Black” or
“African American”)? What is appropriate (or
inappropriate) to talk about in public? What
emotions are effective (like fear) or
inappropriate to express (like anger for some
groups)? What are appropriate gender roles?
Health communicators that really want to
develop culturally sensitive messages should
bring a cultural expert onto the team.
Alternatively, they could use a communitybased approach and work with the
community from the beginning to develop
messages.
Another type of literacy health
communicators need to understand is media
literacy. Media literacy is “the ability to
access, analyze, evaluate and communicate
media in a variety of forms.”10 The term
media literacy is often used interchangeably
with other terms related to media and media
technologies. To explain the meanings behind
various terms, the National Association for
Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) offers
these definitions:
 “Media refers to all electronic or
digital means and print or artistic
visuals used to transmit messages.
 Literacy is the ability to encode and
decode symbols and to synthesize and
analyze messages.
 Media literacy is the ability to encode
and decode the symbols transmitted
via media and the ability to synthesize,
analyze and produce mediated
messages.”10
Defining Media
Literacy
14 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
As media platforms have become more
technologically complex, the demand on
audiences to keep up with evolving
technology has also increased.
On a basic level, audiences have to
understand how to get the information they
need. For example, if an elderly woman
wanted to find out on the Internet whether or
not she should receive a mammogram, she
would need to:
1. Have access to a computer with
Internet connection
2. Know how to conduct a search and
what search terms to use
3. Know how to discern the reliability of
a Wikipedia page versus a National
Cancer Institute page
4. Know how to or have the capacity to
act on the information
In other words, people need to use multimedia to obtain information; but not
everyone has access to media such as
computers or knows how to conduct searches
or interpret search results.
Therefore, as health communicators, it is
necessary to assess media literacy levels of the
target audience. For example, when
communicating breast cancer screening
recommendations to low-income elderly
women, it may become apparent that webbased media is not the best way to reach the
target audience because they tend to have less
access to web-based media. On the other
hand, when communicating the benefits of
wearing sun screen to urban youths, a webbased or mobile campaign may be the best
way to reach them, because they have access
to and widely use Internet-connected devices.
Health literacy:

      	Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Health Literacy Measurement Tools Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC)’s Clear Communication Index CDC’s Cultural Insights: Communicating with Hispanics/Latinos CDC’s Health Literacy Trainings CDC’s Health Literacy Website CDC’s Simply Put: A Guide for Creating Easy-to-Understand Materials Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Toolkit for Making Written Material Clear and Effective National Institutes of Health’s Plain Language Trainings Plain Language Action and Information Network’s (PLAIN) Plain Language Guidelines and Trainings University of Michigan Taubman Health Sciences Library’s Plain Language Medical Dictionary U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Literacy Online Guide
 


Media literacy:
	Center for Media Literacy’s MediaLit Kit

 

FURTHER READINGS AND RESOURCES

15 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute

 	Gallup’s Media Use and Evaluation U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey Report on Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2013

7 Institute of Medicine. Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion. 2004.
https://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2004/Health-Literacy-A-Prescription-toEnd-Confusion/healthliteracyfinal.pdf
8 National Network of Libraries of Medicine. Health Literacy. Published June 2013. Accessed March 16, 2015.
http://nnlm.gov/outreach/consumer/hlthlit.html
9 Plain Language.gov. Document Checklist for Plain Language. Accessed July 23, 2015.
http://www.plainlanguage.gov/howto/quickreference/checklist.cfm
10 National Association for Medical Literacy Education. Media Literacy Defined. Accessed March 17, 2015.
http://namle.net/publications/media-literacy-definitions/

LESSON REFERENCES

16 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Planning is the key to success and the first
stage of the Health Communication
Program Cycle (Figure 5). “The stages
constitute a circular process in which the last
stage feeds back into the first as you work
through a continuous loop of planning,
implementation and improvement.”2 You may
think “I don’t have time to sit down and draft
a strategy,” but, the truth is, planning saves
time. Taking a step back and following these
steps to success will help ensure that you:
1. “Understand the health issue you are
addressing
2. Determine appropriate roles for health
communication
3. Identify the approaches necessary to
bring about or support the desired
changes
4. Establish a logical program
development process
5. Create a communication program that
supports clearly defined objectives
6. Set priorities
7. Assign responsibilities
8. Assess progress
9. Avert disasters”2
Planning is critical no matter what kind of
communication is being used. Health
communicators, social marketers and media
advocates all develop careful plans before
they begin to execute their work.
The CDC defines a communication plan as
a plan that “generally contains a wide range of
strategies that could include the following:
1. Public relations: promotes the
inclusion of messages about a health
issue or behavior in the mass media
2. Advertising: places paid or public
service messages in the media or in
public spaces to increase awareness of
and support for a product, service or
Defining a
Communication Plan
LESSON 3:
Media Planning and Strategic
Principles in Public Health
Communication
By the end of this lesson, you should
be able to:

	Explain the importance of strategic planning Explain the differences between communication plans and media plans Identify theories of communication Identify and assess a health issue or problem Write health, behavioral and communication objectives Identify target audiences Identify media channels and activities best suited to reach intended audiences Describe elements of a media




 


Planning and
Strategy
Development
Developing and
pretesting concepts,
messages and
materials
Implementing the
program
Assessing
effectiveness and
making refinements
Figure 5: Health Communication Program Cycle2
Understanding the
Importance of Planning
17 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
behavior
3. Education entertainment: seeks to
embed health-promoting messages
and storylines into entertainment and
news programs or to eliminate
messages that include counter health
messages; can also include seeking
entertainment industry support for a
health issue
4. Individual and group instruction:
influences, counsels and provides
skills to support desirable behaviors
5. Paid, earned and social media:
earned media (or free media) refers to
publicity through promotion other
than advertising, as opposed to paid
media, which refers to the publicity
gained through advertising. Earned
media often refers specifically to
publicity gained through editorial
influence. Social media refers to
publicity gained through grassroots
action, particularly on the Internet.
The media may include any mass
media outlets, such as newspaper,
television, radio and the Internet, and
may include a variety of formats, such
as news articles or shows, letters to
the editor, editorials, and polls on
television and the Internet. Critically,
earned media cannot be bought or
owned, it can only be gained
organically, thus the term “earned”
(Figure 6)
6. Owned media: owned media is a
channel you control. There is fullyowned media (like your website) and
partially-owned media (like your
Figure 6: Paid, earned, social/shared and owned media (PESO) model adapted from Gini Dietrich and Spin Sucks11
Polls on Twitter
Posters/banner
Paid TV/radio spots
Website
Webinars
Videos and podcasts
Success stories
Expert-generated content
Posts on your…
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
LinkedIn
Google+
Posts on others’…
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
LinkedIn
Google+
Letters to the editor
Editorials

EARNED	Stories from journalists
Media

SOCIAL/
SHARED
Media
OWNED
Media
PAID
Media
18 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Facebook fan page or Twitter
account). Owned media creates brand
portability,”12 or the capability of
your message to be accessed on more
than one device, such as on a
computer or smart phone (Figure 6)
A media plan is part of a communication plan
(Figure 7). If your program has a
communication plan that includes a media
plan, you have satisfied that deliverable.
The CDC defines a media plan as “a subset
of a communication plan” that:
1. “Focuses on and describes strategies
using media to reach, engage, inform
and create awareness
2. Includes print (newspapers,
magazines), broadcast (TV, radio) and
social media (Twitter, Facebook)
3. Identifies goals, target audiences,
objectives, strategies, tactics,
activities and outcome measures for
evaluation purposes”12
Simply put, the media plan addresses efforts
on paid, earned and shared media, while the
communication plan addresses paid, earned,
shared and owned media (Figure 6).
“A media plan provides a strategic roadmap
for media activities, along with increased
chances of programmatic success.”12 It will
also “deepen existing partnerships and
develop new ones. In addition, the plan will
make the most of your team’s limited time
and resources.”12
For this section, refer to Appendix A:
Media Plan Template
The more you understand about an issue or
health problem, the better you can develop a
media plan. The CDC describes that the
purpose of “initial data collection is to
describe the health problem or issue, who is
affected, and what is occurring versus what
should be occurring,” as taking time to do this
will allow us “to consider how the media
might help address the issue or problem.”12
First media plan section:
Background and Justification
The first section of the media plan is the
Background and Justification. It is an
opportunity to describe the current status of
cancer control in your state, region or
community. Here, it is important to refer back
to your state’s Comprehensive Cancer
Control Plan and its high-level goal(s). This
may include morbidity, mortality, severity of
outcomes, populations affected and
prevalence rates among sub-groups, risk and
protective factors, and more.
Communication
Plan
Media Plan
Figure 7: A media plan in relation to a
communication plan
Defining a
Media Plan
19 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
The CDC also encourages that the
background and justification section also
include a “SWOT analysis, environmental
scan and/or literature reviews as needed.”12
After carefully identifying and assessing the
health issue or problem, you can move on to
writing objectives. First, your objectives need
to be S.M.A.R.T. objectives: Specific,
measurable, achievable, realistic, and timebound (Figure 8). Elaborating, the West
Virginia Department of Education describes
S.M.A.R.T. as follows:
“Specific: If you have a specific objective,
you should be able to answer the following six
questions:

	What: What do you want to accomplish? Why: What are the reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the objective? Who: Who is involved? Who are the stakeholders? Where: Where is it going to happen? Which: Which attributes are important? (Requirements and


 

constraints; risk and protective
factors).
Measurable: If your objectives are specific
and measurable, you should be able to
Non-S.M.A.R.T. Communication
Objective: Increase clinicians’ knowledge of
HPV vaccines
This objective is not S.M.A.R.T. because it is
not specific, measurable or time-bound. It can
be made S.M.A.R.T. by specifically indicating
what kind of clinicians (primary care or
gynecologic, etc.) or where the clinicians are
(local, regional or state, etc.), what they will be
educated on, by when they will be educated
and by how much their knowledge will
increase
S.M.A.R.T. Communication Objective:
Increase state primary care clinicians’
knowledge of the fact that HPV vaccinations
should be offered routinely with the
Meningococcal vaccine by 20% from baseline
by the end of the programmatic year
Non-S.M.A.R.T. Behavioral Objective:
Amend the existing law to mandate physical
activity in schools
Again, this objective is not S.M.A.R.T.
because it is not specific, measurable or timebound. It can be made S.M.A.R.T. by
specifically indicating how much physical
activity will be mandated, what kinds of
schools will be targeted and by when the law
will be amended
S.M.A.R.T. Behavioral Objective: Amend
the existing state law to specify at least 30
minutes of daily physical activity in public
elementary schools by the end of the
programmatic year
Figure 8: Examples of Non-S.M.A.R.T. and S.M.A.R.T. Communication and Behavioral Objectives
Writing S.M.A.R.T.
Objectives
20 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
establish concrete criteria for measuring
progress toward the attainment of each.

	How will you know when it is accomplished? What indicators will you look for to measure progress and success? Are data to measure your progress and success readily available? Or do you



need to develop new measures (e.g.,
surveys, focus groups, etc.?)
Attainable: Given resources available to you,
the objective must be realistic and attainable.

	Do you have sufficient financial capacity to accomplish your objective? Do you have personnel with sufficient abilities and skills to accomplish your objective (including evaluation)? Do you have sufficient time to accomplish your objective? What other types of resources do you




need to attain your objective (i.e.,
technology, space, equipment, etc.)?
Relevant: Ultimately, your objectives should
help you achieve your major project goal(s).

  	Is it worthwhile? Is this the right time? Does this align with other efforts/needs?
Time-bound: Objectives should have starting points, ending points, and fixed durations.
 	When will you achieve this objective? When will you undertake activities to achieve your objective? When can you expect to see some short-term outcomes?”13


Second media plan section:
Health, Behavioral and Communication
Objectives
Given that you are developing a
communication program, you need to think
about what communication can achieve in the
second section of the media plan on Health,
Behavioral and Communication Objectives.
What can you expect to change because of
your communication program? Keep in mind
that communication is only one of many tools
for promoting or improving health; for
example, “changes in health care services,
technology, regulations, and policy are often
necessary to completely address a health
problem”2 (Figure 2).
Health objectives are the goals for changes
in the audience’s health status (health
outcomes). This could include reducing
cancer and chronic disease in the population
of interest and should align with the state’s
cancer plan. Health objectives should
correspond to your state Comprehensive
Cancer Control Plan goals.
Behavioral objectives are goals for changes
in your audiences’ behaviors. Behaviors can
be actions you want people to engage in or
actions you want them to stop. Behaviors
might include getting screened or tested,
increasing physical activity, eating vegetables,
talking to one’s doctor, or quitting smoking.
Behavioral objectives should align and
contribute to meeting your health objectives.
Communication objectives outline the
changes in awareness, knowledge,
perceptions, beliefs and confidence/selfefficacy related to risk factors, diseases or
behaviors that can be expected resulting from
the communication campaign. The belief is
that if you can create changes in knowledge,
attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, self-efficacy,
norms and emotions, you can begin to change
behaviors of the audience. Communication
objectives should align and contribute to
meeting your behavioral objectives.
Writing Health, Behavioral
and Communication
Objectives
21 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
One frequently asked question is: “Where do
communication objectives come from?” The
answer is theory. It is vital that your
communication program is informed by
communication or behavior change theory.
Health campaigns and social marketing are
not, in and of themselves, theories. But,
health campaigners and social marketers use
theory from very early stages of planning to
aid development and planning. Typically,
when you conduct the problem analysis and
audience analysis, key themes will emerge
from your data gathering. When you study the
intersection of the problem and the audience
you should ask yourself (and find the answers
in the published literature) “Why does this
audience have this problem?”
There are numerous theories that
communication experts use to guide their
programs or campaigns. However, when
selecting a theory of behavior change, it is
important to consider the evidence base
(Figure 9). Some theories you might become
familiar with are:
 Diffusion of Innovations: “focuses
on the flow of information about a
new product or practice within the
social environment (for example,
neighborhoods and networks) and
how these influence access to
information and response to it”14
Understanding
Theory
Case Study 1: Choosing a theory to guide the planning of a communication campaign to
increase prostate cancer screening among African American middle aged men15
After doing research, you find that the target audience:

   

Does not perceive themselves to be vulnerable or susceptible to prostate cancer Perceives cancer to be a severe disease that leads to death Has low self-efficacy and perception that there is little that can be done Has a fatalistic attitude towards the issue and believe “it’s in God’s hands”

Based on these findings, you would look for a behavioral theory that includes concepts of
susceptibility, severity and self-efficacy, such as the Health Belief Model or the Extended Parallel
Process Model, to guide your program.
Case Study 2: Choosing a theory to guide the planning of a communication campaign to
increase HPV vaccination uptake among girls under 13 years old in Texas16
After doing research, you find that mothers of the target audience:

  

Have a positive attitude toward the vaccine Lack knowledge about the issue and have not been persuaded to vaccinate Listen to other mothers and community leaders

Based on these findings, you would look for a behavioral theory that includes concepts of the
influence of the social environment, such as Social Cognitive Theory or Diffusion of Innovations
theory, to guide your program.
Figure 9: Case studies demonstrating the use of theory to inform communication strategies
22 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
 Elaboration Likelihood Model:
“provides explanations for how
message elements are critical
ingredients that interact with
motivation and ability to influence
information processing”14
 Extended Parallel Process Model:
“focuses on emotional response and
its effect on motivations and behavior
and is particularly relevant for some
health issues like HIV/AIDS and
avian influenza prevention”14
 Health Belief Model: “emphasizes
target audiences are influenced by
perceived personal susceptibility and
seriousness of the health issue and
benefits, costs and norms”17
 Integrative Behavioral Model:
“proposes that media effects vary,
depending on the behavior and
population under study and the
relative importance of the
determinants,” including perceived
susceptibility, norms and beliefs of
their environment, attitudes toward
the message, self-efficacy and
intentions to change. Also proposes
that “media messages can be targeted,
depending on which set of beliefs
could most likely influence behavioral
intentions”14
 Social Cognitive Theory: “states that
likelihood of adopting the behavior is
determined by perceptions that
benefits outweigh the costs and belief
in self-efficacy”17 and that “we can
influence our own behavior…
through rewards and facilitating
environmental changes that we plan
and organize for ourselves”14
 Transtheoretical Model: focuses on
the idea that “people are at different
stages of readiness to adopt healthful
behaviors,” 18 and has been useful in
explaining and predicting behaviors
such as smoking, physical activity and
eating habits
Third media plan section: Audience
The secret to effective communication
comes from knowing your audience and
this section of the media plan helps you to
think through this process.
Selection of the target audience (also
referred to as intended audience or
priority population) should be driven by
population needs and supported by data.
Perhaps there is data that reveal that
African American and Black populations
in your region have disproportionately
high rates of deaths from cervical cancer.
This may prompt you to refine your
audience from women in general to
African American and Black women.
Using primary data (your own research
such as focus groups or town hall
meetings) or secondary data (literature
review), health communicators must be
able to answer questions about their target
audience such as:

	Why do they have this health problem? How severely do they experience the health problem? What is their knowledge level of the health problem? Do they know they experience the health problem (i.e., do they perceive they are vulnerable)? Are there cultural or personality-based





traits that perpetuate this health
problem (e.g., fatalism, machismo,
groupthink, low health literacy, etc.)
Understanding these kinds of audience
characteristics will help you develop goals and
objectives that are realistic for, and tailored to,
your audience.
Choosing Audiences
23 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Fourth media plan section: Media Plan Tactics
and Timeline
The communication team should also
understand and know the audience to develop
key messages and activities that will reach and
have the biggest impact on the target audience
to inform media plan tactics and timeline.
For example, research shows that intense and
sensational messages are very effective for
people who score high on a trait called
“sensation seeking,” but, those same messages
are ineffective for people scoring low on that
trait.19 Other research shows that messages
that appeal to guilt are very effective for
middle aged women (especially moms), but,
cause negative effects in teenagers.20 As you
can see, researching your audience and
intimately knowing them is crucial to
developing messages that resonate with the
audience, seem authentic and inspire them to
change. This is another benefit of involving
audience members or community members in
the formative research and planning process.
Media channels should be chosen after
considering your target audience’s media
habits. For example, if you are trying to reach
teens with messaging about the consequences
of indoor tanning, using electronic media and
social media may be your best option. In
particular, Facebook may be a good
communication channel, as 94% of teen social
media users have a Facebook profile and use
it as their primary social media platform.21
Your audience’s media habits should then be
balanced with your communication team’s
capacity, financial resources and technological
aptitude. There are advantages and
disadvantages to each paid, earned, social or
shared media channel, whether it is
newspapers, magazines, blogs, newsletters,
TV, radio or social media, just to name a few
(Figure 10). They vary by reach, cost, audience
engagement, longevity, efficiency and
accessibility.
For this section, refer to Appendix B:
Letter to the Editor Template
Another way to engage and use the media to
advance your cancer control program and
agenda is through earned media. One type of
earned media that may be feasible for
comprehensive cancer control programs and
coalitions is writing letters to the editor.
According to Community Toolbox, a letter to
the editor is:
“A written way of talking to a newspaper,
magazine, or other regularly printed
publication. Letters to the editor are generally
found in the first section of the newspaper, or
towards the beginning of a magazine, or in the
editorial page. They can take a position for or
against an issue, or simply inform, or both.
They can convince readers by using emotions,
or facts, or emotions and facts combined.
Letters to the editor are usually short and
tight, rarely longer than 300 words.”23
So, why should you write a letter to the
editor? There are many reasons why you may
choose to write a letter to the editor specific
to your program goals, but here are some
general ones from Community Toolbox:
 “You are angry about something, and
want others to know it
 You think that an issue is so
important that you have to speak out
Choosing Media
Channels
Writing Letters
to the Editor
24 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute

CHANNEL	ADVANTAGES	DISADVANTAGES
Display Print Media: Posters, billboards	 Popular  Visual  Longevity	 Limited space for information  Language and literacy (audience must be able to read and understand the language  Cost for advertising space
Print Media for Reading: Newsletters, pamphlets, brochures and booklets	 Control of message  Ability to communicate a more detailed/complicated story	 Language and literacy  Labor and time-intensive to produce  Easily outdated
Mass Media: Newspapers and magazines	 Large readership  Powerful  Permanent  Ability to explain issues in depth	 Language and literacy  May only reach a those who have access (e.g., urban audiences)  Expensive to produce
Mass Media: Radio	 Large listenership  Accessible (especially at grassroots level)  Can be participatory and elicit immediate response (i.e., call-in programs)	 Message may be transient  Can send mixed messages (i.e., station may promote different messages)  Expensive to produce
Mass Media: TV	 Potential to reach large audiences  Dramatic and emotive  Can be participatory and elicit immediate response (i.e., call-in programs)	 Require production skills  Message may be transient  Can send mixed messages (i.e., station may promote different messages)  Expensive to produce
Electronic Media: Websites	 Global reach  Efficient  Interactive  Cost-effective	 Language, literacy and media literacy  Labor and time-intensive to maintain  No rules
Electronic Media: Video and slide shows	 Participatory  Entertaining  Conveys reality	 Skill and labor-intensive  Need equipment  Expensive to produce

Figure 10: Advantages and disadvantages of various media channels (adapted from Making a Difference:
Strategic Communications to End Violence Against Women)22
25 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute

CHANNEL	ADVANTAGES	DISADVANTAGES
Social Media: Facebook	 Large user base  Longevity  Easily accessible and versatile content (photos, videos, text)  Engagement and interaction with audience  Cost-effective  Targeted or paid advertisement available	 Somewhat time-intensive to produce  Long-term strategy needed  Competition for users’ attention  Difficulty working with the newsfeed algorithm
Social Media: Twitter	 Large user base  Longevity  Easily accessible and versatile content (photos, videos, text)  High engagement and interaction with audience  Cost-effective  Possible to target messages for different audiences	 Time-intensive to produce  Long-term strategy needed  Competition for users’ attention
Social Media: LinkedIn	 Professional in nature  Targeted messages for audiences with similar interests	 Closed network  Time-intensive to grow network

 Part of your group’s strategy is to
persuade others to take a specific
action
Or you want to:
 Suggest an idea to others
 Influence public opinion
 Educate the general public on a
specific matter
 Influence policy-makers or elected
officials directly or indirectly
 Publicize the work of your group and
attract volunteers or program

participants”23 Here are some guidelines to write an effective letter to the editor from Community Toolbox:

 “Open the letter with a simple salutation o Don’t worry if you don’t know the editor’s name. A simple “To the Editor of the Daily Sun,” or just “To the Editor:” is sufficient. If you have the editor’s name, however, you should use it to increase the possibilities of your letter being read…  Keep your letter under 300 words o Editors have limited space for printing letters, and some papers have stated policies regarding length (check the

Figure 10 cont’d.: Advantages and disadvantages of using various media channels (adapted and expanded from
Making a Difference: Strategic Communications to End Violence Against Women)22
26 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
editorial page for this)…
Generally, shorter letters have
a better chance of being
published…
 Refer to a recent event in your
community or to a recent article
o Make a connection and make
it relevant
 Explain why the issue is important…
in the first paragraph
o Make sure your most
important points are stated in
the first paragraph. Editors
may need to cut parts of your
letter and they usually do so
from the bottom up.
 Give evidence for any praise or
criticism
o If you are writing a letter
discussing a part or pending
action, be clear in showing
why this will have good or bad
results… Use local statistics
and personal stories to better
illustrate your point…
 State your opinion about what should
be done
o You can write a letter just to
“vent,” or to support or
criticize a certain action or
policy, but you may also have
suggestions about what could
be done to improve the
situation. If so, be sure to add
these as well. Be specific. And
the more good reasons you
can give to back up your
suggestions, the better
 Sign the letter
o Be sure to write your full name
(and title, if relevant) and to
include your address, phone
number, and e-mail address…
It adds credibility, especially if
it’s relevant to the topic being
discussed”
 Include your contact information
o Editors may want to contact
you, so include your phone
number and email address”23
Fourth media plan section: Evaluation
Looking back at the National Cancer
Institute’s Health Communication Program
Cycle, you can see that tracking and evaluating
your campaign is helpful to not only assess
how effective your campaign was, but also to
inform ways the campaign can be improved in
the future. For the purposes of completing
your media plan, planning and tracking
process evaluation at a minimum is key.
According to CDC, process evaluation
assesses program operations, namely the who,
what, when and how many of program
activities and program outputs were met.24
For example, when evaluating paid media, you
can look at measures of audience or exposure,
such as Gross or Target Rating Points. Gross
rating points (GRP), more commonly
known as impressions, is a measure of reach,
calculated as the number of people you reach
times frequency, which is the number of times
people have been exposed to the media.
Target rating point (TRP) takes the number
of impressions and multiplies that by the
percentage of those viewers who actually
represent your target audience. For example,
if you ran a radio spot on Pap smears, your
target audience would be women of a certain
age. If you want to calculate how effective the
campaign was in reaching women in your
target age range, you would look at TRP. But,
you may have also reached men, who
happened to be listening to the radio. Those
numbers will be captured as a GRP.
Evaluation
27 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
When looking at evaluating earned media, you
might track the number of letters to the editor
or blog entries published, number of radio
and TV interviews you and your organization
members conducted, and also look at
circulation numbers for reach, or impressions.
“Media coverage can also be measured in
terms of quantity (how much space did a story
get and how often are stories published?);
prominence (does it appear on the front page
or not?); slant (is coverage positive or
negative?); accuracy of content; and type of
story (is the story an editorial or hard news?)”2
When looking at social or shared media, you
might track the number of times your social
media posts were shared by others; the
number of times someone clicked on your
posts; and the number of people who are
following your account.
By tracking and analyzing these data, you can
adjust your campaign in the future. For
example, if you find that you are not reaching
the right people by using one media channel,
you may regroup and explore other channels
that would be more effective.
In addition to process outcomes, measuring
outcomes and impact is important and will be
discussed in depth in the Communication
Training for Comprehensive Cancer Control
Professionals 102: Making Health Communication
Campaigns Evidence-Based.
As you can see, significant planning, time and
thought go into creating a media plan.
Considering each section of the media plan
(Background and Justification; Health,
Behavior and Communication Objectives;
Audience; Media Plan Tactics and Timeline;
and Evaluation) and populating the sections
with data, S.M.A.R.T., evidence- and theorybased objectives and activities that align with
the objectives will not only fulfill media plan
obligations to the CDC, but also serve as a
crucial foundation when it comes to
implementing and evaluating the health
communication campaign.
Background and Justification:

	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Do a SWOT Analysis
S.M.A.R.T. Objectives:
   	CDC’s Develop SMART Objectives CDC’s Writing Good Goals and SMART Objectives Tutorials Minnesota Department of Health’s SMART and Meaningful Objectives Victorian Department of Health in the Southern Metropolitan Region’s Tip Sheet: Writing Measurable Objectives
Objectives:
  	GW Cancer Institute’s Goal Bank GW Cancer Institute’s State Cancer Plans Priority Alignment Resource Guide & Tool Healthy People 2020’s Health Communication and Health Information Technology Goals and Objectives

 

FURTHER READINGS AND RESOURCES

28 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Theory:

	Charles Atkin and Ronald Rice’s Theory and Principles of Public Communications Campaigns in Public Communication Campaigns, 4th ed. Karen Glanz and Donald Bishop’s The Role of Behavioral Science Theory in Development and Implementation of Public Health Interventions Robert Hornik and Itzhak Yanovitzky’s Using Theory to Design Evaluations of Communication Campaigns: The Case of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign Nancy Lee and Philip Kotler’s Social Marketing: Changing Behaviors for Good Quick Reference Guide



Media Channels:
	American Non-Governmental Organizations Coalition for the International Criminal Court’s NGO Media Outreach: Using the Media as an Advocacy Tool CDC Preventing Chronic Disease’s article: Georgia’s Cancer Awareness and Education Campaign: Combining Public Health Models and Private Sector Communications Strategies CDC’s The Health Communicator’s Social Media Toolkit CDC’s Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs: Mass-Reach Health Communication Interventions CDC’s Sample Letter to the Editor on Women’s Equality Day and Smoking Community Toolbox’s Using Paid Advertising Daniel Catalan-Matamoros’ chapter in Health Management – Different Approaches and Solutions: The Role of Mass Media Communication in Public Health GW Cancer Institute’s Cancer Awareness Months Social Media Toolkits National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable’s 80% by 2018 Communications Guidebook: Effective Messaging to Reach the Unscreened National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable’s National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month letter to the editor

 
  
 

Evaluation:
	CDC’s Gateway to Health Communication & Social Marketing Practice: Research & Evaluation National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable’s Evaluation Toolkit: How to Evaluate Activities Intended to Increase Awareness and Use of Colorectal Cancer Screening


2 National Cancer Institute. Making Health Communication Programs Work: A Planner’s Guide. Bethesda, MD: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute;
2004.
11 Iliff R. Why PR is embracing the PESO model. Mashable. Published December 5, 2014. Accessed April 9,
2015. http://mashable.com/2014/12/05/public-relations-industry/

LESSON REFERENCES

29 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
12 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Media plan guidance: How to create and implement an
effective media plan. 2014.
https://smhs.gwu.edu/cancercontroltap/sites/cancercontroltap/files/Media%20Plan%20Guidance
%20%20%2007%2008%202014.pdf
13 West Virginia Department of Education. Guiding Questions for Developing S.M.A.R.T. Objectives.
Accessed April 21, 2015.
http://wvde.state.wv.us/evalwv/documents/SMARTGoalSMARTObjectives.pdf
14 Glanz K, Rimer BK, Viswanathan K. Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice. 4th ed.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass; 2008.
15 Woods VD, Montgomery SB, Herring RP, Gardner RW, Stokols D. Social ecological predictors of
prostate-specific antigen blood test and digital rectal examination in Black American Men. J Natl Med
Assoc. April 2006; 98(4):492-504. PMID: 16623061
16 Sanderson M, Coker AL, Eggleston KS, Fernandez ME, Arrastia CD, Fadden MK. HPV vaccine
acceptance among Latina mothers by HPV status. J Womens Health. November 2009; 18(11):1793-
1799. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2008.1266
17 Lee NR, Kotler P. Social Marketing: Changing Behaviors for Good. 5th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE
publications; 2011.
18 Glanz K, Bishop DB. The role of behavioral science theory in development and implementation of public
health interventions. Annu Rev Publivc Health. 2010. 31:399-418. doi:
10.1146/annurev.publhealth.012809.103604
19 Evertt MW, Palmgreen P. Influences of sensation seeking, message sensation value, and program context on effectiveness of
anticocaine public service announcements. J Health Comm. 1995. 7(3) 225-248. doi:
10.1207/s15327027hc0703_3
20 Turner, MM. Discrete emotions and the design and evaluation of health communication messages. In: Cho,
H, ed. Designing Messages for Health Communication Campaigns: Theory and Practice. Thousand
Oaks, CA: SAGE publications; 2011: 59-71.
21 Madden M, Lengart A, Cortesi S, et al. Teens, Social Media, and Privacy: Teens and Social Media Use. Pew
Research Center; Published May 21, 2013. Accessed March 25, 2015.
http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/05/21/part-1-teens-and-social-media-use/
22 United Nations Development Fund for Women. Making a difference: Strategic communications to end
violence against women. 2003.
http://www.engagingmen.net/files/resources/2011/Caroline/MakingADifference_eng.pdf
23 Community Tool Box. Writing Letters to the Editor. Accessed June 29, 2015. http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tableof-contents/advocacy/direct-action/letters-to-editor/main
24 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Evaluation Briefs: Developing Process Evaluation Questions.
February 2009. Accessed July 23, 2015.
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/evaluation/pdf/brief4.pdf
30 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Media professionals are busy people. They are
often being asked to write time-sensitive
stories for publications on top of writing blog
posts and maintaining social media accounts.
The down side of this is that health
communicators must compete to grab the
media’s attention. This can also be an
opportunity for health communicators, as
media professionals need to gather large
bodies of informative and entertaining stories.
Health communicators must recognize the
demands placed on media professionals and
cater to their needs. To do this, you must
understand what makes them tick: where and
what they look for and what makes their jobs
easier.
Business Wire asked more than 300 North
America-based journalists “what information
and assets they needed (and how they wanted
to receive them) to effectively cover a story,”
LESSON 4:
Recognize the needs of and build
relationships with media
professionals by producing
media-friendly materials
Figure 11: More journalists work for online publications and blogs than for traditional media
(Business Wire, 2014)25
Understanding
Journalists’
Preferences
By the end of this lesson, you should
be able to:

	Describe the needs of journalists Identify strategies for reaching out to journalists Identify strategies for building and maintaining relationships with journalists Create an online newsroom Produce a press release


 

31 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
and found:
 More journalists work for online
publications and blogs (44%) than
traditional media such as magazines
(28%), newspapers (16%) radio (2%)
and TV (1%), and the primary metrics
of success are now digital (Figure 11)
 Journalists’ preferred methods of
receiving breaking news are email
alerts (64%), press releases (28%) and
social media (3%)
 Journalists do not like receiving a
story pitch via social media (83%), but
use social media as one of the top
three sources for editorial research
(42%) after websites (92%) and
online newsrooms (77%)
 Of the social media platforms to
conduct editorial research, journalists
use Twitter (26%), followed by
LinkedIn (23%)
 Among social media platforms,
journalists prefer to receive story
pitches via LinkedIn (23%) and
Twitter (17%) over Google+ (12%)
and Facebook (10%)

	Almost 90% of journalists drafted a story using a press release in the past week 54% of journalists are “more likely to


review a press release that includes
multimedia than one that does not”
 Preferred multimedia in press releases
include photographs (94%), graphics
(43%), infographics (32%) and video
(27%)

	Journalists “prefer press releases in HTML/text format (56%) over PDF format (9%)” Journalists like a historical archive of


press releases in the online newsroom:
52% prefer a least one to five years of
past press releases and 27% prefer the
complete historical archive
 In the online newsroom, journalists
want fact sheets (69%), images (63%),
press kits (53%), executive
biographies (52%), organizational
histories or timelines (40%) and event
listings (40%)25
Now that you know how journalists like to be
approached and what materials they expect
when approached, you can strategize ways to
build and maintain relationships with them.
By this point, you should have identified your
target audience, key messages and appropriate
media channels to disseminate the messages.
But the planning and preparation is not over.
Before making initial contact with an editor or
reporter, you need to prepare the Online
Newsroom that includes a press kit and
background materials that reporters need and
expect.
As Business Wire’s report indicates, 92% of
journalists conduct editorial research on
organization websites and 77% on online
newsrooms, so it is crucial to create a mediafriendly website that:
 Has a button leading to the online
newsroom on your homepage: It
should be as prominent as other main
buttons so journalists can find it easily.
“Reporters should be one click away
from critical contact information and
other relevant sections such as a press
kit, FAQs, news stories, press releases,
free photos and video clips, etc.”26
 Is mobile-optimized: Many journalists
are on the go as they must be
responsive to breaking news and many
report live from conferences, events
or campaign launches. Make it easy
for them by using responsive design
so they can access it from any device
Preparing the Online
Newsroom
32 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
In your online newsroom, include:
 Contact information: Always include
phone numbers and email addresses of
your organization’s communication
director or spokesperson. Journalists get
frustrated when only an email address is
listed or they are forced to complete a
contact form.27 Remember, they are busy
people and are often on a deadline. Make
it as easy as possible for journalists. Do
not make them work hard to help you.
See an example from American Cancer
Society
 A boilerplate for your organization: If you
have an “about” page or section on your
website, make sure it is concise. Reporters
browse this section of your website so
they can borrow language to write
something like “The GW Cancer Institute,
a comprehensive cancer control technical
assistance provider based in Washington
DC…”27 Include a brief organizational
history timeline to establish your
credibility as well. See an example from
American College of Surgeons
 Executive biographies: Include
biographies of organization executives and
experts as well as “video clips, speeches
and interviews, so producers can
determine whether your experts would
have a good on-air presence. Add highresolution photos and links to articles,
books and white papers they have written
to help draw searches to your experts.”27
See an example from CDC
 A high-resolution image gallery: You also
know that a picture tells a thousand
words. Images can leave an impression on
your target audience. Journalists also value
images, as articles with images are highly
shared and prioritized in search results.
Again, if you can provide them with a
gallery of images, it makes it easier for
journalists to write about your campaign.27
See an example from CDC
 Infographics: Infographics are a great way
to visually and creatively communicate
often stale statistical information or health
recommendations to your target audience
(Figure 12). Allowing journalists to reuse
your infographics works similarly to the
image gallery you provide them in that
they help gain traction among readers.27
See examples from CDC
 Factsheets: Factsheets present useful
information and data about the health
behavior you are promoting or health
issue you are highlighting. Journalists can
use the information and data you provide
in their own work or to educate
themselves before reporting on it.27 See an
example from CDC
 Share buttons: In the age of social media,
it’s important to make sharing easy across
all your content.27 See an example from
GW Cancer Institute
Dmitry Dragilev, a marketing lead at a design
company, captures the nature of building
relationships with journalists perfectly, saying:
“Most of us decide to pitch journalists right
before a product launch or announcement,
shooting out a press release and hoping to
score great articles. This is the worst thing you
can do. Don’t expect to pitch someone who
doesn’t know you or your product, in the
hopes that [the journalist] will understand the
story and details just right — all in a few days.
Instead, build a strong relationship that
benefits both of you — it’s the only way you
can ensure great news coverage of your
product launch.”29
So where should health communicators start?
The first step is to conduct an environmental
scan to assess:
1. What are the most important media
channels for my campaign? Look for
media companies and organizations
that work for media channels of
preference
33 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
2. What reporter is the most respected or
read in my health topic? There is
plenty of information on reporters
online. Look for their information on
company websites. You may even be
able to find reporters’ blogs and
Twitter accounts to assess their
interests and the kinds of topics they
have covered in the past
3. Who is based in my city or town?
Considering where you want to have
the most impact and how widely you
want your campaign to be covered
(locally, regionally, statewide or
nationwide) will increase the chances
of choosing a reporter that will be
interested in covering your story
4. Which reporters are focused on longterm, feature stories versus breaking
news? Do you have research you want
to announce or do you want a story
written about the severity of
childhood obesity in your region?
Depending on the type of coverage
you want, your choice of reporters
may differ30
Once you have a wish list of top reporters
with whom you want to build a relationship,
the next step is figuring out how to approach
them. Some options are:
1. Cold calling: This is the traditional
method of reaching journalists, but it
is often awkward and rarely successful
2. Ask your staff and partners: Ask your
staff and partners if they “have media
contacts or know media figures such
as owners of newspapers and
broadcast stations. Outside your
organization, talk with partners;
people you know at media outlets,
public relations/advertising firms, and
on the public relations staff of
business firms; members of
Initiating Relationships
with Journalists
Figure 12: Cervical Cancer Prevention
infographic from CDC28
34 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
professional associations (such as
chapters of the Public Relations
Society of America); and public
relations or marketing programs at
local universities”2
3. Networking at similar organizations’
media events: Attending others’ media
events and talking directly to reporters
and passing out business cards is a
way to get to know journalists and for
them to get to know you. This will
increase your chances for your story
to get covered and for a lasting
professional relationship
4. Twitter at-mentions: Creating and
maintaining a Twitter profile, whether
it be your organizations’ or your own,
and at-mentioning the journalist (or
using the journalist’s handle with the
@ symbol) is becoming one of the
most reliable ways of reaching
journalists. However, make sure the
journalist you want to contact is
frequently engaged with Twitter and
be mindful of your first approach, as
they receive a lot of pitches on
Twitter. Be sure to link to your
organization’s website or online
newsroom, so they have a reason to
respond.31 “An even better approach
is to build a relationship through
personal or funny interactions leading
up to your pitch”32
5. LinkedIn messages: LinkedIn is
another social media channel to
contact journalists through. It’s a
professional network and your
message will go directly to their inbox.
Facebook is not a recommended
approach because “Facebook is for
friends, and friends don’t pitch
friends”32
Quoted directly from NCI’s Making Health
Communication Programs Work, “to get
continuing coverage of your program, you
must develop an ongoing relationship with
the media. These steps can help ensure
continuing media coverage:
1. …Develop a plan for periodic media
coverage of your program and make
your program newsworthy: Your plan
should include your program’s
objectives, the messages you want to
communicate to the media) including
why your program or message
deserves coverage), any promotional
activities you plan to sponsor, and
schedule a media contact (when it will
occur and who will initiate it)
2. Identify and train media spokespeople:
It is a good idea to select no more
than three spokespeople. Be sure that
all of them are providing the same
information about your program by
giving them written talking points.
The media usually prefer
spokespersons with authority in your
organization. The person who
regularly handles media relations may
not have that status. Some
spokespersons will be savvy about
working with the media and need only
a briefing on your program. Others
may need training on how to give
interviews, respond to media queries
during crisis or “bad news” situation,
or how to be effective on TV or radio
3. Track media coverage: This includes
coverage of issues generated by your
media relations efforts as well as
coverage that occurs independently.
Monitoring all types of coverage can
provide important process evaluation
data. It will enable you to identify and
Building and
Maintaining
Relationships with
Journalists
35 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
take steps to correct misstatements
and errors, determine the impact of
your media activities and whether
changes are needed, identify if other
media representatives are interested in
your issue, and find out whether your
organization is being overlooked.
Media coverage can be measured in
terms of quantity (how much space
did a story get and how often are
stories published?); prominence (does
it appear on the front page or not?);
slant (is coverage positive or
negative?); accuracy of content; and
type of story (is the story an editorial
or hard news?)
4. Capitalize on breaking news: When
something happens that is related to
your program, call news outlets and
offer them an expert opinion. If a
negative event occurs, take the
opportunity to explain how the
changes advocated by your
organization could help prevent
similar problems in the future. For
example, when the story about traces
of poisonous substances in Chilean
grapes received widespread coverage,
tobacco control activists used the
event to point out that larger amounts
of those same substances are found in
a single cigarette”2
You can also take steps to:
5. Capitalize on national and global
health observances: There are
countless awareness days, weeks and
months throughout the year that are
designed to raise awareness of diseases
and healthy behaviors and fundraise
for research into their cause,
prevention, diagnosis, treatment,
survivorship and cure. Perhaps the
most ubiquitous awareness month is
Breast Cancer Awareness Month in
October with the symbol of the pink
ribbon. Others include
Melanoma/Skin Cancer Awareness
Month in May, World Cancer Day on
February 4th and Colorectal Cancer
Awareness Month in March, to name
a few. Health issues receive significant
media coverage during these months,
which is a great opportunity to
highlight your organization’s work
pertaining to that topic
6. Capitalize on windows of opportunity:
When the Surgeon General releases a
report or when state or federal
governments pass health-related
legislation, coverage surrounding
pertinent health issues increases,
which is another opportunity for your
organization to showcase its work
Now that you have the media’s attention,
a press release will come in handy to
announce your communication campaign
or anything else you want the public know
about (Figure 13). Quoted directly from
Community Tool Box, a press release is:
“A brief written summary or update,
alerting the local media about your
group’s news and activities… Press
releases are:
 Created either to preview an
upcoming event or to inform the
public about something that has
already occurred
 Written in a clear, concise manner that
easily and quickly conveys its message
to the reader

	Written with the most current and pertinent information in the first two paragraphs Subject to editing for content and


space or time requirements, depending
on the media
Understanding Press
Releases
36 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Unlike a news story, press releases are not:

	Always a high priority for media producers to cover Written by professional journalists”33


For this section, refer to Appendix C: Press
Release Template
Now that you know when press releases are
appropriate, you can start preparing them.
Quoted directly from Community Tool Box,
here are some guidelines to get you started:
 “Make them read like a news article:
Study news articles in your local paper.
News articles will have the five Ws
and the H in their beginning
paragraph (Figure 14). This is called the
lead. These basic elements are:
o What happened
o Who did it
o Why it happened
o Where it happened
o When it happened
o How it happened
 Emphasize what makes your release
important: What in your release is
going to grab people’s attention? Why
is it important to the community?
Why should they care? Emphasize one
or two of the basic elements above.
For instance, if the mayor is going to
speak on the issue at your event, it
would be a good idea to emphasize
the “who.” If your event is the first
charity fundraiser at the new
recreation center, the “where” would
be emphasized
 Be as provocative as you can: Most
media, especially in large cities, get
tons of releases every week, so you
want to make yours stand out. Find an
eye-opening aspect to your release, or
at least make sure your points are
strongly emphasized. For example,
perhaps pro-life and pro-choice
activist groups are working together
on teen pregnancy prevention, or real
estate groups and housing activists are
working together on a housing
initiative. In both these cases, the
organizations involved might use their
unusual situations to create press
releases the media would snap up
 Make the headline and lead as clear as
possible: They need to hook the
reader quickly or the release will be
skimmed over and forgotten
 Make your release look professional:
Credibility is very important in an
editor’s decision to read or pass over
your release. Letterhead and
formatting should look professional,
Writing Press
Releases
Press releases are useful to:

	Announce an event, schedule, study, campaign, workshop, or election of new leaders Tell people why you think this development is news Show your perspective on the development Increase the visibility of your leaders (if quoted in the release) Remind people of what your





group does and how active in
the community you are

	Allow you to highlight or summarize a report

Figure 13: “When should you prepare a press
release?” from Community Tool Box33
37 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
and no typos! The release should also
have short, easily readable sentences
and paragraphs, as news articles do
 Consider sending other materials with
your release: If you already have
contact with a reporter or editor, you
may want to send a short cover letter
reminding him or her of your previous
conversation. Maybe you know this
reporter has a personal interest in your
issue. The key is to try and personalize
the release so it gets the editor’s
attention”33
Here are guidelines for basic formatting of
press releases, quoted directly from
Community Tool Box:
 “A dateline: Like in many newspaper
articles (for instance “Washington,
D.C., Oct 15”)
 To double space or not to double
space: It’s probably not necessary as
most editing these days is done on
computer, as long as your release is
easy to read. Short paragraphs with a
space between each and slightly wider
than normal margins are helpful
 Your release should be relatively
short: Two or three pages, max.
Keeping the release to one page does
not necessarily improve readability,
which is what you’re aiming for.
Subheads are also useful to grab the
reader’s attention
 Attachments: A summary of the key
points can help the reporter write an
article, if the paper decides that would
be more appropriate than a press
release for the story you have to tell
 Several full quotes should also be
included: Try to make the quotes
sound like they were spoken, not
written. For example, “The critical
finding of the report is that many
banks…” is not as effective as “This
report shows that our banks are
ignoring the needs of…”33
‘Scary’ Colon Cancer Ads Coming
to a Restroom near You: New
campaign shows many things are
scarier than a colonoscopy
The Utah Department of Health
(UDOH) and Utah Cancer Action
Network (UCAN) [who] announced
a unique grassroots marketing
campaign [what] today [when] on
their website [how/where] to local
businesses to urge employees to get a
life-saving colonoscopy. Signs placed
on restroom stall doors use a
humorous approach to remind people
to get screened.
Colon cancer is the second leading
cause of cancer death in Utah and the
nation. The risk of developing colon
cancer increases with age. The
UDOH reports that nearly 90 percent
of cases occur in people age 50 and
older [why].
Figure 14: Example press release lead (adapted
from Utah Department of Health)34
38 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Understanding Journalists’ Preferences

	Business Wire’s 2014 Media Survey video
Preparing the Online Newsroom:
     	Canva’s Infographic Maker Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Newsroom CDC’s listing of Image Libraries Creative Bloq’s 10 Free Tools for Creating Infographics HubSpot Blogs’ How to Create an Infographic in Under an Hour [10 Free Infographic Templates] NASDAQ OMX’s What Journalists Want: How to Build Relationships, Deliver Remarkable Content, Get Journalists to Cover your Organization, and Ace a Tough Interview Piktochart’s Infographic Maker

Building Relationships with the Media:
	National Association of City and County Health Officials’ Public Health Communications Toolkit Media
Press Releases:
 	Community Tool Box’s Preparing Press Releases Forbe’s article: What Journalists Really Think of Your Press Release

25 Business Wire. 2014 Business Wire Media Survey Results. 2014. http://go.businesswire.com/business-wiremedia-survey-results
26 Communications Consortium Media Center. Updating Your Website? Make Sure Your Media News Room
is Journalist Friendly. Published February 15, 2014. Accessed March 26, 2015.
http://www.ccmc.org/node/16286
27 NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions. What Journalists Want: How to build relationships, deliver
remarkable content, get journalists to cover your organization, and ace a tough interview. Published
2014. Accessed March 26, 2015. http://www.nasdaqomx.com/corporatesolutions/forms/whatjournalists-want
28 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cancer Prevention and Control: Infographics. Published
September 25, 2013. Updated April 8, 2014. Accessed April 9, 2015.
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/resources/infographics.htm
29 Dragilev D. How Startups Can Build Lasting Relationships with Journalists. Mashable. Published February
27, 2012. Accessed March 26, 2015. http://mashable.com/2012/02/27/how-to-pitch-media/
30 Schwarz M. Schwartz: Reporters are Not Your Friends: Managing Media Relationships. The Bromwich
Group. Published April 17, 2013. Accessed March 26, 2015.
http://www.bromwichgroup.com/2013/04/schwartz-reporters-are-not-your-friends-managingmedia-relationships/ Reproduced with permission from: PRNews. Media Training Guidebook, Vol.
5. PRNews Press.

FURTHER READINGS AND RESOURCES

 

LESSON REFERENCES

39 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
31 Working R. 14 Ways to Reach the Media. Ragan’s PR Daily. Published December 9, 2013. Accessed March
26, 2015. http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/14_ways_to_reach_the_media_15729.aspx
Reproduced with permission from: Ragan Training. 2014.
32 Fox Z. The Dos and Don’ts of Pitching Journalists on Social Media. Mashable. Published September 16,
2013. Accessed March 26, 2015. http://mashable.com/2013/09/16/pitch-journalist-social-media/
33 Community Tool Box. Preparing Press Releases. Accessed April 9, 2015. http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-ofcontents/participation/promoting-interest/press-releases/main
34 Utah Cancer Action Network. ‘Scary’ colon cancer ads coming to a restroom near you: New campaign
shows many things are scarier than a colonoscopy. Utah Department of Health. Published April 20,
2008. Accessed April 9, 2015.
http://www.ucan.cc/Publications%20and%20Materials/Press%20Releases/042009_ColonCancerSc
arierThings_NR.pdf
40 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Appendices
Contents:
A: Media/Communication Plan Template and Example
B: Letter to the Editor Template and Example
C: Press Release Template and Example
Communication Training for Comprehensive Cancer Control Professionals 101
41 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Appendix A
Media/Communication Plan
Template
Communication Training for Comprehensive Cancer Control Professionals 101
42 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
HOW TO USE THIS TEMPLATE
For a blank, fillable Microsoft Word document version of the Media/Communication Plan Template
please visit: http://tinyurl.com/MediaPlanTemplate
This media/communication plan template is intended for use alone or in tandem with the:

	Communication Training for Comprehensive Cancer Control Professionals 101: Media Planning and Media Relations, and/or Media Planning and Media Relations Guide.


There is not a single “correct” way to create and format a communication and media plan, but this
template is an option that includes all of the critical components of a solid plan. This template can help
you create a communication and media plan that:

	Serves as an actionable roadmap for your Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) program and coalition’s communication activities for one year, and Fulfills Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP) grant reporting requirements.


To use this template to create a finished plan ready for use or submission, follow these steps:
1. Starting on the next page answer probing questions and plug in your program/coalition’s
information in all [bolded bracketed] fields, following guidance found in the blue boxes
throughout the template. Refer to the Appendices of the Media/Communication Plan Resource
Guide, which contains a filled version of this template, if you need examples.
2. Delete the first 2 pages of this document and all blue boxes to update the table of contents.
Acknowledgments
The template is adapted from recommended components of a good media plan by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It also draws from other communication resources from CDC such
as the Division of Community Health Communication Planning Tool and CDCynergy “Lite” with input
and examples provided by Monique Turner, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Prevention
and Community Health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health of the George Washington
University; Indiana’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Program; and Utah’s Comprehensive Cancer
Control Program.
43 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
[Plan Title]
[Grant Number]
[Date]
[Point person name, title, affiliation, and contact information]
44 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Table of Contents
Background and Justification ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 45
SWOT Analysis …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 46
Objectives Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 47
Audience ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 48
Plan Tactics and Timeline……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 49
Evaluation Plan…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 50
1. Engage stakeholders ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 50
2. Describe the program ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 50
3. Focus the evaluation design………………………………………………………………………………………………. 50
4. Gather credible evidence…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 50
5. Justify conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 50
6. Ensure use and share lessons learned…………………………………………………………………………………. 50
Table of Contents
This table is automatically generated. After the template’s
instructional and reference pages have been deleted and all
content is finalized, hover over then click on the Table of
Contents and click “Update Table” to update sections and
page numbers before submission or dissemination.
45 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
The purpose of the Background and Justification
is to provide readers with a quick summary and
background knowledge of the health issue,
current status and activities and the goal(s) of
the media plan.
Report population-level data and cite evidence to
support your answers.
You may also consider including:

	A more detailed discussion of findings from assessments of community needs and assets. A more detailed review of evidence regarding the health issue, population, and best/promising practices. A discussion of theories or models of



behavior change to be used.
Background and Justification
[Problem Description:

 	What is the health problem? What is the disease burden? How severe is the problem? Who is affected and to what extent? What is the significance of the health problem? Why does it matter? What is contributing to the health problem?


(Consider factors such as: policies, physical and
social environments, behaviors, knowledge,
attitudes, beliefs, biological factors)
 How addressable is the health problem? What is
currently being done about the problem? What
should be done to fix the problem?]
[Description of organization, mission, and activities in relation to the health problem:

	Who are the author organizations? What are these organizations doing and how are they working together? What is your organization’s mission? Refer back to the corresponding CCC strategic plan. What is the high-level goal(s) of your state’s CCC plan?]
 

[Purpose and intended use of the communication and media plan:
 What is the purpose of this communication and media plan? Why is it needed?
 Who is supposed to read the plan? What are they supposed to do with the plan?]
46 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
SWOT Analysis

STRENGTHS  [Internally, what are some strengths that will help facilitate progress?]  [Example: Do you have a leader with really strong connections with local reporters?]       	WEAKNESSES  [Internally, what are some weaknesses that are barriers to progress?]  [Example: Do you lack a charismatic spokesperson who can speak publicly about your priority health issue?]       
OPPORTUNITIES  [Externally, what are some opportunities that could help facilitate progress?]  [Example: Is there a new national focus in the news media or a recent Hollywood film that touches on the topic? Can you capitalize on the conversation to advance your media plan activities?]     	THREATS  [Externally, what are some threats that could create barriers to progress?]  [Example: Is there a cultural resistance to discussing the issue that will make it difficult to carry out your planned media tactics?]       

SWOT Analysis
The SWOT analysis is a systematic assessment to
help you take stock of factors that could
potentially influence your communication work
specifically. Complete the table including a few
bullets per cell.
47 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
CO1: Example format: “By [INSERT date], increase
the [INSERT quantity, such as percentage] of
[INSERT audience] in [INSERT location] that have
been exposed to messages pertaining to [INSERT
topic, such as having a colonoscopy at the age of
50] from [INSERT baseline] to [INSERT target].”
BO1: Example format: “Increase/Decrease [INSERT
behavior, such as having a colonoscopy at the age
of 50] among [INSERT audience] by [INSERT
quantity, such as percentage] in [INSERT location]
by [INSERT date].”
HO1: Example format: “Increase/Decrease [INSERT
health indicator, such as colorectal cancer
mortality] among [INSERT target population] from
[INSERT baseline] to [INSERT target] by [INSERT
date].”
CO2: BO2: HO2:
CO3: BO3: HO3:
Objectives Summary

Communication Objectives (COs)

Behavioral Objectives (BOs)

Health Objectives (HOs)

Health objectives (HO) address changes in
health indicators. HO scope covers desired
health outcomes resulting from behavioral
changes described in the related BOs.
Behavioral objectives (BO) address what you
want people to do. BO scope covers desired
actions resulting from the cognitive changes
described in the related COs.
Communication objectives (CO) scope covers
campaign reach and dosage, and changes in
audience awareness, knowledge, perceptions,
beliefs, self-efficacy (etc.) resulting from the
communication campaign.
The Objectives Summary is a concise list of all the objectives included in the plan. They should all be SMART and logically related to one another. Each unique
objective should have its own number for easy cross-referencing throughout the plan. For more on developing specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented
or relevant and time-bound objectives see Lesson 3 of the Communication Training for Comprehensive Cancer Control Professionals 101. List all COs, BOs and
HOs in the boxes in their respective columns. Directly copy and paste relevant ones from your strategic plan. If desired, copy, paste and position arrows
included on this page to show relationships between objectives. Add or remove boxes depending on how many COs, BOs and HOs you have.
48 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
A section on Audience is strongly
recommended to provide a clear
understanding and profile of your
intended audience, which will inform
your decisions about messages,
channels, and tactics.
Audience
[Description of your target audience:

 	Who, specifically, is in your target audience? Who are your secondary audiences and audience subgroups? Why did you choose your target audience? (Are they most affected by the health problem, most likely to change behavior, or most able to change contributing circumstances?) What are your target audience’s values and motivations? What are your target audience’s patterns of media consumption and preferred channels of communication? What types of messages and appeals would resonate the most with your target audience?] .

 
 

49 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Plan Tactics and Timeline

COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVE 1: [Insert text of CO1]

Related Health Objective(s): [Insert HO#s and text relevant to this CO] Related Behavioral Objective(s): [Insert BO#s and text relevant to this CO]

Target Audience(s): [List primary and secondary audiences. What populations are you trying to reach with your communication campaign?]

Key Message(s): [List the key messages relevant to this CO. What is the key point that must be conveyed?]

 

Tactics/ Channels/ Activities	Budget and Resources	Staff responsible/ Stakeholders involved	Output/Outcome measures
Months 1-3 [Customize with time frames that make sense for your project]	 [List planning, implementation, or evaluation activities occurring for your tactic/channels during this time period. Tactics/ Channels: How will you get the word out? What information channels will you use? Note: the channels you include in your plan will define whether you are writing a media plan or communication plan. Activities: What steps need to happen to get the key message out using this tactic/channel and support the communication objective?]	[List material cost or resources needed for specified tactics/ channels/ activities]	[List point person and others responsible. Who will be lead on the activity? Which partners are involved with each activity?]	[List process and outcome indicators of success]
Months 4-6	 
Months 7-9	 
Months 10-12	 

The Plan Tactics and Timeline section provides programmatic and
planning details needed to successfully carry out identified

strategies and activities. Copy this template section and fill one out for each of your COs.

50 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
An Evaluation Plan is essential to understanding the
process and outcomes of your communication and
media activities. See the CDC’s 6 Steps to Program
Evaluation for further guidance. Your evaluation
should be useful, feasible, ethical, and accurate.
Evaluation Plan
1. Engage stakeholders
[ Who would have a stake in your
communication and media activities?
Who would have a stake in your evaluation findings?

	What specific role would each group of stakeholders play in the evaluation? What would each group of stakeholders be responsible for?]

2. Describe the program
[ Provide a narrative description of your communication strategies to tie together information
provided in your tables and other sections. What tactics did you use to deliver key messages to
target audiences through selected channels to achieve COs, BOs, and HOs?



What is the evidence-base behind your selected strategies? Why do you believe your strategies will lead to your anticipated outcomes? If you have a logic model, include it here. What is your current status or stage in planning and implementing your strategies? How do your communication and media strategies fit in with other ongoing activities and efforts? How do they tie in with your CCC plan goals and objectives?]

 

3. Focus the evaluation design
[ What is the purpose of the evaluation? What does everyone wish to learn from the evaluation?
 List your evaluation questions.
 What will be the evaluation design?]
4. Gather credible evidence
[ What indicators demonstrate success? What indicators will answer your evaluation questions?
 What sources will you use to collect data on selected indicators?

	How will you collect data from your selected sources? Who will collect what data? How often, and in what timeframe? What collection methods will be used?]

5. Justify conclusions
[ How will data be analyzed? What analysis methods will be used?
 How will you and your stakeholders interpret and synthesize the data?]
6. Ensure use and share lessons learned
[ How will you communicate evaluation findings to your stakeholders?

	How will you make sure that findings are meaningful to stakeholders? How will you encourage use of your evaluation findings and lessons learned?]

51 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Media/Communication Plan
Example
Communication Training for Comprehensive Cancer Control Professionals 101
52 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where do I find the BLANK Template?
For a blank, fillable Microsoft Word document version of the Media/Communication Plan Template
please visit: http://tinyurl.com/MediaPlanTemplate
How do I use the examples?
This section provides an example Media/Communication Plan from a hypothetical Imaginary State
Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, to help you populate the blank Media/Communication Plan
Template with your own information. The examples can give you a concrete sense of what each section
of the Plan could look like and provide ideas for how to present your content.
Where did the examples come from?
The content and examples from this section draw heavily from Idaho, Indiana, and Utah’s
Comprehensive Cancer Control Program communication and media plans. Any text directly taken from
their materials is designated in “quotes” and attributed to its source. Content, examples, and details
were created or changed by GW Cancer Institute to tie together content from separate plans and adapt
the information to the Template format.
Is my Comprehensive Cancer Control Program expected to follow this Template?
This Template is meant to be an additional resource and is not prescriptive. There is not a singular
“correct” way to create and format a Media/Communication Plan. This template contains all of the
critical components of a solid plan. You may choose to use it in its entirety, or you may decide to only
use certain components based on your Program’s context and needs.
Is my Comprehensive Cancer Control Program expected to implement the media strategies in these
examples?
Most of the examples are based on actual successes from the Comprehensive Cancer Control world.
However, each Comprehensive Cancer Control Program will have different communication and mediarelated priorities, needs, and capacities, which will inform the specific strategies in each Program’s
Media/Communication Plan. The examples of specific tactics may or may not be appropriate for each
Program’s setting. The examples include ideas around leveraging resources, working with partners, and
addressing National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program priorities that could be adapted and
tailored for specific Program contexts.
53 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to the Comprehensive Cancer Control Programs in Idaho, Indiana, and Utah, for sharing
their communication and media planning materials with us for the development of this Guide and
Template.
Imaginary State CDC-RFA-123456 Communication and Media Plan
54 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Imaginary State Communication and
Media Plan
CDC-RFA-123456
August 1, 2015
Jane Doe, Program Director
Cancer Control Section
Imaginary State Department of Health
123456 Road
Imaginary City, Imaginary State 12345
[email protected]
Title Page Example
Imaginary State CDC-RFA-123456 Communication and Media Plan
55 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Background and Justification
“Cancer is the second leading cause of death among [Imaginary State] residents claiming about 12,688
lives each year. Cancer in its various forms touches us all. Approximately two in five [Imaginary State
residents] now living will eventually have cancer. This is a sad prognosis, but many cancers can be
avoided. Nearly 30 percent of new cancer cases are caused by tobacco use, and another 43 percent exist
because of lifestyle factors such as poor dietary habits, lack of exercise, overweight and obesity,
occupational factors, and excessive alcohol intake. Nearly 65 percent of new cancer cases and 33
percent of cancer deaths could be prevented though lifestyle changes.” (Example passage taken directly
from Indiana’s Communications and Media Plan)
There were 1,000 new cases of late-stage colorectal cancer diagnosed among [Imaginary State]
residents in 2015. Although colorectal cancer is most treatable when caught early, 30% of older adults in
[Imaginary State] are not up to date with recommended screenings. Lung cancer has been linked to
radon exposure, and accounts for one quarter of cancer deaths in [Imaginary State]. Roughly 40% of
[Imaginary State] homeowners report that they have never tested their homes before. (GW Cancer
Institute-created content)
“The Cancer Control Section (CAS) at the [Imaginary State] Department of Health receives funding
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide support to partners statewide in
planning, implementing, and evaluating a policy agenda to prevent and control cancer in [Imaginary
State]. The CAS provides technical assistance to the [Imaginary State] Consortium, the state’s
vehicle for comprehensive cancer control. The [Imaginary State] Consortium is a statewide network
of public and private organizations whose mission is to reduce the burden of cancer in [Imaginary
State] through the development, implementation, and evaluation of the [Imaginary State Cancer
Plan].” (Example passage taken directly from Indiana’s Communications and Media Plan)
“This media plan strives to support and reinforce statewide policy campaigns, and support
statewide and community-level PSE interventions. In addition, this communications plan will guide
and help develop statewide and local communications that are necessary to achieve policy
priorities.” (Example passage taken directly from Indiana’s Communications and Media Plan)
Problem Description
Example
Organization
Description Example
Intended Use
Example
Imaginary State CDC-RFA-123456 Communication and Media Plan
56 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
SWOT Analysis

STRENGTHS  Federal funding source (CDC)  CCC coalition fundraising capacity  CCC program staff experienced in evidence-based approaches  Regional CCC coalition structure with robust membership and good reach into local communities  CCC coalition membership includes involved stakeholders with advocacy expertise (e.g. ACS CAN)  Strong relationships between CCC coalition members and news media outlets (ABCD News station, [Imaginary State] Chronicle)  Close ties between Chronic Disease and Environmental Quality within the Department of Health  Researched and developed policy agenda  In-house communication support from Office of Public Affairs

WEAKNESSES  Limited CCC program funding  Limited full time CCC program staff  No full time CCC coalition staff  Communication and advocacy restrictions on state agencies  Competing priorities

OPPORTUNITIES  Governor support for proposed legislation around cancer PSE change  Awareness Months  Environmental Health’s radon test kit distribution initiative  Low-budget platforms such as social media and web-hosting  Technical assistance from the GW Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society  National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable 80% by 2018 screening initiatives and resources  Lessons and examples from other programs in the CCC community

THREATS  Potential funding cuts to CCC program  Tobacco industry lobby  Stigma and public perception of colorectal cancer  Public underestimation of cancer prevention and screening benefits  Lack of public awareness about radon  Electronic media unavailable to low income and rural area audience members, including some health care providers and community health centers  High cost of paid media channels

Examples include GW Cancer Institute-created content and content from Indiana’s Communications
and Media Plan
SWOT Analysis
Example
Imaginary State CDC-RFA-123456 Communication and Media Plan
57 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
CO1: Increase the number of men and
women age 50-75 “reached with messages
about the importance of screening for
colon cancer from 0 to 50,000” by the end
of the project year.
BO1: “Increase the proportion of
[Imaginary State residents] aged 50+
who have had colorectal cancer
screening based on the most recent
evidence-based guidelines to screen for
colon cancer from 60.5% to 65.1% by
June 2017.”
HO2: Reduce the lung cancer death rate
from 50.6 to 45.5 per 100,000
population by 2020.
CO2: By the end of the project year, reach
75% of state legislators with messages
indicating strong public support for
increased state cigarette taxes, to increase
perceived benefit.
BO2: Increase state cigarette tax from
99.5 cents to $2.00 per pack by 2018.
HO1: Reduce invasive colorectal cancer
rate from 46.9 to 39.9 new cases per
100,000 population by 2020.
CO3: By the end of the project year, place
media on at least 3 websites and Facebook
to educate adult internet users about
radon exposure health risks and
mitigation.
BO3: By June 2016, “increase the
number of short-term radon tests
requested through the [Imaginary
State] Department of Environmental
Quality’s website by 10%.”
Objectives Summary

Communication Objectives (COs)

Behavioral Objectives (BOs)

Health Objectives (HOs)

Health Objectives reflect targets from Healthy People 2020 objectives. Behavioral and Communication Objectives have been adapted or quoted from the
following state communication/media plans: BO1 and CO1, Idaho; BO2 and CO2, Indiana; BO3 and CO3, Utah. The 3 Objectives Summary examples show the
same set of objectives using different formats.
Objectives Summary
Example #1
Imaginary State CDC-RFA-123456 Communication and Media Plan
58 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
 HO1: Reduce invasive colorectal cancer rate from 46.9 to 39.9 new cases per 100,000 population
by 2020. (Objective 2.1 in [Imaginary State] Cancer Action Plan)
o BO1: “Increase the proportion of [Imaginary State residents] aged 50+ who have had
colorectal cancer screening based on the most recent evidence-based guidelines to
screen for colon cancer from 60.5% to 65.1% by June 2017.” (Objective 2.5 in [Imaginary
State] Cancer Action Plan)
 CO1: Increase the number of men and women age 50-75 “reached with
messages about the importance of screening for colon cancer from 0 to
50,000” by the end of the project year.
 HO2: Reduce the lung cancer death rate from 50.6 to 45.5 per 100,000 population by 2020.
(Objective 4.1 in [Imaginary State] Cancer Action Plan)

o	BO2: Increase state cigarette tax from 99.5 cents to $2.00 per pack by 2018. (Objective 4.3 in [Imaginary State] Cancer Action Plan)
	CO2: By the end of the project year, reach 75% of state legislators with

messages indicating strong public support for increased state cigarette taxes,
to increase perceived benefit.

o	BO3: By June 2016, “increase the number of short-term radon tests requested through the [Imaginary State] Department of Environmental Quality’s website by 10%.” (Objective 4.4 in [Imaginary State] Cancer Action Plan)
	CO3: By the end of the project year, place media on at least 3 websites and

Facebook to educate adult internet users about radon exposure health risks
and mitigation.
Health Objectives reflect targets from Healthy People 2020 objectives. Behavioral and Communication
Objectives have been adapted or quoted from the following state communication/media plans: BO1
and CO1, Idaho; BO2 and CO2, Indiana; BO3 and CO3, Utah. The 3 Objectives Summary examples
show the same set of objectives using different formats.
 Communication Objective 1: Increase the number of men and women age 50-75 “reached
with messages about the importance of screening for colon cancer from 0 to 50,000” by the
end of the project year.
o Related [Imaginary State] Action Plan objectives: Reduce invasive colorectal cancer rate
from 46.9 to 39.9 new cases per 100,000 population by 2020. (Objective 2.1 in
[Imaginary State] Cancer Action Plan); “Increase the proportion of [Imaginary State
residents] aged 50+ who have had colorectal cancer screening based on the most recent
Objectives Summary
Example #2
Objectives Summary
Example #3
Imaginary State CDC-RFA-123456 Communication and Media Plan
59 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
evidence-based guidelines to screen for colon cancer from 60.5% to 65.1% by June
2017.” (Objective 2.5 in [Imaginary State] Cancer Action Plan)
 Communication Objective 2: By the end of the project year, reach 75% of state legislators with
messages indicating strong public support for increased state cigarette taxes, to increase
perceived benefit.
o Related [Imaginary State] Action Plan objectives: Reduce the lung cancer death rate
from 50.6 to 45.5 per 100,000 population by 2020. (Objective 4.1 in [Imaginary State]
Cancer Action Plan); Increase state cigarette tax from 99.5 cents to $2.00 per pack by
2018. (Objective 4.3 in [Imaginary State] Cancer Action Plan)
 Communication Objective 3: By the end of the project year, place media on at least 3 websites
and Facebook to educate adult internet users about radon exposure health risks and
mitigation.
o Related [Imaginary State] Action Plan objectives: By June 2016, “increase the number of
short-term radon tests requested through the [Imaginary State] Department of
Environmental Quality’s website by 10%.” (Objective 4.4 in [Imaginary State] Cancer
Action Plan); By the end of the project year, place media on at least 3 websites and
Facebook to educate adult internet users about radon exposure health risks and
mitigation.
Health Objectives reflect targets from Healthy People 2020 objectives. Behavioral and Communication
Objectives have been adapted or quoted from the following state communication/media plans: BO1
and CO1, Idaho; BO2 and CO2, Indiana; BO3 and CO3, Utah. The 3 Objectives Summary examples
show the same set of objectives using different formats.
Imaginary State CDC-RFA-123456 Communication and Media Plan
60 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Audience
Older Americans/“The Responsible Generation” (age 64-84)

	Knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes of older Americans
o	Value diligence, discipline, responsibility, service/volunteering, family loyalty, commitment, and following the rules

o Conservative spending habits, with more women than men influencing household
decisions for purchases
o Rely on healthcare providers for health information and direction
o More than 70% believe they are able to change their lives
 Media habits of older Americans
o 55% watch television for information and as their main source of entertainment
o Generally prefer face-to-face or written communication; generally prefer traditional
media (TV, local newspapers, magazines) for news
o Increasing use of internet

  	71% who use the internet use it to search for health care information Prefer well-established strongly-branded sites (not wikis, blogs, or new sites) Those in their 60’s are the fastest-growing group among this age category for internet use
o	Roughly 69% are members of organized groups (e.g. churches, civic clubs, veteran groups, etc.); communication takes place in locations where popular leisure activities take place.35

GW Cancer Institute-created content based on CDC’s Audience Insights resource
Members of state legislature
State legislators are most heavily influenced by constituent needs and opinions when making decisions
on which health issues to address. They also report that evidence of scientific effectiveness is
important.36 A small research study interviewing former North Carolina legislators and lobbyists about
state tobacco control found high awareness of tobacco-related health concerns, but low awareness of
program impact of state tobacco prevention and cessation initiatives. As fiscal stewards of state
resources, they preferred appeals that broached tobacco from a financial angle and placed high value on
controlling costs. Legislators expressed a desire for personal contact from their constituents from the
legislative district. In-person communication including personal stories from constituents impacted by
tobacco would be well-received. Legislators experience time constraints and the pressure to constantly
Target Audience
Description Example #1
Target Audience
Description Example #2
Imaginary State CDC-RFA-123456 Communication and Media Plan
61 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
digest information on a wide variety of topics to make educated decisions. They appreciate concise,
simple, quick-to-read policy briefs that summarize issues for them. When these briefs contain data and
statistics, they appreciate having the numbers contextualized so that they can quickly understand the
relevance and meaning of those numbers.37 State legislators engage with constituents through channels
such as telephone calls, e-mails, letters, office visits, public meetings, and social media.38,39
The specific beliefs, ideologies, and priorities of individual legislators may vary significantly, and
additional information will be gathered on specific candidates for further tailoring of appeals.
GW Cancer Institute-created content from literature scan conducted in July 2015
[Imaginary state] adult homeowners
“News consumption.40,41 In January 2011, the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism
and Internet & American Life Project conducted a nationally representative phone survey to assess how
American adults get the news.
The survey found that overall, most Americans use a combination of online and traditional sources for
local news. Newspapers were the most relied upon source for news and information on community
events, crime, taxes, local government, arts and culture, social services, zoning and development.
Television was the top source for weather and breaking news. Television and newspapers were tied as
the number one source for local political news. The internet and newspapers were tied as the top
source for news about housing, schools and jobs. Importantly, for the 79% of American adults who were
online at the time of the survey, the internet is one of the top two most important sources for 15 of 16
local news topics included in the survey. Few people report relying on the websites of local newspapers
and television stations for news, however, it is important to note the survey asked which sources people
rely on, not which sources they use.
The results were also examined sources of local news by community type (urban, suburban, and rural),
and some of the significant findings are presented below.
● Most Americans use both online and traditional news sources.
● Urban residents use a combination of news sources and are more likely than other groups to use
a wide variety of online resources for local news and information.
● Urban and suburban residents use online news sources more than small town or rural residents.
● Urban and suburban residents are most likely to actively engage with online content–e-mailing
stories, leaving online comments, sharing stories on social media sites, etc.
● Suburban residents are more likely than other groups to use local radio.
● Residents of small towns and rural areas rely more on traditional newspaper and radio sources
than urban and suburban residents.
Online video watching.42 According to the Pew Research Internet Project, a survey conducted in July
2013 showed the following results regarding American adult internet users:
Target Audience
Description Example #3
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● 78% watch or download videos.
● 72% watch videos on video-sharing sites such as YouTube.
● 58% of adults who watch videos online, watch them on social media sites.
● Rates of online video watching are highest among 18-49 year olds, higher education status, and
higher household incomes.
Use of social media sites.42 Social media sites (also referred to as “social networking sites”) also reach a
significant portion of the U.S. population. Data from the Pew Research Internet Project also shows that
72% of online U.S. adults used social networking sites as of May 2013.”
Example passage taken directly from Utah’s Media Strategy. Note: This is a broad audience, as social
media campaigns often target.
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Plan Tactics and Timeline

COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVE 1: Increase the number of men and women age 50-75 reached with messages about the importance of screening for colon cancer from 0 to 50,000 by the end of the project year.

Related Health Objective(s): Reduce invasive colorectal cancer rate from 46.9 to 39.9 new cases per 100,000 population by 2020. Related Behavioral Objective(s): Increase the proportion of [Imaginary State residents] aged 50+ who have had colorectal cancer screening based on the most recent evidence-based guidelines to screen for colon cancer from 60.5% to 65.1% by June 2017.

Target Audience(s): [Imaginary state] adults age 50-75; Spanish-speaking older adults

Key Message(s): It is important to detect colorectal cancer early to avoid death. Follow colorectal cancer screening guidelines.

 

Tactics/ Channels/ Activities	Budget and Resources	Staff responsible/ Stakeholders involved	Output/Outcome measures
Months 1-3	 Review baseline data for BRFSS colorectal cancer screening, cancer registry colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. Identify populations of highest incidence, mortality, and disparity. Review literature about target audience, behaviors, and attitudes.  Planning meetings with marketing contractor to air public service announcements (PSAs) from Screen for Life on Spanish-language TV and radio during March (colorectal cancer awareness month)  Work with CCC coalition members to identify local libraries, senior centers, and community gardens to post other Screen for Life materials  Compile regional directories of GI practices/colonoscopy locations  Approach AARP to brainstorm partnership opportunities	 CCC program coordinator time  CCC coalition member time  Partner staff time	 CCC program coordinator  CCC coalition Colorectal Cancer workgroup  Marketing contractor	 Summary of data and information about target audience  Compilation of GI practices/ colonoscopy locations  Plan for airing PSAs  Partnership with AARP
Months 4-6	 Ongoing meetings with marketing contractor for Spanish-language TV and radio PSAs  Identify colorectal cancer survivor to interview for human interest op ed in [Imaginary State] Senior News  Print Screen for Life campaign posters and brochures and fact sheets and distribute to CCC coalition members with community reach  Contact ABCD News station to plan mock colonoscopy news segment  Draft Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month campaign press releases  Draft colorectal screening messages for CCC program and coalition Facebook and Twitter accounts. “Friend” and “Follow” authorities on	 CCC program coordinator time  CCC coalition member time  Partner staff time  $300 for poster and fact sheet printing and	 CCC program coordinator  CCC coalition Colorectal Cancer workgroup  Marketing contractor (PSAs)  ABCD News station contact  [Imaginary State]	 Posters and fact sheets printed  Colorectal cancer survivor identified  Op-ed planned for [Imaginary State] Senior News  Mock

Tactics and Timeline
Example #1
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health and colorectal cancer, partners, and local GI practices to facilitate sharing/retweeting of messages.  Notify CCC coalition members and partners of communication/media initiatives through [Imaginary State] CCC newsletter  Encourage largest GI practices/colonoscopy locations to track colonoscopy volume and referral sources	shipping	Senior News contact  Colorectal cancer survivor (op-ed)  Dr. Colorectal Champion (for mock colonoscopy news segment)	colonoscopy news segment planned for ABCD News  Plan to track colonoscopy volume/ referrals in major GI practices
Months 7-9 (Colorectal cancer awareness month)	 Submit op-ed in [Imaginary State] Senior News from colorectal cancer survivor  Air ABCD News station mock colonoscopy morning talk news segment  Air Spanish-language Screen for Life public service TV and radio announcements  Post Screen for Life campaign posters and distribute fact sheets and directory of GI practices at local libraries, senior centers, and community gardens  Post colorectal screening messages on Facebook and Twitter. Share or Retweet relevant messages from partners and reputable sources.  Encourage largest GI practices/colonoscopy locations to track colonoscopy volume and referral sources	 CCC program coordinator time  CCC coalition member time  Partner staff time  TV and radio PSA costs	 CCC program coordinator  CCC coalition Colorectal Cancer workgroup  Marketing contractor (PSAs)  ABCD News station contact  [Imaginary State] Senior News contact  Colorectal cancer survivor (op-ed)  Dr. Colorectal Champion (for mock colonoscopy news segment)	 Op-ed published  Mock colonoscopy news segment aired  # of TV and radio PSAs aired and approx. reach  # of fact sheets/ GI practice directories distributed  # of posters hung  # of participating community centers  # of likes/ shares/ retweets
Months 10- 12	 Contact GI practices/colonoscopy locations to ask about tracked referral sources and volume of colonoscopies  Debrief and disseminate evaluation findings to key stakeholders and partners. Use CDC’s Success Story builder to develop a success story to share promising practices and lessons learned. Post success story on the CCC program and coalition websites, and submit to GW Cancer Institute’s Resource Repository.	 CCC program coordinator time  CCC coalition member time	 CCC program coordinator  CCC coalition Colorectal Cancer workgroup	 Narrative for evaluation report to CDC  GW Coalition Spotlight feature  Plan for next year

Examples adapted from Idaho’s Media and Marketing Plan. Additional content added by GW Cancer Institute.
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COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVE 2: By the end of the project year, reach 75% of state legislators with messages indicating strong public support for increased state cigarette taxes, to increase perceived benefit.

Related Health Objective(s): Reduce the lung cancer death rate from 50.6 to 45.5 per 100,000 population by 2020 Related Behavioral Objective(s): Increase state cigarette tax from 99.5 cents to $2.00 per pack by 2018

Target Audience(s): [Imaginary state] state legislators; Secondary audience: voting public/potential advocates

Key Message(s): “Tobacco use is the most preventable cause of death and disease. Tobacco taxes are effective in reducing tobacco consumption. Your constituents are affected by tobacco and support tobacco taxes.”

 

Tactics/ Channels/ Activities	Budget and Resources	Staff responsible/ Stakeholders involved	Output/Outcome measures
Months 1-3	 Collect and review evidence and resources related to tobacco excise taxes (e.g. American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s How Do You Measure Up?, American Lung Association’s State of Tobacco Control, Indiana Cancer Consortium’s Brown Cigarettes Report). Review activities and appeals of opposition groups (e.g. Citizens for Tobacco Rights) to become familiar with counter-strategies and messaging. Compile data on tobacco-related behaviors, attitudes, and disease burden in [Imaginary State] by district.  Summarize and share above information with CCC coalition members and partners via e-newsletter blasts and an advocacy training.  Post summarized information on the need for increased tobacco taxes on the CCC coalition website. Include links to [Imaginary State] Cancer Action Group listserv sign up and state legislator contact information.  Conduct public opinion poll on cigarette and tobacco tax increases.  Create telephone scripts and e-mail templates to legislators for constituents to use to advocate for higher tobacco taxes.  Identify former smokers, lung cancer survivors, and experts to write op-eds in favor of increased cigarette taxes and identify	 CCC program coordinator staff time  CCC coalition Advocacy Workgroup time  Regional CCC coalition time  Partner time  Public opinion poll cost	 CCC program coordinator is lead on collecting cancer and tobacco data.  CCC coalition Advocacy Workgroup is lead on synthesizing tobacco advocacy information, coordinating public opinion poll, updating the coalition website, disseminating information summaries, and creating the telephone/e-mail message templates.  [Imaginary State] Cancer Action Group (a CCC coalition member organization) is lead on conducting advocacy training.	 Information summaries on cancer burden/ tobacco use patterns by district, excise taxes and opposition group appeals.  Completed advocacy training  # of new [Imaginary State] Cancer Action Group listserv members  Telephone scripts and e-mail templates created  Potential volunteers for

Target Audience
Description Example #2
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local news media. Encourage regional CCC coalitions to seek out key reporters and strengthen relationships (e.g. ask colleagues about previous media contacts, start following and Tweeting at journalist handles).	 Regional CCC coalition partners will identify op ed writers and local media outlets.	op-ed writers identified
Months 4-6 (Lung cancer awareness month)	 Publish op-eds in favor of increased cigarette taxes during lung cancer awareness month.  Encourage regional CCC coalition members and partners to pitch story ideas to ABCD News and other local media outlets from CCC program, coalition, and partner activities and events highlighting tobacco health impact and the need for increased taxes during lung cancer awareness month (e.g. flash mob or rally on a college campus).  E-mail CCC coalition members, partners, and network of advocates with advocacy telephone scripts and e-mail templates and encourage them to contact their representative with their stories and support for higher tobacco taxes during lung cancer awareness month.  Prepare for advocacy visits with state legislators by identifying the representatives to visit and requesting to schedule an appointment. Create tailored short issue briefs to leave with the legislators highlighting the district-specific disease burden as well as the financial benefits and evidence in favor of tobacco taxes.  Email and post messages on Facebook and Twitter asking CCC coalition members, partners, and [Imaginary State] Cancer Action Group listserv for volunteers interested in conducting legislative visits. Identify former smokers, survivors, and others impacted by tobacco-related cancers who wish to share their story.	 CCC program coordinator staff time  CCC coalition Advocacy Workgroup time  Regional CCC coalition time  Volunteer time	 Regional CCC coalitions are lead on facilitating op-ed writer submissions and communication with local media outlets.  [Imaginary State] Cancer Action Group is lead on dissemination of advocacy resources and legislative visit volunteer recruitment.  CCC coalition Advocacy Workgroup is lead on scheduling legislative visits and creating issue briefs.	 # of op-eds, articles, news stories, etc. published or featured; Estimated reach from outlet readership/ viewership  # of awareness events held; # of people in attendance  # Legislative visits scheduled  # of volunteers to conduct legislative visits
Months 7-9 (Kick Butts Day)	 Hold legislator-specific planning meetings for coordination, providing volunteers with legislator bios, talking points, meeting follow-up forms, and advocacy best practices.  Prepare legislative visit press release including images and fact sheets, and disseminate through CCC coalition website and	 CCC coalition Advocacy Workgroup time  Regional CCC	 CCC coalition Advocacy Workgroup and [Imaginary State] Cancer Action Group are co leads on coordinating	 Planning meetings held  Press release and materials created  # of news items

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listservs.  Pitch advocacy legislative visit day coverage to ABCD News and other local media contacts.  Conduct legislative in-person visits. Disseminate policy briefs to legislators. During visits, encourage volunteers to take pictures with legislators/staffers or of other aspects of advocacy efforts and post them to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram tagging the CCC coalition and elected official handles (if appropriate) and use a dedicated hashtag.  Send follow-up “thank you” e-mails to legislators that were visited.	coalition time  Volunteer time	legislative visits, creating press releases, and communicating with media.  Regional CCC coalitions and partners are responsible for communicating with local media contacts.	on legislative visits  # of legislative visits conducted; # of participants in legislative visits  # of social media posts, # of likes/ shares/ retweets  # “Thank you” emails sent
Months 10- 12	 Create news alerts for visited legislators and notify volunteers and [Imaginary State] Cancer Action Group of opportunities to thank or hold the representative accountable for tobacco tax increases.  Review data collected and evaluate efforts, and disseminate findings to stakeholders.	 CCC program coordinator staff time  CCC coalition Advocacy Workgroup time  Volunteer time	 CCC program coordinator is lead on evaluation of advocacy efforts.  [Imaginary State] Cancer Action Group is lead on news updates.	 # of legislators indicating support for tobacco tax increase  Movement on legislation  Evaluation report completed

Examples adapted from Indiana’s Communications and Media Plan. Additional content added by GW Cancer Institute.
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COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVE 3: By the end of the project year, place media on at least 3 websites and Facebook to educate adult internet users about radon exposure health risks and mitigation.

Related Health Objective(s): Reduce the lung cancer death rate from 50.6 to 45.5 per 100,000 population by 2020 Related Behavioral Objective(s): By June 2016, increase the number of short-term radon tests requested through the [Imaginary State] Department of Environmental Quality’s website by 10%

Target Audience(s): Adult home owners, realtors, renters, home builders/contractors

Key Message(s): “Radon is the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer. The only way to detect radon is to test your home. Mitigate all homes with high levels of radon gas.”

 

Tactics/ Channels/ Activities	Budget and Resources	Staff responsible/ Stakeholders involved	Output/Outcome measures
Months 1-3	 Assess [Imaginary State] lung cancer burden and radon exposure data. Collect information on community contexts, local stakeholders, and target audience characteristics.  Inventory existing media from the Environmental Protection Agency educating about the link between radon and lung cancer, the need for radon home testing and mitigation.  Identify CCC program, coalition, and partner-owned social media accounts to maximize reach of social media campaign.  If funding can be negotiated, develop additional targeted media to supplement existing media.	 CCC program manager time  Partner staff time	 CCC program manager is lead on planning and formative research.  [Imaginary State] Department of Environmental Quality will help identify existing media on raising radon awareness and promoting test kits.	 Completed literature review and environmental scan  Compiled existing radon education media materials  List of owned CCC program and partner social media channels
Months 4-6	 Share social media campaign and education media materials with partners through the [Imaginary State] Radon Coalition and the CCC coalition.  Pretest and solicit feedback on education media with target audiences using internet surveys. Incorporate edits and select placement based on feedback.  Obtain placements for desired channels including: video advertisements on Youtube.com, banner advertisements on local news sites (ABCD News station, [Imaginary State]	 CCC program manager time  Partner staff time  YouTube, ABCD News station, [Imaginary State] Tribune) advertisement	 CCC program manager is lead on sharing materials among partners, administering the survey, and preparing press releases.  Advertisement Agency Partner is lead on	 # of survey responses received;  # of secured spots on YouTube and local news sites  Completed press release

Target Audience
Description Example #3
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Tribune), and CCC program social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest).  Prepare press release announcing campaign launch and identify media channels to cover the launch.	placement costs	purchasing placements.
Months 7-9 (Radon Action Month)	 Launch campaign and disseminate information on radon risk, availability of reduced-cost short-term radon test kits, and steps to mitigation through [Imaginary State] Department of Environmental Health, [Imaginary State] Radon Coalition, and CCC coalition organizational websites and social media.  Contact identified media outlets to cover the launch. Promote campaign launch to CCC stakeholders by posting press release to CCC program and coalition websites, sending an email blast to state coalition members and community partners, posting announcements on Facebook and Twitter accounts, and requesting a “Coalition Spotlight” feature in GW Cancer Institute e-newsletter.  Collect and monitor evaluation data.	 CCC program manager time  Partner staff time  Web-hosting costs	 CCC program manager is lead on dissemination through owned media and coordinating earned/ paid media.  [Imaginary State] Radon Coalition and CCC coalition shares social media messages.  [Imaginary State] Department of Environmental Quality will offer reduced-price radon test kits and update website.	 # of website hits  # of campaign launch features  # of email blasts opened  # of press release page hits  # of Tweets; # of Facebook posts, # of “Likes”, “Shares” and retweets on social media
Months 10- 12	 Conduct campaign evaluation.  Continue or revise efforts based on feasibility and findings from evaluation.  Disseminate evaluation findings to key stakeholders and partners. Share lessons learned and success stories with larger CCC community by drafting a brief report and posting it on the CCC program and coalition websites, and submitting it to GW Cancer Institute’s Resource Repository.	 CCC program manager time  Partner staff time	 Evaluator from [Imaginary State] University is lead on evaluation.  CCC program manager is lead on administering online evaluation survey and disseminating findings.	 % of survey respondents reporting exposure to campaign  % of survey respondents who report taking protective actions due to campaign  # of radon test kits requested  Evaluation report  Social media and email dissemination metrics

Examples adapted from Utah’s Media Strategy. Additional content added by GW Cancer Institute.
70 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Evaluation Plan
1. Engage stakeholders
“Members of the [Imaginary State Coalition] and target will be involved in identifying the data and
resources to share in the infographic based on [Imaginary State Coalition]’s priorities. Evaluation surveys
will be developed based on this information. Visitors to the [Imaginary state] websites will be invited to
participate in a survey to assess increases in awareness.”
2. Describe the program
“The [Imaginary State Program] will work with members of the [Imaginary State Coalition] to develop an
infographic highlighting the burden of cancer in [Imaginary State] and evidence-based, sustainable, PSE
changes which will positively impact the burden. This information will be released through a press
release, [Imaginary State Program] social media sites, and [Imaginary State Program] websites. It will
result in increased awareness of the cancer burden, and an increase in the number of evidence-based,
sustainable policy, systems, and environmental changes made within the state. These changes will have
a positive impact on the cancer burden, leading to a reduction in late-stage cancer incidence rates, a
reduction in cancer mortality rates, and an improvement in quality of life and survivorship indicators.”
3. Focus the evaluation design
“This evaluation will focus on process outcomes, and will answer the following evaluation questions.
Evaluation methods are described under each evaluation question.
● Did media outlets share the information?
● Did [Imaginary State Coalition] members share the information with their colleagues and
partners?
● Were healthcare providers, cancer advocates, cancer survivors, policy makers, or others
interested in learning more about evidence-based, sustainable, policies, systems, and
environmental changes which will positively impact the cancer burden?
● Did the information increase awareness of the cancer burden and effective strategies to address
it?”
4. Gather credible evidence

 

“Track the number of news outlets which run stories based on the press release. Survey [Imaginary State Coalition] members to determine if their organizations shared the information via social media. Track the number of “likes,” “shares,” and “re-tweets” messages receive from [Imaginary State Coalition] members. Track the number of visitors to [Imaginary State Program] and/or [Imaginary State Coalition



websites] accessing additional information regarding evidence-based, sustainable, policies, systems,
environmental changes. Require website visitors to complete a brief questionnaire in order to
determine if they are a healthcare provider, cancer advocate, survivor, etc.
 Survey visitors to [Imaginary State Program] and/or [Imaginary State Coalition websites] to assess
increase in awareness of the cancer burden and evidence-based, sustainable, PSE change initiatives
which will positively impact the burden.”
Evaluation Plan Example
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5. Justify conclusions
The campaign evaluation will include both quantitative and qualitative data. Frequencies and
percentages will be generated for tracking both social and traditional media dissemination and reach
over time. Quotes from qualitative feedback will be compiled from staff, partners, and community
members. Data will be triangulated and shared with partners for interpretation of findings.
6. Ensure use and share lessons learned
“Evaluation results will be used to assess the success of the initiative and will be considered when
deciding whether it should be repeated in the future. Results will be shared with the [Imaginary State
Coalition] and other comprehensive cancer control programs.”
Example passages taken directly from Utah’s Media Strategy (except the “Justify Conclusions” section,
which was drafted by GW Cancer Institute).
The Evaluation Plan should line up with the outputs/outcome measures in the Plan Tactics and
Timeline Tables. A dedicated evaluation section may not be necessary in the Media/Communication
Plan for CCC programs that choose to incorporate this information as part of their general CCC
Evaluation Plan.
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Appendix B
Letter to the Editor
Template and Example
How to use this template and example:
This letter to the editor template and example is intended for use in tandem with the Communication
Training for Comprehensive Cancer Control Professionals 101: Media Planning and Media Relations and can be
downloaded in Microsoft Word format from within the course. Placeholders and guidelines for
completing the template are written in blue. Users can write over these as they go along. An
example letter to the editor is provided on the right for comparison. By the end, the left side will be
ready for publication.
Communication Training for Comprehensive Cancer Control Professionals 101
73 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
RE: Government Reports Criticize Health Care
System
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/us/07care.h
tml, 5/6/09
To the Editor:
Errors and quality deficits contribute to nearly
100,000 deaths in this country a year. According to
Mr. Sack, two recent government reports showed
that progress improving quality of health care and
narrowing health disparities among ethnic groups
remains slow, and that patient safety may be actually
declining.
Mr. Sack argues that even though there has been
some progress, the health care system is not closing
the quality chasm that persists. According to the
report, one out of every seven hospitalized adults on
Medicare experienced at least one adverse event.
Increasing data suggests that health professions
students are not taught the principles of quality
improvement and patient safety early in their
training. Our state comprehensive cancer control
coalition is looking to change that. Our goal is to
partner with local schools and community
organizations to educate the next generation of
health care workers, patient navigators and
community health workers to be change agents in
improving quality and patient safety. We’re talking
about skills like quality improvement, patient safety,
teamwork, leadership, and patient-centered care. A
new generation of health care providers, equipped
with essential skills in quality and patient safety, is
the key to better care for our patients.
Jane Smith, MPH
Director, State Comprehensive Cancer Control
Coalition
Washington, DC – August 1, 2015
email: [email protected]
office: 123-456-7890
[Title of your letter or title of related article that
appeared in the paper or magazine and the date
it was printed]
To the Editor:
[Explain why the issue is important in the first
paragraph and include statistics to back up your
claim]
[Include personal experience and opinion]
[Your name]
[Title]
[City, State, Date]
[Contact information]
Letter to the Editor Example: Adapted from the
Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s
Letter to the Editor Guide43
Letter to the Editor Template: Adapted from the
Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s
Letter to the Editor Guide43
74 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Appendix C
Press Release
Template and Example
How to use this template and example:
This press release template and example is intended for use in tandem with the Communication
Training for Comprehensive Cancer Control Professionals 101: Media Planning and Media Relations and can be
downloaded in Microsoft Word format from within the course. Placeholders and guidelines for
completing the template are written in blue. Users can write over these as they go along. An
example press release is provided on the right for comparison. By the end, the left side will be ready
for publication.
Communication Training for Comprehensive Cancer Control Professionals 101
75 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Amy Smith New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Tobacco Prevention and Control Program Phone: (123) 456-7891 Email: [email protected] The NH Department of Health And Human Services And NH Comprehensive Cancer Collaboration Celebrate The Release Of the 50th Anniversary Surgeon General’s Report On Smoking And Health CONCORD, NH – Today, in celebration of the fifty year anniversary of the first Surgeon General’s Report (SGR) on smoking and health, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Public Health Services (DPHS) is offering free nicotine replacement therapy, in the form of the patch, to New Hampshire residents who want to quit smoking or chewing tobacco at City Hall. DPHS and the NH Comprehensive Cancer Collaboration will also be partnering to extend the hard-hitting media campaign, Dear Me New Hampshire, currently on the air and featuring real New Hampshire residents who are trying to quit. The original 1964 SGR was the first to definitively link smoking with lung cancer and heart disease. Since then we have learned much about the effects of tobacco on people’s health. “Across the U.S. and here in New Hampshire we have made great progress in reducing smoking rates and therefore smoking-related illness and death, but we still have a long way to go,” said Dr. José Montero, Director of Public Health at DPHS. “Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, but quitting has immediate and long-lasting effects. If you use tobacco, it’s not too late to quit.”

[Logo or letterhead] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: [Name of contact] [Organization/program of contact] Phone: [(###) ###-####] Email: [[email protected]] [Name of Your Organization] Holds [Type of Event] to [Purpose of Event] [CITY, STATE]—[When/date], [who/name of your organization] is [what/name of event]. [Name of your organization] is partnering with [name of your partners] to organize this [how/description of program or activity] including [list of activities] at [where/location]. [Other pertinent information regarding your event]. “[Quote from organization spokesperson],” said [name of spokesperson], [title of spokesperson]. “[Continuation of quote].”

76 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
[National data and local data to demonstrate
progress of the health topic or the lack thereof].
[Why/highlight the severity of the health topic].
For more information about [name of your
organization , program or your campaign], visit
[Web address]. For information about your
[partner names], visit [Web address]. For [name
of other services], visit [contact information].
Since 1964, smoking prevalence among U.S.
adults has been reduced by half. In New
Hampshire, adult smoking prevalence is now
17.2% (NH 2012 BRFSS); youth cigarette use
has declined by over half and is currently at
13.8% (NH 2013 YRBS). Unfortunately,
tobacco use remains the leading preventable
cause of disease, disability, and death in the
United States and New Hampshire. Today the
50th Anniversary Surgeon General’s Report:
The Health Consequences of Smoking—50
Years of Progress was released. The report
highlights 50 years of progress in tobacco
control and prevention, presents new data on
the health consequences of tobacco use, and
details initiatives that can end the tobacco use
epidemic in the U.S.
For more information about the New
Hampshire Division of Public Health Services
or the Tobacco Prevention and Control
Program visit www.dhhs.nh.gov. For
information about the NH Comprehensive
Cancer Collaboration
visit www.nhcancerplan.org. To request free
nicotine replacement patches and get
confidential help quitting tobacco call 1-800-
QUIT-NOW.
Press Release Template: Adapted from Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National
Infant Immunization Week Media Relations Toolkit44
Press Release Example: Adapted from New
Hampshire Department of Health and Human
Services’ press release45
77 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
4 P’s of marketing framework used by
health communicators to think about their
communication campaign from the
viewpoint of the customer: Product, Price,
Place and Promotion
advertising “placed paid or public service
messages in the media or in public spaces
to increase awareness of and support for a
product, service or behavior”12
at-mentions the use of @username at the
beginning of a Tweet that allows you to
contact other Twitter users. The user you
are contacting will receive a notification
that you mentioned them in a Tweet
behavioral objectives changes in your
audience’s behaviors that can be expected
as a result of your communication
campaign
brand portability the ability for branding
and messaging to translate effectively on
more than one type of device (also see
responsive design)
communication objectives changes in
awareness, knowledge, perceptions, beliefs
and confidence/self-efficacy of risk
factors, diseases or behaviors as a result of
your communication campaign
communication plan “generally contains a
wide range of strategies that could include
public relations; advertising; paid, earned
and social media; and owned media”12
Comprehensive Cancer Control Plans
“identify how an organization addresses
cancer burden as a significant public
health challenge. They are data-driven,
evidence-based blueprints for action. CCC
plans guide cancer control activities and
can have similar components. Plans
typically cover a five-year timeframe”46
Diffusion of Innovations theory that
“focuses on the flow of information about
a new product or practice within the social
environment (for example, neighborhoods
and networks) and how these influence
access to information and response to it”14
earned media “publicity through promotion
other than advertising… Often refers to
publicity gained through editorial
influence”12
Elaboration Likelihood Model theory that
“provides explanations for how message
elements are critical ingredients that
interact with motivation and ability to
influence information processing”14
environmental change “interventions that
involve physical or material changes to the
economic, social, or physical
environment.” For example,
“incorporating sidewalks, paths, and
recreation areas into community design”
to combat physical inactivity47
Extended Parallel Process Model theory
that “focuses on emotional response and
its effect on motivations and behavior and
is particularly relevant for some health
issues like HIV/AIDS and avian influenza
prevention”14
free media see earned media
goals “typically broad general statements
about the underlying purpose of the
[media] plan.”52 They should parallel goals
in your state Comprehensive Cancer
Control Plan
gross rating points (GRP) “the sum of all
rating points delivered by the media
vehicles carrying an advertisement or
campaign. Reach (%) * Average
Frequency”48

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

78 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
Health Belief Model theory that
“emphasizes target audiences are
influenced by perceived personal
susceptibility and seriousness of the health
issue and benefits, costs and norms”17
health communication “the study and use
of communication strategies to inform
and influence individual and community
decisions that enhance health”2
Health Communication Program Cycle
“the stages constitute a circular process in
which the last stage feeds back into the
first as you work through a continuous
loop of planning, implementation and
improvement”2
health literacy “the degree to which
individuals have the capacity to obtain,
process, and understand basic health
information and services needed to make
appropriate health decisions”7
health objectives goals for changes in the
audiences’ health status as a result of your
communication campaign
health outcomes changes in individual,
group or population health status usually
as a result of an intervention
impressions see gross rating points
individual responsibility frame poses that
people solely are responsible for their
cancer or chronic disease because they
made poor choices4
infographics “graphic visual representations
of information, data or knowledge. These
graphics present complex information
quickly and clearly”49
Integrative Behavioral Model theory that
“proposes that media effects vary,
depending on the behavior and
population under study and the relative
importance of the determinants,”
including perceived susceptibility, norms
and beliefs of their environment, attitudes
toward the message, self-efficacy and
intentions to change. Also proposes that
“media messages can be targeted,
depending on which set of beliefs could
most likely influence behavioral
intentions”14
media “all electronic or digital means and
print or artistic visuals used to transmit
messages”10
media advocacy “the strategic use of mass
media and community advocacy to
advance environmental change or a public
policy initiative”5
media kit see press kit
media literacy “the ability to access, analyze,
evaluate and communicate media in a
variety of forms”10
media plan “a subset of a communication
plan” that “focuses on and describes
strategies using media to reach, engage,
inform and create awareness”12
noise “any physical, psychological, or
physiological distraction or
interference”1
objectives “specific measurable statements
of what is to be accomplished to achieve
the goals”52 See health objectives, behavioral
objectives and communication objectives
online newsrooms web pages “specifically
dedicated for the media, where they can
get more information on your company
to help build their story”50
owned media “channel you control. There is
fully-owned media (like your website)
and partially owned media (like your
Facebook fan page or Twitter
account)”12
paid media “publicity gained through
advertising”12
79 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
plain language “communication your
audience can understand the first time
they read or hear it”9
place “where the audience will perform the
desired behavior, where they will access
the program products and services, or
where they are thinking about your
issue” 3
press kit information packet about your
organization, health issue and
communication campaign to address
questions the media may have and
prompt them to contact you for more
information
Price “the cost (financial, emotional,
psychological, or time-related) of
overcoming the barriers the audience
faces in making the desired behavior
change” 3
Product “represents the desired behavior
you are asking your audience to do, and
the associated benefits, tangible objects,
and/or services that support behavior
change”3
Promotion represents “communication
messages, materials, channels, and
activities that will effectively reach your
audience” 3
public relations efforts to “promote the
inclusion of messages about a health
issue or behavior in the mass media”12
public service announcement (PSA) “any
announcement… for which no charge is
made and which promotes programs,
activities, or services of federal, state, or
local governments (e.g. recruiting, sale of
bonds, etc.) or the programs, activities, or
services of non-profit organizations (e.g.
United Way, Red Cross blood donations,
etc.) and other announcements regarded
as serving community interests, excluding
time signals, routine weather
announcements and promotional
announcements”51
responsive design online content built to
adapt and respond to different screen
sizes (computer, tablet or mobile screens)
without compromising its design and
usability
secondary audience “those with influence
on the primary intended audience or those
who must do something to help cause the
change in the primary intended audience”2
S.M.A.R.T. objectives objectives that are
specific, measurable, attainable, resultsoriented or relevant and time-bound
Social Cognitive Theory “states that
likelihood of adopting the behavior is
determined by perceptions that benefits
outweigh the costs and belief in selfefficacy”17
social marketing “process that applies
marketing principles and techniques to
create, communicate, and deliver value in
order to influence target audience
behaviors that benefit society (public
health, safety, the environment, and
communities) as well as the target
audience”17
social media “publicity gained through
grassroots action, particularly on the
Internet”12
strategies “specific, discrete activities
designed to achieve the objectives. These
strategies should [be evidence-based].
That is, the strategy has been evaluated
and found to be effective at decreasing the
burden of cancer. Examples include those
recommended by the United States
Preventive Services Task Force, other
systematic reviews, peer-reviewed
published studies, and other evaluators”52
80 Communication Training for CCC Professionals 101 | Media Planning and Media Relations Guide |© 2015 GW Cancer Institute
SWOT analysis “method used to evaluate
the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,
and Threats that exist”53 in addressing the
health problem
tactics specific activities using the strategy
chosen
target audience 1. intended recipients of
messages or 2. group for which the health,
communication and behavioral objectives
are aimed (sometimes called intended
audience or priority population)
target rating point (TRP) “gross rating
points delivered by a media vehicle to a
specific target audience.”48 Reach (%) *
Average Frequency/Target Audience (%)
transactional model of communication
“collaborative and ongoing message
exchange between individuals, or an
individual and a group of individuals, with
the goal of understanding each other”1
Transtheoretical Model theory that focuses
on the idea that “people are at different
stages of readiness to adopt healthful
behaviors,” and has been useful in
explaining and predicting behaviors such
as smoking, physical activity and eating
habits18
1 National Communication Association. What is Communication?. National Communication Association
Web site. https://www.natcom.org/discipline/. Accessed March 5, 2015.
2 National Cancer Institute. Making Health Communication Programs Work: A Planner’s Guide. Bethesda, MD: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute;
2004.
3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gateway to Health Communication & Social Marketing
Practice: What is Health Communications? Published May 10, 2011. Accessed March 31, 2015.
http://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/healthbasics/whatishc.html
4 Brownell KD, Kersh R, Ludwig DS, et al. Personal responsibility and obesity: A constructive approach to a
controversial issue. Health Affairs. 2010; 29(3): 379-387. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2009.0739
5 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Media Advocacy. In: Designing and Implementing an
Effective Tobacco Counter-Marketing Campaign. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion, Office of Smoking and Health; 2003.
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/stateandcommunity/counter_marketing/manual/pdfs/chapter9.pdf
6 Stewart H, Hyman J, Buzby JC, Frazao E, Carlson A. How Much Do Fruits and Vegetables Cost? U.S.
Department of Agriculture. Published February 2011. Accessed July 14, 2015.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/133287/eib71.pdf

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