AP - Raising Awareness ( Lesson)

Raising Awareness

Let's begin by watching the film below, called Empty Seat PSA. 

Raising Awareness

A Public Service Announcement (PSA) is any message that promotes awareness of issues and call for action toward a solution. The goal of a PSA is to:

  • Persuade an audience to take a favorable action
  • Create Awareness
  • Show the importance of a problem or issue
  • Convey Information
  • Promote behavioral change

Steps to create a PSA:

Let’s Talk About How to Make a PSA

Creating a Public Service Announcement, or PSA, is actually a step-by-step process that anyone can follow with the right tools and planning. According to the source we’re using, there are nine key steps to help guide you through it.

It all starts with choosing a topic—something you care about or an issue that’s important to your community. Once you’ve got your topic, you’ll need to research it thoroughly. The more you know, the stronger your message will be.

Next, think about who your audience is and how to grab their attention. This is where an engaging hook comes in—something that will make people sit up and take notice.

After that, it’s time to get creative! You’ll need to write a script that clearly communicates your message and create a storyboard to plan out how your PSA will look and flow.

Finally, you move into the hands-on part: shooting your video, editing the footage, and then publishing your PSA so others can see it and (hopefully!) take action.

Each step builds on the one before, helping you bring your message to life in a clear and impactful way.

1 source The provided source outlines a nine-step process for creating a Public Service Announcement (PSA). It begins with choosing a topic and researching it thoroughly to gain a deep understanding. Subsequent steps focus on audience consideration and crafting an engaging hook to capture attention. The process then moves into the creative phase, detailing how to develop a script and create a storyboard. Finally, the guide covers the practical aspects of shooting and editing footage before the ultimate step of publishing the PSA.

According to Penn State Media Commons, there are different types of Public Service Announcements. Click on the type to learn more.

Regardless of the type of PSA you choose to create, just make sure that you have a clear message that is effective. Your PSA is effective if it:

  • Attracts the attention of the target audience
  • Speaks to audience in their own language
  • Relates to the audience’s lives
  • Delivers a single core message
  • Delivers a message of clarity
  • Motivates the audience to action
  • Includes facts and statistics (with citations)
  • Includes opinion words and phrases connected to emotions
  • Uses quotes from recognized experts
  • Includes a catch phrase such as “Stop the Stigma” or “This is your brain on drugs”

Review: Correct type of PSA

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Raising Awareness True or False Challenge Activity

 

Wrap-Up

Check out the PSA below, and identify if it is effective, and why?

IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS