Client: California Endowment

In April 2006, The California Endowment launched the Center for Healthy Communities as a venue for mobilizing community and civic leaders, health providers, advocates, and policymakers to advance community health. Core to the Center’s mission is the Health ExChange Academy, a series of capacity building trainings designed to strengthen the skills of leaders across California. BMSG has been commissioned to develop the Center’s training on strategic communications.

Media Advocacy Training Curriculum
As part of this effort, BMSG is developing a media advocacy training curriculum which will teach public health leaders how to engage the news media strategically to advance community health. Through our dynamic, interactive training modules participants are exploring the role of the news media in shaping public health policy debates and are learning to reframe issues to include public health values and environmental solutions.

Each module focuses on core skills such as developing a strategic media plan, crafting an effective frame and message, gaining attention in the news, and successfully working with journalists. The curriculum is illustrated with examples of strategic media work from advocates pursuing public health improvements on issues such as obesity, asthma, violence prevention, reducing health disparities and increasing health care access.

Participants practice what they learn through role-playing, small-group exercises, and, in advanced trainings, on-camera interviews. BMSG’s trainings are designed to build participant skills in thinking strategically about creating healthy communities, speaking and writing effectively, and crafting solid policy-oriented answers to difficult questions.

Launched in the fall of 2006, the media advocacy training curriculum is offered to The Endowment's grantees at the Center for Healthy Communities in Los Angeles as well as at The California Endowment’s regional offices.

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