Writing Homework Help

Public Service Announcement

Have you ever seen a public service announcement when watching TV? Public service announcements (or PSAs) are advertisements used by the government and non-profit organizations to raise awareness of an issue or encourage people to take action to make an improvement in their community. Their aim is to benefit the public by raising awareness and motivating change and opinion. An effective PSA is one that appeals to a target audience, informs the listener, and provides a call to action. PSAs can be found on the television, radio, and other forms of media.

For this assignment, you will select a topic, determine what message you want to convey to your audience, and create your own PSA as a TV or radio segment.

You will need to conduct research and use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment, so please submit a Works Cited document with your assignment submission. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing any resources that you used.

Step 1:
Select a topic for your PSA from the list below.

• Internet filters in public schools
• Status of women in other countries
• Media/video game violence/effect on viewers
• Human cloning
• Salary caps for professional athletes
• Advertising in public schools
• Funding for college sports programs
• Funding for women’s sports programs
• Cultural impact of reality television
• Copyrights and the impact of music downloading
• Impact of internet social networks
• Capital punishment
• Polygamy
• Academic cheating
• AP enrollment and achievement
• Boys / girls dress
• Religious clubs in public schools
• Stem cell research
• Affirmative action
• US funding of AIDS education in other countries
• Animal rights (medical research or factory farms)
• Punishments for hate crime
• Off-shore oil drilling
• “Clean” coal production
• Family violence / child abuse
• Doping in sports
• Farming / organic or genetic engineering
• Social costs of state lotteries
• Gang violence
• Gay rights (marriage, adoption, etc.)
• Elderly care
• Gun control
• Weight programs in public schools
• Free speech and censorship in public schools
• Cell phone use while driving
• The U.S. space program
• Smoking in public places
• Arranged marriages
• Required physical education classes in schools
• Biomedical ethics
• Fertility drugs / multiple births
• Endangered species protection
• Euthanasia
• Vouchers / school choice
• Animal rights
• Children’s rights
• Exit / SOL tests for high schools
• State and federal support for arts programs
• The legal age for voting or driving
• Slavery reparation
• Dress codes
• U.S. embargo in Cuba
• Spending versus saving
• Social costs of “big box”chain stores
• Aging / failing urban infrastructures
• Sports: instant replay for interference
• Federal funding of renewable energy
• Technology for the blind or deaf
• Sports injury and brain damage
• Plea bargaining in exchange for testimony
• “No snitching” morality
• Vegetarianism
• Use of torture to gain intelligence information from terrorists
• Technology investments in public schools
• “Fat” tax
• Ecotourism
• Genetically modified foods
• Sale of human organs
• Ban on fish farming
• Ban on junk food advertising
• Virginity pledges
• Performance pay for teachers
• Ban on Muslim veils
• Negotiating with terrorist groups
• Naming sex offenders on the internet
• Limiting state medical care for smokers
• Immigration reform
• Abstinence-only sex education
• Advertising and children

Step 2:
Complete the SOAPStone chart below as a prewriting strategy before you begin your PSA. SOAPSTonE Chart.docx

SOAPSTone Chart 2019-1.docxSOAPStone AspectQuestionAnswerSpeakerWho is the speaker in the PSA? Why? OccasionWhat knowledge do you need to develop the occasion for the PSA? AudienceWho is the intended audience for the PSA? Do you need more information about your audience? PurposeWhat is your purpose for producing this PSA? What message do you want your audience to take away?a SubjectWhat is your purpose for producing this PSA? What message do you want your audience to take away? Tone*What attitude towards the subject do you want your audience to feel? 

*Consider using one of these tones: merry, restrained, cheerful, urgent, acerbic, playful, mocking, alarmed, poignant, sinister, or alarmed.

Step 3: The notecards are optional.
Research facts that describe the problem and possible solutions. For this step, you must find at least three credible resources and complete a Virtual Notecard for each. Decide whether the solutions make logical, emotional, or ethical appeals. Access using virtual notecards-1.pdf for an explanation and the template virtual notecards-1.doc if you would like to use a pre-made template.

Step 4:
Brainstorm and collect elements in your plan that include appropriate music, images, and persuasive elements that match your intended tone.

Step 5:
Write a script for your TV or radio segment. Be sure that your PSA includes the following required elements:

• Title: Your title will briefly describe the issue in your announcement. You want it to catch your audience’s attention.
• Importance to society: Describe how the issue affects society and why it is important to raise awareness.
• Facts about the issue: Include facts about the issue to inform your audience. These facts should stand out, persuade, and may even surprise your audience.
• Who the issue affects: Explain the population that is affected by your issue. Give details about their age group and lifestyle. Lifestyle explanations will incorporate life choices and risky behaviors associated with the issue.
• Story or Scenario: Retell a story or share a scenario about someone that is affected by this issue. Often in PSAs, the story is short but to the point. It reveals and brings to light the need for change.
• Length of PSA: Your PSA should last between two to three minutes.
• Creativity and dramatic appeal: Your PSA should be attention-grabbing. It will include information that describes the importance of bringing awareness to the issue and may even reveal shocking details. Be creative in your approach.

Step 6:
Once you have your script written and edited, you will use kCanvas Studio to record your PSA.

Also, please take a few minutes to view the examples of public service announcements provided below.

Examples of Public Service Announcements

• Smokey the Bear’s Forest Fire Prevention Campaign (Links to an external site.)
• McGruff the Crime Dog’s Stop the Bully Campaign (Links to an external site.)
• The US Department of Health and Human Services Flu Prevention Campaign (Links to an external site.)

Step 7: Reflection

After you have completed the assignment, think about the following questions and write your responses to them. 

• What did you learn in this module about persuasive writing?
• What goals have you set for yourself in terms of your writing?
• How do the skills in this module relate to your future dreams?