Does it make a difference if a storyline in a national television series deals with breast cancer exams? Is it informative if a soap opera character develops AIDS and is treated for it? The Super Bowl on January 30, 2000, carried health-related public service messages; does anyone remember them? And the federal drug office raised a brouhaha over its vetting of drug messages in some network television series; did any of them make a difference? The desire to obtain free space and time in the mass media for health messages must be coordinated with an active evaluation effort. Evaluation of entertainment-education efforts can take many forms...and should, depending on the kind and extent of the entertainment-education activity. Assuming that individual entertainment-education efforts have specific goals, the evaluation may be based on either qualitative or quantitative methods to assess goal-reaching. We will discuss alternative methods, including the number of 'hits,' firehouse surveys, quasi field experiments, and others, within a matrix of formative, developmental and summative evaluation strategies. Specific examples from CDC and other efforts will be described.
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to (1) distinguish among levels and types of evaluation; (2) critique evaluation proposals of their programs; and (3) learn to negotiate a 'successful' and/or 'effective' program evaluation
Keywords: Media, Health Communications
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.