PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION
AGENDA:
Public Service Announcement (PSA)
WHAT IS A PSA?
A PSA (Public Service Announcement) is a short informational clip that is meant to raise the
audience’s awareness about an important issue.
PSA can be instructional, inspirational, or even shocking to elicit emotion and action.
Often in the form of
commercials and print ads
EXAMPLES OF
PSA
Common Types of PSA
• Announcement - usual components are a series of videos and images
with a narrator or narrators delivering information to the audience either
on-screen or through a voiceover. Sometimes text alone can be just as
powerful and effective.
Common Types of PSA
• Documentary/Interviews - This method is effective because the interviews
provide either expert testimony or stories from people who have personal
experience with your topic to support the argument that you are making.
Sometimes the interviews can be accompanied by a voiceover, or other
times your interview(s) alone can be very effective.
Common Types of PSA
• Narrative - This style uses either a scene, montage (a collection of
several short clips), or a re-enactment/footage of true events to
illustrate the point that you are trying to make. This style can allow your
PSA not only to be more creative, but also subtle, yet powerful.
What makes a PSA effective?
a. It gets the audience to pay attention.
b. The message is clear and easy to understand.
c. The message is supported by facts about the issue.
d. The audience is able to sympathize with those affected by the issue.
How to create a PSA?
a. Choose your topic
b. Research
c. Consider your audience
d. Grab your audience’s attention
e. Create a script
f. Storyboard your script
g. Film your footage and edit your PSA
h. Find your audience and get their reaction