Strengths and Weaknesses of
Popular Media
AGED 3142
First Things First ...
• Because the primary considerations in
choosing media are audience and purpose,
media selection and strategic planning should
occur after a thorough audience analysis (i.e.,
primary and/or secondary research)
• To perform these tasks out of order could be
• Budget plays an important role in media
selection, as well
Important Considerations in
Choosing Media
• Audience/demographics
– What are the viewing, listening, and
reading habits of your audience?
• Timing of message
– When does the audience need to receive
the message?
– Do some parts of the message need to be
communicated before others?
Considerations, cont’d.
• Budget
– For some audiences, a one-color brochure
is just as effective as a flashy four-color
one and may be more feasible according to
your budget
More Considerations
• Media effectiveness
– Which medium reaches the broadest
segment of your target audience at the
lowest cost?
• Media credibility
– Which medium has the highest credibility
and what does it cost?
More Considerations, cont’d.
• Media timeliness
– Which medium will deliver your message
within the time constraints necessary for it
to be effective?
• Media mix
– What combination of media best
accomplishes your communicative
purpose?
Specific Strengths and
Weaknesses
• News releases (electronic or paper)
– Strengths:
• Allow for a targeted approach if the information
is newsworthy; Inexpensive publicity; favorable
in terms of timeliness
– Weaknesses:
• Information is uncontrolled and may be edited
and cut; editors and TV/radio producers are
picky in terms of content and style
Strengths and Weaknesses,
cont’d.
• Backgrounders (sometimes accompany
a news release and other materials in a
“press kit”)
– Strengths:
• Provide in-depth information about the issue or
situation that your news release is based upon;
Timely
– Weaknesses
• Danger of making the message too
complicated; Uncontrolled
Strengths and Weaknesses,
cont’d.
• Newsletters (ads and editorial or news
articles)
– Strengths:
• Allow for communication with a well-defined
(targetable) audience
– Weaknesses:
• Often preaching to the choir; sometimes
relatively small audiences
Strengths and Weaknesses,
cont’d.
• Magazines and newspapers (ads and
editorial or news articles)
– Strengths:
• Relatively targetable; ads can be creative and
memorable; paid ads are controlled info
– Weaknesses:
• Sometimes expensive (depending on
readership); may not be timely (e.g., monthly
magazines); news stories are uncontrolled info
Strengths and Weaknesses,
cont’d.
• Mass mailings and e-mailings
– Strengths:
• More personal than other channels, relatively
inexpensive, timely, accurately targetable;
opportunity for immediate feedback (e-mail)
– Weaknesses
• Easily discarded; bothersome to some; e-mail
is still limited by audience’s technical abilities
Strengths and Weaknesses,
cont’d.
• Flyers and brochures
– Strengths:
• Useful in many situations (public forums, press
kits, stand-alone, mass mailings); simple;
relatively inexpensive
– Weaknesses:
• Allow for only basic information (small channel
capacity); easily discarded
Strengths and Weaknesses,
cont’d.
• Radio and television (ads, PSAs, talk
shows, news releases, actualities)
– Strengths:
• Relatively large audiences; opportunity for
visual/auditory communication (memorable);
somewhat targetable
– Weaknesses
• Relatively expensive; broad audiences; PSA
“spots” and news releases are uncontrolled;
live appearances leave no room for error; ads
take time to plan and develop
Strengths and Weaknesses,
cont’d.
• Web sites (ads or actual sites)
– Strengths:
• Progressive; targetable; includes creative
multimedia capabilities to appeal to a variety of
types of learners; inexpensive, opportunity for
immediate feedback (e-mail)
– Weaknesses
• Audience is limited by their own technical
abilities; can be difficult for audience to find;
subject to hackers???
Make the Media Fit the
Message and Audience
• I don’t like beating dead horses, but
here is another reminder:
Choose your media mix based on the
media’s strengths and weaknesses
with your particular audience and
message and consider the dynamics
of all the chosen media.