Humor as a Presentational Device in Broadcast Public Service Announcements.

On a daily basis, American television and radio audiences are subjected to a stream of broadcast Public Service Announcements (PSAs), each promoting "some kind of social or economic action deemed beneficial" (Stridsberg, 1977). Often, these announcements employ humor as a presentational device to help stimulate the behavioral change needed to bring about "beneficial" action. Existing research literature has addressed communication and marketing strategies which are used to target PSAs to specific audiences, but insufficient attention has been given to the display of humor as a part of this process. Humor is often used in politics, the workplace, and in educational settings when classroom teachers wish to reduce tension and help facilitate learning. A content analysis of more than 100 television and radio PSAs explored the use of humor to shape public opinion and influence behavior. Specific attention was given to announcement verbal, visual, and dramatic elements. Five categories surfaced as being most commonly used in PSAs: analogy, burlesque, caricature, parody, and satire; examples of each type serve to illustrate how these humorous PSAs work. Some suggestions for using humor effectively in PSAs include: verify that the campaign and subject matter are appropriate; identify the target audience and campaign objectives sought; use a single unified theme over and over; employ positive reinforcement of behavior; and bring media gatekeepers and community opinion leaders into the process. (Contains 55 references and a table of the PSAs analyzed.) (Author/NKA) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** Humor as a Presentational Device Humor as a Presentational Device in Broadcast Public Service Announcements D. J. Swanson Oklahoma Baptist University Paper presented at the 1996 Southwest Symposium, sponsored by the SouthWest Education Council for Journalism and Mass Communication, November 9, 1996, at Northeast Louisiana University, Monroe, La. Comments may be directed to the author at 500 W. University Drive, Box 61308, Shawne, OK 74801 or to e-mail at dswanson@mail.okbu. edu. PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUC TIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) his document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Running head: HUMOR AS A PRESENTATIONAL DEVICE BEST COPY AVAll LAKE 2 1 Humor as a Presentational Device Abstract On a daily basis, American television and radio audiences are subjected to a stream of broadcast public service announcements (PSAs), each promoting "some kind of social or economic action deemed beneficial" (Stridsberg, 1977, p. 24). Often, these announcements employ humor as a presentational device to help stimulate the behavioral change needed to bring about "beneficial" action. Although existing literature has addressed communication and marketing strategies which are used to target PSAs to specific audiences, insufficient attention has been given to the display of humor as a part of this process. This analysis attempts to bridge the gap by briefly discussing the use of humor to shape public opinion and influence behavior. It proceeds to illustrate five categories of humor prevalent in recent TV and radio PSAs. The analysis concludes with seven suggestions for using humor effectively in publicOn a daily basis, American television and radio audiences are subjected to a stream of broadcast public service announcements (PSAs), each promoting "some kind of social or economic action deemed beneficial" (Stridsberg, 1977, p. 24). Often, these announcements employ humor as a presentational device to help stimulate the behavioral change needed to bring about "beneficial" action. Although existing literature has addressed communication and marketing strategies which are used to target PSAs to specific audiences, insufficient attention has been given to the display of humor as a part of this process. This analysis attempts to bridge the gap by briefly discussing the use of humor to shape public opinion and influence behavior. It proceeds to illustrate five categories of humor prevalent in recent TV and radio PSAs. The analysis concludes with seven suggestions for using humor effectively in public service announcements.