As individuals directly affected by a particular project or program, or through past experi ence, they may know the best way to reach the public. Agencies use community residents as part of speakers' bureaus that send representatives out to promote a project at meetings of organizations such as Rotary or Lions' Clubs and chambers of commerce. Agencies monitor reactions to a media plan. Random surveys test market penetration and determine whether the message is meeting a targeted population. A media plan elicits community responses.
Mass mailings can include simple questionnaires to be returned to the agency.
A television presentation can suggest that reactions be mailed to the agency. On two-way talk shows, agency staff interact with community callers to answer questions directly. As programs and projects evolve and progress, media activities are adjusted to reflect their status and to introduce new information. The key is to put together a plan that informs and educates the public by delivering the central message, no matter which type or types of media strategies are identified. Media strategies are led by agency staff, either the staff members most closely identified with the project or the public affairs officer.