Strategic Communication for Health Equity

Catalog description

An introduction to the principles of strategic public health communication applied to health equity. Students will develop skills to communicate health information effectively to specific audiences to promote health equity. The overall aims of the course are to: (a) ground students in an understanding of health inequities affecting communities and their root causes; (b) introduce foundational concepts, methods, and strategies of public health communication design and planning, including theory, research and best practices; (c) practice planning effective public health communication campaigns, including conducting situation analyses, audience segmentation, and formative research; (d) develop frames and messages tailored to specific audiences and channels to promote health equity in marginalized communities and populations; (e) synthesize course material in the production of an equity-focused social media campaign; and (f) use social media analytics to critique their work product.