Press Release

For Immediate Release: October 11, 2006
Contact: Mark Fernando, NCA
202-464-4622, ext. 106
202-657-8623 (mobile)
media@natcom.org       

Bridging Research and Policy, Researcher Presents Strategies at Congressional Briefing

The National Safety Council, in 2003, estimated 4,500 workplace deaths and 3.4 million disabling injuries occurred on the job and cost Americans $156 billion.

WASHINGTON, DC — Charles Atkin, Ph.D., a member of the National Communication Association and expert in health and safety communication campaigns, participated in a congressional briefing on October 5. Atkin’s presentation entitled “Strategic Communication Campaigns to Improve Health and Safety,” explained that conventional safety campaigns only attain a modest degree of impact but he offered promising approaches for improvement.

“Safety campaigns alter people’s world to get them to have safer behaviors,” said Atkin, a University Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication at Michigan State University. “We do research to help improve people’s lives, but that research is only useful when policy makers are aware of it. Briefings like this are important because it connects policy makers and researchers.”

Atkin’s message is that solid academic research needs to be behind any safety campaign to be effective. Safety campaigns need to involve strategies, research, and use multiple channels. Research “adds value to campaign investments,” said Atkin.

Atkin stated that campaigns need to target friends and family that influence an individual’s behavior. As opinion leaders, friends and family are in a stronger position to influence and change the unsafe behavior in individuals.

Atkin also said that campaigns need to focus on incentives that are likely to happen from safe behavior, such as focusing on the benefits of living, rather than sending messages of possible death. Other approaches Atkin suggested at the congressional briefing are that campaigns need to list and then refute counterarguments to safe behavior. And Atkin pointed out the ineffectiveness in the use of celebrities and created characters in safety campaigns.

The congressional briefing was entitled “Workplace and Public Safety: The Role of Behavioral Research.” The briefing was an opportunity for public policy makers to learn new methods of reaching audiences to improve the work conditions and the health of Americans.

NCA received funding for Atkin and the briefing from the Decade of Behavior grant, an American Psychology Association-led initiative that bridges social science research and policy makers to solve societal problems, including safety and health issues.

About National Communication Association
Founded in 1914, the National Communication Association (NCA) is the oldest and largest national organization promoting effective and ethical communication. The Association supports the communication research, teaching, public service, and practice of a diverse community of scholars, educators, administrators, students, practitioners, and publics.

NCA is a non-profit organization of more than 7,700 members who work and reside in every state and more than 20 foreign countries. NCA publishes academic journals, sponsors conferences, and hosts an annual convention. For more information, visit www.natcom.org