ABSTRACT
Audio and video public service announcements (PSAs) are persuasive messages carried without charge by radio and television outlets on behalf of nonprofit and social-cause organizations. Broadcast stations carry PSAs to fulfill federal licensing requirements that those outlets serve the public interest. PSAs look and sound like commercial announcements. They are targeted communications that contain a call to action. However, two major differences separate PSAs from commercials. The first has to do with control. The second major difference is that commercial announcements tend to promote marketplace transactions, whereas PSAs more often promote social causes and behavioral change. Like all persuasive messages, PSAs target specific audiences. However, because they are not guaranteed airtime, they also target the media preferred by the desired audience. A digital newsroom PSA package can contain the: a cover letter or message, a list of materials, scripts of recorded messages and/or announcer continuities, and recorded messages in a variety of versions and lengths.
