When “Tried and True” Advocacy Strategies Backfire

Narrative Messages Can Undermine State Legislator Support for Early Childcare Policies

Authors

  • Liana B. Winett School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University-Portland State University
  • Jeff Niederdeppe Department of Communication, Cornell University
  • Yiwei Xu Department of Communication, Cornell University
  • Sarah E. Gollust School of Public Health, University of Minnesota
  • Erika Franklin Fowler Government Department, Wesleyan University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32473/jpic.v5.i1.p45

Abstract

A core principle of policy advocacy is that to engage decision makers in the urgency, complexity, and controversy of problems, advocates must effectively tell the story of those issues. Policy stories, or narratives, paint mental pictures of what a problem is, who is affected, and how it came to be. Yet, the persuasive effects of narratives on one key group, state legislators, remain understudied. Drawing from the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF), media advocacy, and public interest communications, we sought to inform advocacy strategy by illuminating state legislators’ responses to messages about public investments in quality childcare for all. Contrary to expectations, we found that narratives can have unintended effects challenging or even diminishing legislator support. We discuss implications for advocacy strategy.

Author Biographies

Liana B. Winett, School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University-Portland State University

Dr. Winett is Associate Professor in the Oregon Health & Science University-Portland State University School of Public Health. Her research focuses on how science, advocates, and the media frame public health and health policy in the news and other forms of public discourse.  She also explores how we may better convey and engage broad audiences in the urgency and complexity of these issues.

Jeff Niederdeppe, Department of Communication, Cornell University

Dr. Niederdeppe is Professor in the Department of Communication at Cornell University. He is Director of Cornell’s Health Communication Research Initiative (HCRI) and Co-Directs the Cornell Center for Health Equity (CCHEq). His research examines the mechanisms and effects of mass media campaigns, strategic messages and news coverage in shaping health behavior and social policy.

Yiwei Xu, Department of Communication, Cornell University

Yiwei Xu is a doctoral student in the Department of Communication at Cornell University. Her research interests include strategic health message design and effects of a variety of health and health policy issues.

Sarah E. Gollust, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota

Dr. Gollust is Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota and is an Associate Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Leaders. Her research examines the influence of the media and public opinion in the health policy process, the dissemination of research into policymaking, and the politics of health policy.

Erika Franklin Fowler, Government Department, Wesleyan University

Dr. Fowler is Professor of Government at Wesleyan University and co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project. Her research examines the content and effect of media messaging in electoral and health policy contexts. Her interdisciplinary work has been published in political science, communication, law/policy, and medical journals.

 

 

 

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Published

2021-07-13

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Section

Original Research