COVID-19 Advocacy
I chose COVID-19 advocacy as my topic because I strongly believe it should matter to all of us, but there are still an alarming number of people who discount the seriousness of the situation. As someone who lost a family member to COVID-19, this is something about which I try to influence others any time I’m given the opportunity.
For the visuals of my poster, I chose to use graphics based on those from the CDC website for two reasons. Firstly, most people would consider the Center for Disease Control a reputable source when it comes to the pandemic, and it’s the source we’re all used to hearing about. Secondly, I’ve seen these images circulating on social media, which means they might be familiar to other people as well. Familiar images are more likely to be remembered and make an impact.
When choosing images, I tried to use the method of simplifying information to avoid people becoming overwhelmed. The CDC provides a lot of text information as well as a lot of informational graphics. This is very thorough and great for people who are seeking out information, but trying to provide all of the information in one place would likely be overwhelming and defeat the purpose. I chose the images and information that I believe most need to be seen by the public. For example, I chose graphics that warn against masks with valves, gaiters, and plastic face shields. I see people using these all the time; I think it’s a result of misinformation, not a disregard for public health. For that reason, I believed that those 3 pieces of information were absolutely crucial.
I also included the 3 basic “do’s” of mask wearing. It was hard to decide what points to leave out and which to include, but ultimately, trying to accomplish too much would have reduced the effectiveness and the likelihood of people actually engaging. I had to choose between lesser known and more specific information, like what to do about wearing a mask and glasses together, and more widely known information. In the end, I decided to keep the information in my poster applicable to the widest audience. While most people know that you need to cover your nose and mouth when wearing a mask, I felt it was necessary to include because it’s more impactful in slowing the spread of covid than addressing foggy glasses. I also considered that people might become disengaged if they encountered information that didn’t apply to them.
For the text portion of my poster, I decided to keep it to the basics of need-to-know, actionable information. Based on what I’ve learned about propaganda, I employed techniques of repetition and association. I associated the main idea of my poster with the concept of safety, something people naturally desire. It is human nature to seek safety. For that reason, I made “safe” the repetitive word and concept throughout the poster. Throughout the poster, safety is mentioned in regard to the reader, their family, and overall community. The responsibility for safety is placed on “you”, “those around you”, and “us” / “one another”. I also used “you” language throughout to create direct impact without room for dissociation.
I also included a visual that I believe reminds people that wearing a mask doesn’t protect the wearer, it keeps potential virus particles contained. The idea behind this is to remind people that they can’t totally dismiss others’ behaviors because those of us following the guidelines are not the ones who are protected if others are not.
I liked this experience because it forced me to come to terms with how hard it is to create effective propaganda. I spent more time on this than I expected to, which was humbling considering I instinctively critique propaganda when I see it. My instinct when I see propaganda about covid is to think something along the lines of “well I would have included xyz…” but as it turns out, it seems close to impossible to say everything I’d like to without risking losing the audience.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Hobbs, R. (2020). Mind over media: Propaganda education for a digital age. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
