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Public Service Announcement Templates
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PSA Infographics
A public service announcement is often most effective when paired with data and visuals. Information like "1 out of 10 people" can be easily visualized and created as a result of a research project or a school-wide initiative. Simple statements, graphics, and charts relay information much better than a piece of paper with blocks of text and lots of numbers. The call to action is simple and effective.
A professional services agreement can also be used in a public service announcement. This will provide more accountability for your organization's actions and its members. A clear document that outlines the expectations and responsibilities of both parties can help ensure that everyone involved understands their roles and is held accountable for taking action.
The goal of any public service announcement should be to motivate people to take action, and data visualization can be a great way to do just that. Whether it's through an infographic or something more creative, make sure the visuals are eye-catching and the message is clear.
Remember: When creating public service announcements, take the time to research what resources you need and create visuals that your audience will find informative and inspiring. This will help you effectively reach more people and make a real impact.
Public Service Announcements
Public service announcements are important for raising awareness and advocating for change. With the right template, you can create informative, engaging visuals that have a lasting impact on your audience.
Public Service Announcement Checklist
Creating an effective public service announcement requires more than just an eye-catching design. Here are some tips to help you create your own PSA:
- Define the goal of your message
- Research and gather relevant information
- Use visuals to communicate data clearly
- Focus on one key message or idea
- Ensure that the call to action is clear and concise
PSA Poster Examples
- Recycling initiative
- Bullying statistics
- Drunk driving awareness
- Healthy eating habits
- Voter registration drive
- Creating a blanket agreement
- Youth volunteer program
- Seatbelt safety
- Smoking cessation program
- Drug abuse prevention information
- Mental health awareness campaign
Instructions
- Select from the templates above
- Click "Copy Template" to copy it to your account
- Edit colors, text, and art as desired or assign it to your students as is
- Print or download your finished project
Public Service Announcement Poster Tips
Creating an effective PSA requires more than just a nice design. Here are our tips for creating an eye-catching public service announcement poster:
- Choose colors that stand out and will grab people’s attention
- Keep text minimal, but make sure it is easy to read
- Use high-quality visuals to illustrate your message
- Make sure the call to action is clear and direct
- Add a logo or other branding elements to make your poster recognizable.
With these tips in mind, you’re ready to create an effective PSA poster to help get your message out. Check out our poster template gallery for some ideas of what posters you could make using our templates.
Why Use Our PSA Templates?
Creating a public service announcement can be daunting, especially if you’re just starting out. That’s why Storyboard That provides templates to make your life easier. Our templates are designed with the best practices in mind and feature colors, fonts, and visuals to help your message stand out. Plus, they are easy to use and customizable, so you can tailor them to your needs.
Once you have chosen the public service announcement template most suited to you, you can start creating your very own PSA poster. All you need to do is use our easy-to-use software to create your unique announcement from our PSA maker. With Storyboard That, you have the tools and resources to create a powerful and effective message that will reach your target audience and inspire them to take action.
How to Use the PSA Maker
Using our PSA maker is simple and straightforward. Just follow these steps:
- Select your template
- Edit the text, colors, visuals, and more to customize it to your needs
- Add images, a logo, or other branding elements if desired
- Make sure to add data and statistics to give your message more credibility
- Preview it and make sure everything looks perfect

What Is a PSA Poster Template?
A PSA poster template is a pre-made design that can be used to create an effective public service announcement. It contains all the elements needed to make your message stand out, such as colors, fonts, visuals, and more. All you need to do is customize it with your content or data, and you’re ready to go.
Using a PSA template from Storyboard That can help you create an attractive and compelling vision that will grab people’s attention and get them interested in your cause at a specific period in time. With our easy-to-use tools and customizable templates, you can quickly create an engaging PSA poster that will have maximum impact on your target audience but doesn't need hours and hours of design work put into it before you can distribute your finished product.
The PSA creator from Storyboard That is an easy and efficient way to create a powerful public service announcement poster. Many businesses, schools, and educational groups use our software to create effective PSAs that reach their target audience and inspire them to take action.
Is Storyboard the Same As a PSA Storyboard Template?
In short, no. Storyboard That is a digital storytelling platform that provides user-friendly templates for creating visual stories and projects. While Storyboard That provides some PSA templates, these differ from the traditional storytelling format used in filmmaking.
In a Storyboard That PSA template, all elements you need to create an effective public service announcement are included, such as colors, visuals, and text. All you need to do is customize it with your own content or data, print it out, or download it, and you’re ready to share your message with the world.
The Storyboard That PSA maker makes creating effective public service announcements more effortless than ever before. With our user-friendly software and customizable templates, you can quickly create a powerful PSA poster. The software you use to create both storyboards and your PSAs is the same, so you should already be familiar with the platform and be able to get right to work.
PSA Infographic Template Benefits
The Storyboard That PSA Infographic Template offers many benefits that traditional storyboards cannot. Here are just a few of the advantages:
- Customizable templates make it easy to create effective PSAs without hours of design work
- Text and visuals can be easily edited to meet your exact needs
- Data and stats can be easily incorporated into your project
- Logos and other branding elements can be added to give your message more credibility
- The finished product can be printed or downloaded for easy distribution
- You will be familiar with the software if you have used any of our other services before
Check out our education infographic templates and our lists infographic templates here.
Public Service Announcement Examples
Public service announcements are used by businesses, schools, and other organizations to help spread awareness about pressing issues. Here are some examples of effective PSAs:
- The Red Cross PSA focuses on the importance of blood donations during the pandemic.
- The US EPA PSA encourages people to conserve energy to reduce their environmental impact.
- The CDC PSA calls attention to the importance of wearing a mask during the pandemic.
- The National Fire Prevention Association PSA helps spread awareness about the dangers of fires and how to prevent them.
- The American Heart Association PSA encourages people to eat healthily and exercise regularly in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Public service announcements are important for spreading awareness of issues, causes, and initiatives.
Some of the most compelling public service announcement examples
- The World Health Organization PSA stresses the importance of handwashing and other hygiene practices to prevent the spreading of diseases like Covid-19. It includes visuals of people washing their hands and visuals of the virus.
- The United Nations PSA encourages people to donate money to help fight poverty and hunger worldwide. It includes a call-to-action at the end, asking people to take action.
- The American Cancer Society PSA focuses on increasing awareness about cancer prevention and early detection measures. It includes visuals of medical professionals and patients.
- The American Red Cross PSA emphasizes the importance of blood donations to save lives. It includes visuals of medical staff, donors, and recipients.
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration PSA focuses on safe driving practices such as wearing seat belts and not drinking and driving.
These are just a few examples of effective PSAs. With its easy-to-use tools and customizable templates, you too can create an attractive and compelling vision that will grab people’s attention and get them interested in your cause by using our templates.
With Storyboard That, you can also use our flow charts infographic templates and ”How To" infographic templates to create PSAs so you have even more choices!
PSAs for Students
Creating public service announcements is an excellent way for students to learn more about important issues while cultivating their creativity and communication skills. Storyboard That PSA Maker makes it easy for students of all ages to create compelling PSAs that get the message out there.
A PSA template gives students a structure to build upon and allows them to customize the visuals, text, and other elements of their project. This will enable students to explore different aspects of an issue or cause without having to spend too much time on the design process.
The public service announcement maker also gives students an opportunity to be heard and make a difference in their communities. By creating a public service announcement infographic, students can spread awareness about important issues that mean something to them. This makes for an incredibly powerful learning experience that will stay with them long after the project is completed.
PSA Poster Ideas for Students
Students can create posters for use around their school or community. A PSA template for students can also be used to make posters to give away at events or hang up in public spaces such as parks, libraries, or bus stops.
Here are some PSA poster ideas that students could design:
- The importance of recycling
- Ways to conserve energy
- The effects of climate change
- The dangers of distracted driving
- Benefits of physical activity and healthy eating habits
- Water conservation practices
- Mental health awareness and how to seek help
These are just a few PSA examples that students could tackle, but it's essential to let the students make up their own minds on what they want to create. Storyboard That’s PSA Maker allows students to customize their posters in any way they choose about the topic that interests them most.
Happy Creating!
Frequently Asked Questions about PSA Infographic Templates
How to make a psa poster.
Using a PSA poster template from Storyboard That is the easiest and most efficient way to create an effective public service announcement poster.
What is a PSA infographic template?
A PSA infographic template is a pre-made design that can be used to create an effective public service announcement poster. It contains all the elements needed to make your message stand out, such as colors, fonts, visuals, and more. All you need to do is customize it with your own content or data, and you’re ready to go.
How do I make my PSA stand out?
To make your PSA stand out and get noticed, use high-quality visuals to illustrate your message, focus on one key message or idea, add data and statistics to give your message more credibility, and make sure the call to action is clear and concise.
Why use a public service announcement?
Public service announcements are a great way to spread awareness about an important issue, educate people on their rights and responsibilities, and inspire people to take action. They are also relatively inexpensive to create and can be distributed quickly and easily.
Is it easy to make a public service announcement?
Yes, with the right tools and resources, it’s easy to create a powerful and compelling message that will reach your target audience. Using a PSA maker from Storyboard That is the easiest and most efficient way to make an efficient public service announcement.
Privacy And Security
Each version of Storyboard That has a different privacy and security model that is tailored for the expected usage.
Free Edition
All storyboards are public and can be viewed and copied by anyone. They will also appear in Google search results.
Personal Edition
The author can choose to leave the storyboard public or mark it as Unlisted. Unlisted storyboards can be shared via a link, but otherwise will remain hidden.
Educational Edition
All storyboards and images are private and secure. Teachers can view all of their students’ storyboards, but students can only view their own. No one else can view anything. Teachers may opt to lower the security if they want to allow sharing.
Business Edition
All storyboards are private and secure to the portal using enterprise-class file security hosted by Microsoft Azure. Within the portal, all users can view and copy all storyboards. In addition, any storyboard can be made “sharable”, where a private link to the storyboard can be shared externally.
Art 235 | Graphic Design
- Process Blog
Public Service Announcements (PSA) Posters
Introduction.
Produce a set of three posters of one Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign. The posters will be 36” x 48” and produced in full color. These posters will not be printed but finalized on the computer.
The goal of this assignment is learn how to generate original, clear ideas and to produce a clear, quick-communicating, conceptually-strong PSA poster set.
There are a few keys to the successful completing of this assignment:
- Good research
- Thorough brainstorm (do not edit)
Please note: I find that my most productive time is when I spend quiet alone time to ponder. The best time for me is during a commute or some 60 minute+ block of time that I’m not needed. I set a few of these times aside for each brainstorm.
What is a public service announcement?
Public service announcements, or PSA's, are short messages produced as posters, on film, DVD, CD, or as a computer file and posted in a public area or given to radio and television stations to air.
"This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?"
"A mind is a terrible thing to waste."
"Friends don't let friends drive drunk."
"You could learn a lot from a dummy."
How many of these phrases ring a bell? These widely recognized slogans from national public service announcement campaigns by the Ad Council have become a part of our culture. While the above examples were all big-budget campaigns, your own public service announcements (also known as PSA's) -- even if they're a simple poster -- can be a great inexpensive way to get your message out to the public.
Designers need strong words to successfully create a concept or brainstorm, even if the words are not used in the design. Designers need to forcefully take a position by clearly defining a message to communicate and use that clear message to brainstorm. In the end, your concept or message is your foundation. If you start with a strong message, you’ll have a strong product. Conversely, if you begin with a weak message and you can’t help but end with a weak product.
Project Steps
By week 8, lesson 8, thursday, 1. research different psa messages and posters: collect 20 of your favorite..
This means you’ll need to look through much more than 20 to narrow down to your favorite 20. Categorize your favorite PSA posters. Some categories might be: humorous, eye-opening, headline reliant, clever, image reliant, comparison, etc. Narrow down your favorites by identifying which of the 20 are your 3 favorite.
To do: Create a post that shows your 20 favorite, mark your top 3 and write why you like each of those three in your blog post. Create a similar page for your process book documenting this step of the project.
By Week 9, Lesson 9, Tuesday
2. research psa topics to find which you’re most interested in..
List 20 topics you could use for your PSA poster, for example: obesity, texting while driving, soft drink usage, drinking and driving, talking with your children, etc. Select the topic you feel strongly about that you’d like to use for your PSA posters.
Many times designers need to act as copywriters. You can't successfully brainstorm without having a strong direction to brainstorm. If you have a weak message, you'll have a weak concept.
For instance if your topic is Skin Cancer Prevention, soft and ineffective messages would be: Be careful in the Sun, Cover Up in the Sun, or Watch Out for Skin Cancer. Much more effective messages are either exaggerated or go fully one way to communicate. For example: Go with Your Own Glow; Prevent. Detect. Live.; or SPOT Skin Cancer.
Using posted comments and any feedback you’ve garnered from friends, family and roommates, select your final message.
To do: Create a post showing your possible 20 PSA topics, your selected topic, and 10 slogans/messages that communicate your topic. Survey your friends, family and/or roommates to help select your final message. Post your final message. Create a similar page for your process book documenting this step of the project.
By Week 9, Lesson 9, Thursday
3. brainstorm and record..
Based on feedback from classmates and your instructor, select/reselect your final message. Write your message on the top of a blank piece of paper. Underline the keywords from your message you will need at least 2 words and no more than 4. For example, if your message was “Start Early, Talk to your Kids”, you might only underline “early”, “talk” and “kids”. Brainstorm a list of 30 words under each keyword in your slogan. In a brainstorm there is no editing. Any crazy idea can and should be put down. These could be word associations, similes, words that remind or are somehow linked to your keyword.
For example, using “early”, “talk” and “kids”, your list for “early/young” might include: baby, toddler, pregnant belly, baby in swing, pacifier, bottle, crying baby, diapers, dirty diapers, small feet, small hands, stroller, baby swing, baby bouncer, baby car seat, etc.
Words from a “talk” brainstorm might include: open mouth, speech bubbles, whispering, animated conversation, chat, small talk, words out of mouth, text, letters, etc.
Words from a “kids” brainstorm might include: toddler, small braids, little hand holding big hand, infant, holding infant, silhouette of child, children drawing, children writing, small clothes, small shoes, toys, etc.
(This example may not be the most effective as I’ve combined early/young and the kids, so I essentially have two items to pull from.)
To do: Post your brainstorm to your blog. Create a similar page for your process book documenting this step of the project.
By Week 10, Lesson 10, Tuesday
4. match-ups and thumbnail phase..
Next create combinations of brainstormed words.
Pick a word from each brainstorm list and combine them with the goal of creating an interesting and unique visual. Combinations based on our example might include
- Adult holding infant close with a text bubble enveloping head of baby
- Man talking to a pregnant belly which doubles as a speech bubble
- Adult holding infant swaddled in words
- Baby smiling holding speech bubble
- Pattern of speech bubbles with baby’s head at bottom of pattern
Thumbnails vary in size and detail based on the individual. These are really personal notes on layout, value and content. Sizes are based on format but are about .75" to 2".
To do: Complete 10 combinations from your brainstorm that communicate your message and create a thumbnail of each. You will have to create more than 10 combinations and thumbnails to create 10 that communicate your message. Select 10 that communicate your message and post your match-ups and thumbnails. Create a similar page for your process book documenting this step of the project.
By Week 11, Lesson 11, Tuesday
5. self-evaluate and use feedback from others to select 3 final thumbnails..
If you don’t have enough good thumbnails, go back to the brainstorming phase, re-match word combinations, and thumbnail again. When you get 3 clearly communicating ideas with great layouts, create color comps. Review your thumbnails. Which communicate your message? What do they communicate? Are any off message? Ask for help from others especially classmates and instructors.
Remember a poster series should go together in concept, color, and style.
Create color comps. Color comps are larger, more detailed thumbnails. If thumbnails are .75" to 2"; a color comp may be 3" to 7". Layout details are explored. Definitely values are explored and colors are explored. Decisions should be based on your message.
To do: Create a post showing three final thumbnails as color comps. Show exploration of values and colors. Color explorations could be shown as swatches near the color comps. Apply color decisions to the 3 final poster ideas. Create a similar page for your process book documenting this step of the project.
By Week 11, Lesson 11, Thursday
6. based on your color comps and feedback, create your final posters..
Be sure your posters relate to one another so they can stand together in a portfolio. To do: Create the final versions of your posters at full size and post to your blog. Create a similar page for your process book documenting this step of the project.
By Week 12, Lesson 12, Tuesday
7. complete your av presentation and your process book final..
To do: Create an AV Presentation presenting your process and final assignment. Post a link to your AV Presentation and a link to a pdf of your process book to your blog. Create a similar page for your process book documenting this step of the project.
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Adobe Express: Design a Public Service Announcement Poster
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Creating a Public Service Announcement (PSA)
What is a psa.
A Public Service Announcement (PSA) is a form of communication used by non-profit organizations, grassroots movements, and government/military divisions to campaign for social change or educate the public about resolving specific issues. Typically, a PSA is not directed towards policy change, but instead brings awareness and suggestions for action.
Examples of PSA causes include anti-drug abuse campaigns, drunk driving, increasing literacy, financial fraud awareness, hygiene, Autism awareness, wildlife protection, or local outreach programs and events that support causes. The PSA message does not need to be complicated; in fact, a clear and concise message is more likely to influence the target audience.
Steps to Creation
Idea generation.
Although the communication message may not be complicated, there are several steps in creating an effective PSA.
As with most writing processes, creating a PSA begins by brainstorming ideas. In this case, the brainstorming should focus on the identification of a specific problem or need within a community. For a course project, you may want to focus on concerns related to your field of study. If you are a supporter of a non-profit organization, you can create a PSA to focus on one issue for an identified audience. Keep in mind, though, publication of the PSA for an organization will need the organization’s approval. If you don’t have an organization in mind and your field of study does not yield ideas, then take a more personal look at situations you encounter where individuals would benefit from an educational and motivational PSA. Consider the following questions to help generate ideas:
- What situations in your life would have benefitted from education or motivation about the topic? Consider friends and family members that you may have mentored (or wanted to mentor) through a situation.
- What PSAs have you seen that have not been effective? How might you approach the topic from a more effective perspective?
- Identify a group of people who may feel isolated due to their situation/problem. How might you use a PSA to reach out to them and help them realize they are not alone?
Ultimately, the brainstorming should lead to a message or objective of the PSA—what you want the audience to walk away with.
Audience: Decide the Target Audience
After identifying a problem or need, the next step is identifying the characteristics of the target audience. It’s important to realize that, although you may want to see everyone adopt this change or be educated on this topic, the PSA needs to be designed for a specific audience in order to be effective. For example, a PSA about high school dropout prevention seemingly has a large audience since entire communities are affected by dropout rates, yet the PSA needs to motivate high school students to see the benefits of completing their education. In this example, parents and teachers may also influence a student’s decision to stay in school, but a separate PSA would need to be created for the adult audience and their role in the situation. When considering an audience, it may help to answer the following questions:
- What is the age range of the target audience?
- How might you describe their social and financial status?
- What is their connection to the topic?
- What might they already know about the topic, including assumptions and misinformation?
- What is a reasonable action the audience can take in response to the PSA?
- What might their attitude be towards the content of the PSA?
- Would humor or a light-hearted approach offend or engage the audience?
- What media will be the most accessible for the audience?
- The responses to these questions will then influence your decisions on tone, design, content, and media (e.g., audio or video) for the PSA.
Media Options
Media options range from simple to complex; even if you are not comfortable with some technologies, there are options for creating an effective PSA for a course project or to use in your community.
Radio – You may want to air your PSA on the radio. You can either record your own audio clip or provide the radio station with a specific script for it to be read on the air.
PowerPoint – Create a slide presentation (e.g., Microsoft’s PowerPoint software); these slides can be converted to a video with use of other software.
Video – A more extensive PSA might rely on a digital recorder capturing actors (or friends/family) conveying a scripted scene. Editing the video can be done with software from the Internet.
Print – Coordinating printed documents, such as posters, brochures, or even billboards may be designed.
Social Media – Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter may be used to share the final products.
Although audience needs dictate which media option you choose, you also need to consider factors such as time to produce the PSA, your technical abilities, project requirements if it is for a course, and copyright issues with content you did not specifically create for the PSA.
No matter the media type you choose for your PSA, it is important to create a slogan and script content. You must also create or obtain relevant visuals. Creating a slogan or catchy phrase will help the PSA become memorable, and potentially influence action by the audience. The slogan should be
- one sentence or phrase,
- age appropriate for the audience.
The slogan should be connected to the main message and action the PSA is advocating. Focus on precise word choice to keep the slogan concise. Rhyming or alliteration (the repetition of consonant sounds) may be used as long as the slogan doesn’t take a childish tone if the audience is adults. Another option is modifying clichés to be relevant to the topic and thought provoking.
Here are examples of original slogans that might be used in a PSA or as the title of a PSA:
- “Drunk Driving is Dumb Driving”
- “Texting while driving spells DANGER”
- “Live Right—Eat Light!”
- “Accept Autism”
- “Want to succeed? Read!”
- “Cover your Cough”
Please note that these examples should not be used in your own project; take an original approach to the topic and PSA slogan.
Research The slogan is only one piece of the PSA’s message; the content of the PSA is what will add context and significance to the slogan. As noted earlier, a script should be written for the PSA, whether it is produced as an audio or video clip.
Prior to writing the script, however, it’s important to gather relevant research to support the PSA’s message.
Relevant research is generally in the form of statistics and can be found in government documents or peer-reviewed periodical articles that reflect research studies. Purdue Global’s Library provides students access to reliable periodicals while http://www.usa.gov allows you to link to government agencies, and Pew Research Center ( http://www.pewresearch.org ) collects results of surveys and studies related to social issues and public opinion.
Make sure that your research is current so that it is still relevant to the audience; try to focus on research that is less than five years old, unless presenting older research to set a historical context of how the topic has changed.
Personal experiences are generally not considered appropriate research for a PSA. Appropriate credit always needs to be given to the source; APA citations are generally required for Purdue Global course projects.
It may also be necessary to find graphics in order to enhance the visual appeal of video or printed PSAs. Ideally, creating your own graphics will avoid issues with copyright infringement, so consider using your digital camera and own creativity rather than copying graphics from the Internet.
Selected graphics should have the following characteristics:
- Related to the PSA’s message. The audience should not struggle to interpret the connection or significance of the graphic. This characteristic is vital for posters, where perhaps only the slogan and contact information are associated with the graphic.
- Audience appropriate. Emotionally evocative graphics should be appropriate for the audience; if the video is going to be televised, then the graphics need to be appropriate for the audience who is most likely to see the PSA, even if they are not the PSA’s target audience. Avoid nudity or violence.
- Visually clear. The graphic should be sized appropriately and not blurry. Also, consider whether the audience might be visually impaired, such as partial blindness or color blindness.
- Cited. If the graphic is from a source, then it must be clear that you are not the original author of the graphic. PSAs that will be distributed on the Internet may further require copyright permissions in order to use graphics in a public (non-academic) forum.
Script Writing
After gathering relevant research and graphics, the script writing process can begin. The content of the PSA will advocate a specific action/response by the audience. Remember, it is important, to keep the goal of the PSA reasonable for the target audience. The script should detail what is said and displayed in a video PSA; an audio-only PSA will only need to provide the content to be read aloud.
For a PSA that will be aired on the radio, the script is one paragraph long and written just as it should be read aloud. It’s important to know how long the radio station will allow for your PSA so that the paragraph does not go too long or stop short. Begin the paragraph with a sentence that hooks the audience yet clearly relates to the PSA message. From there, use one or two sentences of research to add concrete value to the PSA. Follow those sentences with an explanation of the significance of the research. Then present the slogan.
The PSA should end with contact information; if the PSA is promoting a specific event, the time and place of the event should be provided before the contact information. It is important to revise the radio version of the PSA to have accurate and concise word choice. The reader should not stumble through the text, while the audience should not get lost in a convoluted message.
When writing a script for a slide presentation (e.g., Microsoft PowerPoint), it is important to have well written text and relevant graphics. If you intend to add audio to each slide, then the narration for each slide should be noted in the script. Consider using brief phrases or one- sentence long quotes on the slide, so that it’s easy for the audience to read or hear.
The key to an effective slide presentation is finding the balance between providing enough information to engage and educate the audience without overwhelming them.
Although slide presentations can be any length, consider keeping the PSA to a length that takes no longer than two minutes to review. Most PSAs are commercial length or 30 seconds to one-minute. Be sure to review the course’s project requirements for PSA length.
A script for a video, where individuals are acting out a scene, is more complex than the other two versions of PSA writing. The script needs to incorporate several elements: actor direction, actor dialogue, and setting/visuals. When designing your PSA, you may consider not having actor dialogue if the audio equipment is not ideal for recording voices; rather, use a voice-over narration to focus on the message of the PSA, while the actors play out the relevant scene. For example, a PSA on the value of a healthy breakfast may have an adult simply drinking coffee in one scene and then sleeping at her office desk in the next scene. As with the slide presentation, the video should not exceed two-minutes in length, unless dictated by the course’s project requirements.
PSA Key Elements
No matter what form the PSA takes, it should have the following characteristics when it is completed:
Clear and concise message. Even if the PSA is two minutes long, the message needs to be clear to the audience from the very beginning and reinforced by the slogan at the end. Balance between text and graphics. When creating a visual PSA, be sure the message is not overshadowed by design features, animations, or other visual elements; visuals should serve to highlight any text or audio components. Cited research and graphics. Most Purdue Global courses required APA format to cite research. You can incorporate the source information into the text of the sentence in a PSA; for example, ―According to a 2012 report by the National Sleep Deprivation Institution, 4 out of five students do not get enough sleep.
Distribution
If you intend to share your PSA with your community, the Internet provides several options. YouTube allows you to post videos without charge, although copyrighted material cannot be posted. From here you can post a link to the video to help promote it to the community. The video link can be posted to a Facebook or Twitter account, or it can be included in a blog post or email.
If the PSA is going to be promoted by printed materials (e.g., noted in a newsletter or brochure), then the YouTube URL can be written out for the audience to access on their own.
Radio stations often meet the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements to provide service to the radio station’s community by airing PSAs without charge. Be sure to contact a radio station that is most likely to reach your target audience; also, it’ll be important to know format preference and restrictions dictated by the radio station before you begin writing the PSA. Radio stations are likely to only select PSAs that are well-written and clearly relate to their audience’s needs.
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Hi Teachers, Cover media literacy expectations with this ready to go lesson and activity on Public Service Announcements (aka PSAs). Show
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