Media Advocacy & Communications 
IPS Job Description and Levels of Skills and Experience
Media Advocacy & Communications 
Levels 1-3
Job Summary
Media advocates skillfully and strategically combine mass communication with community advocacy and use media outlets (television, newspapers, video, web sites, and other outlets) to create a shift in public opinion and mobilize the necessary resources and forces to create a context for ATOD (alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs) public health policy goals and initiatives.  
The goal of media advocacy is not news coverage but policy change.  Consequently, the positions of media advocate and communications require a clear understanding and application of the environmental prevention model (Intentional Community Organizing, Applied Data and Research, Enforcement, Policy, and Media Advocacy) as a framework for creating policy change.  Although media advocacy and communication skills may overlap, they can be summarized as follows:
Media Advocacy Skills:
  • Professional and effective written and oral communication skills.
  • Knowledge of how to gain access to the media by making an issue newsworthy.
  • Ability to frame a problem as a collective / environmental issue with a policy solution and thereby shifting the focus from changing the individual to changing the environment in which the individual acts.
  • Skills in producing and operating media events, conferences, and related logistical tasks.
  • Creative response to opportunities in projects with integrated media and advocacy plans and actions.
Communication Skills:
  • Excellence in originating and preparing written material such as issue briefings, technical materials, manuals as well as layouts for use in various communication media.
  • Gathers various types of information and documentation, which may include use of video camera.
  • Basic understanding of public relations, persuasion, image, and consistency of message. Works with unique goals, features, and audience of each news output.
  • Edits the work of others to professional written communication standards.
Related Project  Skills
Because the nature of the work is project focused involving other groups and various timelines and activities, related skills of good time management, managing deadlines, and good team relationships are essential.
Behavior Traits
The person who does well in media advocacy and communications enjoys framing policy solutions and presenting information in clear and direct ways and has a talent for the imaginative and creative approach.  This person is a self-starter with high energy who can manage multiple tasks and adapt and respond quickly to opportunities. 
Media Advocacy & Communications Levels of Skills and Experience
Level 1: Responsible for public relations type communications, new releases, op-eds, and other assigned media work.  May operate video camera and track and record other public information.  Requires strong written, verbal, and administrative skills. Full responsibility for task level activity , works under direct supervision.
Level 2: Understands the full model of environmental prevention and works rapidly and changes course quickly with conditions.  May specialize in company publications, lead other communication initiatives, or be integrated into project.  Full responsibility for design and success of news events/conferences.  Active strategic and creative partner with project managers to create momentum and awareness of policy and other goals.  May supervise lower level staff task work; delegates PR or simple communications. Minimum 2 years or more full time experience in related communications work in support of policy change.
Level 3: Has excellent grasp of applied use of environmental prevention model.  Creative leader and experienced resource for project staff, can work easily with project-wide or community-wide change goals. Can supervise workers effectively.  Seeks strategic help/consulting early and often, as needed, seeks appropriate viewpoints and information to foster creative approach and response. Works with management to create new projects and expand current ones.  Contributes effectively to grant writing. Minimum of 4 or more years of experience in successful, policy focused, media advocacy or communication work.
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IPS is an AA/EEO employer. People of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
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