This course will introduce students to a range of communication strategies to move public policy forward in public policy areas from climate change to public education, health reform to anti-poverty efforts. For new public policy to emerge, policy experts must learn skills to translate their analytical content to the public audiences that ultimately decide the fate of reform. Class members will examine policy reform from the strategic communications perspective including understanding audiences, identifying partners, developing key messages, storytelling, media relations, delivering the messages through effective channels and measuring impact. Students will develop policy advocacy campaigns which demonstrate the interplay between strategic, effective, targeted communications and achieving and sustaining policy change.
This course meets in the first half of the semester (January 5 - February 22).
