PASSAGE 1: The Good Work of Public Service Announcements
By Laura Lovett
A “public service announcement” is an advertisement used to display a message to the public. The goal of the PSA is to raise awareness of a subject, change the attitude of the public, or incite actions regarding social issues. Examples include commercials on TV discussing drinking and driving or drug use. PSAs are shown on cable television as well as during school programs.
Many different groups create PSAs for the benefit of children and teenagers. In school, you may watch short commercials that talk about the consequences of drinking and driving or doing drugs. The goal of the PSA is to show you the cause and effect of what doing drugs or drinking and driving can do in a short amount of time. But are these types of ads effective?
Candace Lightner founded MADD on September 5, 1980, after a drunk driver killed her 13-year-old daughter, Cari. There is at least one MADD office in every state in the US and in each province of Canada. Their mission is “…to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes, and prevent underage drinking.” MADD has shown that—since its founding—drunk driving has been reduced by half.
Studies have shown that PSAs can be effective depending on how they are presented. Research must be done on the topic to be able to present the information, so it will be heard and remembered. For example, if a PSA involving drunk driving includes a celebrity or actual event, it may be more memorable to the viewer. Because of this, a teen may choose not to drink and drive when approached with the issue.
Many older PSAs are still remembered today by people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. Music, slogans, and celebrities helped to push the point of the PSA across so that it stayed with viewers years after they were seen.
PSAs are mainly used to teach a lesson to young people. There are PSAs to stop drinking and driving and drug use. PSAs have also been made about smoking, forest fires, recycling, and a range of other topics.
The overall goal of the PSA is to be memorable and to change actions. MADD (the Mothers Against Drunk Driving group) created PSAs in the past to try and stop drinking and driving among young people. Their goal was to have a PSA that would stay in the minds of teens and then keep them from drinking and driving.
Public service announcements can be helpful if created well. A good PSA will be informative and get the point across directly and quickly. A PSA should be memorable so that when viewers are in a particular situation, they will stay safe.
According to Passage 1, what is the MOST important thing regarding effective PSAs?
According to Passage 1, the most important thing regarding effective PSAs is that they are memorable to the viewers.
A. a celebrity
B. how it is presented
C. good slogans and music
D. details from an actual event
B. how it is presented
PASSAGE 2: PSAs: Not Worth the Cost
By Jane Williams
Studies have shown that PSAs that target ongoing activities like drug use are less effective than those that target a one-time action such as being vaccinated. Financial restrictions seem to be the most effective. If teens cannot afford to buy drugs, they are less likely to become addicted to them.
Charitable groups, corporations, and nonprofit organizations usually create public service announcements to change actions, raise awareness, or change the attitude of the public using a televised ad. TV channels will air PSAs for no charge. This is a great help to the group who spends time and money to make the PSA. But are PSAs worth the cost?
Many examiners of behaviors will say that PSAs are not worth the cost of making and have no effect in changing behavior. A common PSA type that you may have seen would be commercials discussing drinking and driving. A PSA of this type was made to show you what can happen if you drink and drive and hopefully keep you from doing so. But will a commercial really stop you from this type of activity?
Moralists say that the subject matter of PSAs is something that parents and guardians should be teaching children. Learning to avoid underage drinking should be a talk coming from parents. People argue that these types of activities cannot be stopped based on a commercial.
The cost of a PSA can be in the tens of thousands and even on up into the six-figure range depending on the content of the ad. When thinking about the topic of the PSA, the amount of money spent may not be cost-effective. When celebrities are involved in PSAs, the cost can be even higher. While the ad may be easily remembered because of the celebrity’s appearance, it may cost too much with no reward.
Think about different situations you have experienced. If you were in a potentially dangerous situation, would you remember a commercial? Or would a conversation with an adult be more effective?
PSAs are a good way to open the door for parents to begin talking with teens about certain subjects. PSAs have not been shown to stop certain actions but can be a tool used to begin those talks. It can be hard for parents to talk to teens about drinking, smoking, and drugs. When a PSA comes on television, it can be a nice ice breaker to begin the talks.
PSAs will always be a form of advertising that is used to talk about certain sensitive subjects. When it comes to children and teens, PSAs can be used as a starting point to discuss those hard-to-talk-about topics.
Which ONE sentence below from Passage 2 BEST supports why PSAs are “not worth the cost”?
A. “Moralists say that the subject matter of PSAs is something that parents and guardians should be teaching children.”
B “The cost of a PSA can be in the tens of thousands and even on up in the six-figure range depending on the content of the ad.”
C “Studies have shown that PSAs that target ongoing activities like drug use are less effective than those that target a one-time action such as being vaccinated.”
D “Financial restrictions seem to be the most effective.”
B “The cost of a PSA can be in the tens of thousands and even on up in the six-figure range depending on the content of the ad.”
Read this sentence from Passage 1.
For example, if a PSA involving drunk driving includes a celebrity or actual event, it may be more memorable to the viewer.
Which ONE sentence below from Passage 2 is the BEST counterargument for the sentence above?
A“The cost of a PSA can be in the tens of thousands and even on up into the six-figure range depending on the content of the ad.”
B“When thinking about the topic of the PSA, the amount of money spent may not be cost-effective.”
C“When celebrities are involved in PSAs, the cost can be even higher.”
D“While the ad may be easily remembered because of the celebrity’s appearance, it may cost too much with no reward.”
D“While the ad may be easily remembered because of the celebrity’s appearance, it may cost too much with no reward.”
How are PSAs beneficial? Use at least ONE detail from EACH passage to support your response. Write your answer in the space provided. Remember to clearly reference the texts.
PSAs are beneficial because they can raise awareness, change attitudes, and incite action regarding social issues. In Passage 1, it is mentioned that the goal of a PSA is to raise awareness and change actions. For example, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) created PSAs to try and stop drinking and driving among young people, with the goal of having a PSA that would stay in the minds of teens and then prevent them from engaging in such dangerous behavior. This indicates that PSAs can have a positive impact by effectively bringing important social issues to the attention of the public.
Moreover, Passage 2 states that PSAs can serve as a starting point for parents to begin talking with teens about sensitive subjects such as drinking, smoking, and drugs. This suggests that PSAs can be a useful tool in initiating discussions about difficult topics that may otherwise be challenging for parents to address with their children.
You have read the passages “The Good Work of Public Service Announcements” and “PSAs: Not Worth the Cost” and have answered some questions about what you have read. Now write your argumentative essay in the space provided.
Writing Task
Public service announcements are “used to display a message to the public.” Some feel they are beneficial, while others feel they are not worth the cost.
Weigh the claims on both sides, and then write an argumentative essay in which you argue whether public service announcements are beneficial to teens or simply not worth the cost and why.
Be sure to use evidence from BOTH passages in your argumentative essay. Write your response in the space provided.
Before you write, be sure to:
• think about ideas, facts, definitions, details, and other information and examples you want to use;
• think about how you will introduce your topic and what the main topic will be for each paragraph;
• develop your ideas clearly and use your own words, except when quoting directly from the source texts;
• be sure to identify the sources by title or number when using details or facts directly from the sources.
Now write your argumentative essay in the space provided. Be sure to:
• introduce your claim;
• support your claim with logical reasoning and relevant evidence from the texts;
• acknowledge and address alternate or opposing claims;
• organize the reasons and evidence logically;
• use words, phrases, and clauses to connect your ideas and to clarify the relationships among claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence;
• establish and maintain a formal style;
• provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented; and
• check your work for correct grammar, usage, capitalization, spelling, and punctuation.
Please use two line spaces (using the "enter" key twice) between each paragraph.