Public Service Announcements
A public service announcement (PSA) is a message shared with the general public to raise awareness for an issue or event. They are meant to be educational and informative, but often inspire action or change as well. Aside from announcing community events, PSAs can be used to promote healthy living or safety campaigns. PSAs are usually aired on television and radio at no cost to serve the public interest. Look for community calendars used by radio or TV stations to announce events to the community. Send in your PSA about three weeks in advance of when you would like it aired.
Tips for Writing a PSA
- Use company letterhead
- Put "PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT" centered at the top of the document
- Follow with a few spaces and then write the date range that you'd like your announcement to air (January 1-15, 2024)
- List name, phone, and email of the contact person
- Title your announcement, in bold letters, by the name of the event
- Though the PSA covers less material than the typical news release, it requires the same "who, what, where, when, and why"
-
Include PSAs at varying lengths:
- 10 seconds/20-25 words
- 15 seconds/30-35words
- 20 seconds/40-50 words
- 30 seconds/60-75 words
- Keep the information short and easy to read. Practice reading it aloud to make sure it sounds right.
- Write '###', centered at the end