Public Interest Communications

Do you wear a seat belt? Most Americans do. Why? An effective 1970s communications campaign aimed at a greater good and reduced car accident fatalities. 

How about the anti-smoking movement? Same-sex marriage legalization? The awareness of racial covenants’ role in the history of housing segregation and discrimination? All are examples of Public Interest Communication (PIC), which uses strategic communications to achieve positive social change. PIC connects activists and policy makers with academic researchers and teachers to create science-based, action-focused communications with the goal of improving people’s lives.

Whether you are a social justice advocate, a nonprofit leader, a professor researching public issues, a college teacher, or an undergrad or grad student curious about careers in communication and/or social justice, this conference is for you:

• Learn how to use PIC in joint projects between campuses and communities in a workshop with Kirsten Delegard of Mapping Prejudice, the racial covenant research tool
• Discuss how to use PIC to translate academic research into public policy with Don Owens from Prosperity Now in Washington, DC
• Hear from Keynote Speaker Hubert Brown (Journalism and Communications, University of Florida) about using PIC to respond to state threats around academic freedom, medical care access, voting rights, and other issues
• Develop your own PIC project idea with the keynote speaker and workshop leaders.

This free conference features keynote speaker Hub Brown on the evening of Thursday, September 19, and workshops throughout the morning and afternoon on Friday, September 20.

Friday breakfast and lunch are provided. You may register for part or all of the event. You do not need to be affiliated with the University of Minnesota to attend.