Media relations as education : a study of Vancouver Aquarium news releases and their use by the print media

• Main Author: Nichini, Marisa
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/6551

In 1993, the Vancouver Aquarium developed new strategic objectives that implemented the institution's commitment to conservation education. Media relations were identified as an area which the institution could utilize in order to provide educational information to the general public and, thereby, effect its conservation education mandate. This thesis addresses two questions (a) How does the Vancouver Aquarium use its media relations opportunities to promote educational information? and (b) Do the print media use the educational information conveyed in Vancouver Aquarium news releases? Vancouver Aquarium news releases were selected as an appropriate media relations opportunity for transmitting educational information to the media. The print media, specifically newspaper articles, were chosen as the type of news item to be examined. Thirty news releases were selected and matched with 81 corresponding newspaper articles. Factors examined included: content of news releases and newspaper articles, type of information (event, animal and conservation messages), readability of news releases and the source of the newspaper articles. The results of the content analysis revealed that all 30 news releases contained Event and Animal Messages, but only 47% of the news releases contained Conservation Messages. Percent concurrence was calculated in order to compare content of the news releases with the content of the newspaper articles. This analysis indicated that news releases are an effective method of transmitting Event Messages, and somewhat effective at transmitting educational information (Animal and Conservation Messages). A model of the Vancouver Aquarium communication process was developed.