Reaching viewers and listeners in 11 states, Morgan Murphy Media broadcast stations committed its resources over one day to fight vaccine hesitancy.
The company-wide effort, labeled “Vaccine Day,” included phone banks, digital outreach and no-appointment, drop-in vaccination clinics to increase the rate of adoption in the local communities served by the stations.
“We know the single greatest thing we can do to get our communities back to normal is get more people vaccinated,” said Brian Burns, Morgan Murphy Media executive vice president and chief operating officer. “This is what we do. Devoting a single day to this effort is right in line with our 131-year heritage of community service and part of our broadcaster DNA.”
Vaccine adoption rates are lagging in rural areas and in underserved populations across the country. The CDC estimates up to 30% of people in some areas are hesitant to get the vaccine over safety and efficacy concerns. Others just have not made time to get a shot because it is not convenient.
“We provided a quick and easy way to get questions answered by medical experts and a simple way to get a vaccine without an appointment,” Burns said.
With local health partners, the stations collectively fielded more than 1,000 phone calls. Two stations hosted on-site, no-appointment vaccinations clinics while others showcased community drop-in clinics.
The campaign included two digital exclusives. “Dose of Information” posts quickly and easily dispelled myths about the vaccine and were shared across social media. And “Why I got vaccinated” offered personal stories about what motivated people to get the shot.
“Vaccine Day” was also highlighted on the national OTT platform VUit and available across the country to anyone with a connected TV or mobile phone.
(This post was taken from a press release sent to me by 25 News Now KAVU Victoria)
