A new study has shown an increasing tendency for public service announcements (PSAs) to represent marginalized identities as individual obstacles to overcome through hard work, rather than through structural and systemic solutions.

The findings by Kasey Windels, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) Advertising associate professor, University of Miami Assistant Professor Sophia Mueller, Ph.D. 2023, UFCJC doctoral student Xiaofan Wei and UFCJC Advertising Associate Professor Huan Chen are featured in “Agent of Your Own Destiny: How Neoliberal Discourses Permeate Award-Winning Public Service Announcements” published in the Journal of Advertising on Jan. 8.

The article examines a sample of PSAs disseminated by non-profits and governments to serve the public good. It examines a growth in the tendency for these messages to employ neoliberal discourses, which tend to focus us on individual solutions to problems (take care of yourself, provide for your own needs), ignoring structural and systemic solutions (like policy and regulation).

According to the authors, “Neoliberalism is a political and economic structure and ideology that seeks to maximize free trade and minimize government interference. It has expanded to become a set of practices that calls on individuals to be agents of their own destinies, focus on their own self-care, provide for their own needs, and be responsible for their actions.”

They add, “Advertisers need to consider how broader societal ideologies that govern our beliefs and behaviors, such as neoliberalism, influence the discourses they use to communicate, and how they in turn impact their intended audience. Findings suggest that PSAs are incorporating neoliberal subjectivities to regulate us by shaping the ways we think and feel about ourselves and others, and increasingly utilizing individuals with marginalized identities.”

Posted: January 10, 2024
Category: Alumni News, College News, Student News
Tagged as: Huan Chen, Journal of Advertising, Kasey Windels, Neoliberal Discourses, Public Service Announcements, Sophia Mueller, Xiaofen Wei