Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Aug 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Community Psychol. 2017 Apr 28;45(6):796–809. doi: 10.1002/jcop.21893

Table 1. Topics included in the Media Detective Family program.

Section Clue Topics
Introduction Introduce Mystery

  • Instructions about how to navigate through the software program.

  • Introduction of main characters who narrate the story.

  • Introduction of the story presenting a media mystery that will be solved by the participating family.
Case 1 Product

  • Introduce the idea that all advertisements try to sell a product.

  • Families discuss how it can sometimes be difficult to figure out what is actually being sold in an ad.

  • Practice identifying the product in ads.
Case 2 Target Audience

  • Introduce the idea that all ads have a target audience.

  • Learn clues for figuring out target audiences.

  • Practice identifying the target audience in ad examples.

  • Families discuss why it is important to figure out whether you are the target audience for an ad.

  • Families discuss why an ad for a product for adults only (e.g.., alcohol) might target children (i.e., increase brand awareness).
Case 3 Ad Hook

  • Introduce the idea that all ads have a hook that is used to attract the target audience.

  • Learn clues for figuring out ad hooks.

  • Practice identifying ad hooks in ad examples.

  • Families discuss why an advertisement might capture the attention of a target audience.

  • Families discuss the fact that there are many different kinds of ad hooks and that ads may use more than one ad hook.
Case 4 Hidden Messages

  • Introduce the idea that add ads have hidden messages.

  • Learn a method for identifying the hidden messages in an ad.

  • Compare the applicability of the hidden message in an ad to each participant's personal values.

  • Practice identifying hidden messages in ad examples.

  • Families discuss whether these hidden messages are reflect reality and are true.
Case 5 Missing Information

  • Introduce the idea that some information is selectively included and some information is strategically missing in ads.

  • Families discuss why it is important to think about both included and missing information in ads.

  • Learn that the information that is missing in ads is usually the health consequences of product use.

  • Practice identifying information that is missing in alcohol, tobacco, and energy drink ads.

  • Families discuss why advertisers leave out health information from ads.
Conclusion All Five Clues

  • Apply logical processing skills to solve media mysteries about ads for alcohol, tobacco, and energy drinks.

  • Learn accurate, factual health information about alcohol, tobacco, and energy drinks.

  • Practice creating counter-ads that include information that is typically missing from alcohol and tobacco ads.