Communication Campaign in Solving Dust of Breath Council Chiang Mai

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the communication campaign addressing the dust problem solving led by the Breath Council Chiang Mai. This qualitative research collected data through in-depth interviews with five key informants, including the president, vice president, academic staff, and communication officers of Breath Council Chiang Mai. Additional data was gather from documents, Facebook pages, and websites during the period of  2021 – 2023.

The research results showed that the Chiang Mai Breath Council campaigns to solve the dust problem in three steps: The first step involes assessing needs, objectives, and the responsiveness of target groups at two levels: the public, and governmental or network levels. Public engagement was evaluated by analysing opinions on Facebook pages and Chiang Mai Breath Council websites, while government  and networks involvement was examined through discussions and meetings. The second step is planning campaigns and creating media. Campaigns was designed in three phases: long-term, mid-term, and short-term plans. The plan focused on 1) communication strategies to reduce PM2.5 and dust problem, 2) by increasing awareness, fostering understanding, encouraging behavioral change and promoting community involvement in problem solving. 3) It also emphasized the coucil's intermediary as, coordinating across various sectors. Multiple media and activities were employed including personal media, mass media, special media, activity media, and new media. The content presentation strategies hilighted delivering suitable content for target groups, presenting credible information, and using diverse media while incorporating rational arguments, emotional appeals, and motivational messaging. The final step invole evaluating campaign outcomes in three phases: pre-campaign, mid-campaign, and post-campaign assessments. In conclusion, the communication model for addressing the dust problem should focus on sustainable solutions, using new media to engage with the public and farmers and communicate proper forest fire management to support forest fire prevention efforts.