public service announcement news stories on Newser

Delta In-Flight Ad Causes Stir

Kevin Spak — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:48:16 CST

Delta Airlines has announced that it will change its approval process for in-flight ads, after a PSA from the National Vaccine Information Center, a group that is often critical of vaccines, caused an uproar, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports. The ad , which will keep running through the end of November...

Meghan McCain Fires Back at Glenn Beck

John Johnson — Thu, 12 May 2011 18:26:51 CDT

After Glenn Beck mocked Meghan McCain's appearance in a PSA for skin cancer by pretending to vomit at the very thought, her mom came to her defense . Now Meghan herself has responded in her Daily Beast column, and it's a beaut: "As a person who is known for his hot...

Bullock Tries to Get Out of Gulf Ad ...

Nick McMaster — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:05:14 CDT

Sandra Bullock is fighting to get herself taken out of a prominent public service announcement for the Gulf after learning that the ad's sponsor has ties to the oil industry. The "Be the One" ad (see it in the video gallery) is sponsored in part by America's Wetland Foundation, which...

Bristol Palin PSA Cautions Against Teen Pregnancy

Nick McMaster — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:57:35 CDT

Bristol Palin urges teens to consider the consequences of a teen pregnancy in a new PSA. Produced by the Candie's Foundation, the ad shows Palin with son Tripp telling teens to "pause before you play," reports Huffington Post . It's an open-ended message that she tells ABC could mean "pause and...

PSAs Drive Bingers to Drink More: Study

Will McCahill — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:00:00 CST

The shaming quality of public-service announcements aimed at curbing binge drinking actually pushes such drinkers to imbibe more. And, a study finds, the spots are often so guilt-inducing that they can push someone feeling bad about some other malfeasance—cheating, say—to drink. One of the researchers suggests a different...

Joaquin Phoenix Cleans Up for PSA With ... Miley Cyrus

Harry Kimball — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:34:00 CST

Joaquin Phoenix has returned to the limelight, clean shaven and with a befuddling new pal: Miley Cyrus. In a PSA for a suicide-prevention group, Cyrus shares her computer skills with Phoenix—who pretends not to have a clue who she is—and a game Liv Tyler, E! reports. “A singer,...

James Lipton Begs You Not to Sext

Evann Gastaldo — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:45:36 CST

Teen sexting is on the rise—and just in time, James Lipton is here to assess the threat and give naive picture swappers everywhere some sage advice. A new survey by MTV and the AP shows that nearly one-third of youths have sent or received nude photos, Wired reports. To...

'Save the Boob' Ads Turn Heads, Spark Complaints

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:31:24 CDT

Just because breast cancer is serious, does that mean PSAs have to be? "Save the boob" is the tag line on one irreverent video in a campaign for breast cancer awareness that's drawing fans—and furious complaints. Designers of the public service announcements aim to grab the attention younger women,...