title: Smoke-free workplace ballot campaigns: case studies from Missouri and lessons for policy and media advocacy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the key components of smoke-free campaigns that may have influenced voting outcomes in three communities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community case studies with content analysis of tobacco-related newspaper articles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three semiurban Missouri communities.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred eighty-one articles referencing tobacco published during the campaigns and five key informant interviews.
  
  
  METHODS
  Articles were coded for type, community referenced, tobacco control position, source of quotations, use of evidence, and frame. Semistructured interviews with key informants collected additional information.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive statistics were utilized to examine media coverage in each community. Key themes and events for each campaign were identified from qualitative interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The only community that failed to pass its initiative had the highest proportion of letters to the editor (81.1%), anti-tobacco control articles (34.2%), use of a rights frame (28.8%), no evidence used (36.9%), no neighboring communities with policies, strong Tea Party presence, and no support from the chamber of commerce. Across all communities, more articles incorporating health frames were pro-tobacco control (70.7%) and more articles with a rights frame were anti-tobacco control (62.0%), compared to other positions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several factors can influence the policy process. Tobacco control policy advocates facing strong opposition should consider the many factors (demographics, proximity to other adopting localities, politics) driving the debate and use media as an avenue to influence the discussion, connect with the public and policymakers, and mobilize proponents.
authors: Center for Public Health Systems Science, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.
authors: Laura E
authors: LE
authors: Bach
authors: Sarah C
authors: SC
authors: Shelton
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Moreland-Russell
authors: Kendre
authors: K
authors: Israel
mesh_terms: D015706:Bibliometrics; D003709:Democracy; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008923:Missouri; D009524:Newspapers as Topic; D016272:Occupational Health; D012907:Smoking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D013383:Suburban Population; D062789:Tobacco Products; D017132:Workplace