{"id":735,"date":"2019-08-22T11:50:13","date_gmt":"2019-08-22T18:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/webspace.royalroads.ca\/jhodson\/?page_id=735"},"modified":"2019-09-20T11:15:06","modified_gmt":"2019-09-20T18:15:06","slug":"how-to-think-and-communicate-like-a-journalist","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/webspace.royalroads.ca\/jhodson\/communication-in-the-public-interest-resources\/science-communication\/chapter-2-tips-and-challenges-for-science-communication\/how-to-think-and-communicate-like-a-journalist\/","title":{"rendered":"2.1. How to think (and communicate) like a journalist"},"content":{"rendered":"

One concern about science communication that many scientists have is related to the fear that their science will be misinterpreted or somehow misconstrued by the journalists who report on it.<\/p>\n

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Science is complex, and thus we tend to use precise terminology and standard article formats designed to encompass all of the complexity. Typical journalistic formats are necessarily quite different, and when complexity is lost, sometimes the message seems to be over-simplified to the point of being misleading.<\/p>\n

But you can help bridge this gap and also make the communication of your science more accessible to a broad audience if you learn how to think more like a journalist.<\/p>\n

Four important strategies can allow you to connect with journalists to get your science accurately into the public, they are:<\/p>\n

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  1. Use the Inverted Pyramid:<\/strong>\n
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    Scientists and the public: Bridging the gap. From https:\/\/www.aaas.org\/news\/st-policy-fellows-hear-views-communicating-science<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    When we write scientifically, we provide background first, followed by a detailed description of what we did to get to our results (methods) and then finally, we get to the big idea, or the results of our work. This is actually opposite to how journalists need to communicate the public. When speaking with journalists or trying to communicate the value of your work to the public, start with the big idea – the exciting part, or “so what” of your work, then move on to how you got to your findings, and finally, if there’s time and space you can provide background.<\/li>\n

  2. Make friends with local journalists:<\/strong> With newsroom cutbacks at a fever pitch, the age of the science journalist beat seems to have come to an end. This means that journalists have to be generalists, doing more with less, and thus may not have the time or expertise to fully understand many different types of science. This is what can lead to misinterpretation. However, if you can develop relationships with journalists, by getting to know them and allowing them to get to know you, you will be in a position to correct any inaccuracies, and also you will be able to teach them about your science over time. Make an effort to think of your interactions with journalists more like potential ongoing relationships and nurture them.<\/li>\n
  3. Be responsive:<\/strong> Related to point 2 above, in a digital communication age, journalists have to file stories frequently and at a high speed. You will be more likely to have a voice if you respond to journalists and your own university communication office right away. When we’re doing our science, we know that things don’t always move quickly, and we have many competing priorities begging for our attention (students, grants, research teams, to name a few). However, the journalism world is quite different from the lab, and if we are not responsive, we may lost not only an opportunity to speak about our science now, but also may jeopardize any relationship building we’re doing with our journalist colleagues.<\/li>\n
  4. Connect your work to trending topics and news headlines:<\/strong> Journalists are looking for ways to attract audience interest and engagement. One strategy they use is to write about trending topics, or stories that are already picking up steam in the broad media environment. If you can find ways to connect your science to big trends or news events, you will find you have more opportunities to speak about it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    By employing the strategies above,\u00a0 you can better connect with journalists who may be interested in your science. In addition, some of the strategies, like using the inverted pyramid or connecting your work to trending topics, are good advice for science communication more generally. This video embedded here from UBC gives additional advice on how to communicate your science like a journalist. If the embedded video doesn’t play in your device or browser you may find the video on YouTube at this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n