Quick links:

Don't just communicate - explain! Harvard Business Publishing, Management Tip of the Day, 22 June 2009

Am I Making Myself Clear?: A Scientist's Guide to Talking to the Public by Cornelia Dean (former science editor at the New York Times) and a great blog post about the book by The Research Explainer

A short primer on communicating science (adapted from AAAS's Communicating Science: Tools for Scientists and Engineers):

If you've been contacted by a journalist about your work, or you would like to engage more with the media and the general public about your work, here are some useful tips and resources to help.

1. Define your audience.

The 'general public' is not an audience -- yeah, yeah, I know I broke my own rule above, but seriously: do you consider yourself a member of the 'general public'? Almost nobody does. Narrow down your audience: are you speaking to members of your department? To a science journalist? To the host of a local radio station? To your grandmother? Who your audience is determines what your message will be and how you will deliver it.

2. Develop your message.

The way that reporters communicate information is very different from how scientists are taught to:

Image: AAAS

In developing your message, think again in terms of your audience, and what information they seek from you, in addition to what you'd like your audience to remember about your communication.

Peer-reviewed journal articles typically begin with detailed information about how the research was performed and conclude with the implications or significance of the finding. However, journalists or a public audience will expect you to explain the significance of the research and how it relates to their lives from the start, and then supply an appropriate level of detail that emphasizes the greater significance.

Your message can be an 'elevator pitch' or it can be a longer speech. The best messages have 3 points and are miniature, memorable and meaningful. What we mean by that is:

Miniature:
- Your three points can be three steps of your research process, or three reasons why your research is interesting or important, or
- Your three points could be three sub-projects within your research.
Memorable:
- Give cues to yourself and your audience to remember the three points, such as hand gestures or by using alliteration. For instance, a spokesperson for a recent proposal to force Washington DC taxis to use fare meters said that the proposal was "Big, bold and beautiful. Big because DC has over 3 million visitors each year, and without meters tourists have no idea what they're paying for their taxi trips. Bold because the taxi commission has a lot of power and would prefer to keep things as they are. And beautiful because it will finally free taxi passengers from the guessing game of how much they're paying to get around this great city."
Meaningful:
- Your message needs to work for you and it needs to work for your audience. You need to feel comfortable saying it, and your audience needs to feel moved or interested in it. Practice your message on colleagues in different scientific disciplines or even on your kids to see how well it works.

If you'd like additional help, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) offers an online seminar for developing your message.

3. Doing the interview

Here's a list of questions you should ask the journalist (yes, you get to ask questions too!)

"Are you on deadline?" This will help you determine how much time you have to respond. Many journalists are on a very tight deadline, so if you respond late to them you might miss your chance to contribute to the story.
"What are you looking for from me/us?" In addition to your message (which, of course, you have developed using the process above!), you need to know what is on the reporter's mind. He or she may have assumptions you may need to correct.
"Who else have you talked to?" This allows you to understand the context that other sources are providing to the journalist, so you can better understand your role in supplying information.
"Is there a news event driving this?" The answer to this will tell you about the story's urgency and angle. It is a feature for a magazine, an in-depth analysis for a newspaper, or a news story for a nightly news program?
"Is there another time we can talk? I'm right in the middle of something at the moment." Even if this is not true, this will allow you some time to prepare for the interview. Most reporters' initial calls are simply to schedule time to talk to you. Take time to ask the questions above and prepare material for a later conversation with the journalist - but still be respectful of his/her deadline!
"When do you hope this will appear?" Reporters often are not in control of when their stories are published, but they can give you a sense of what to expect in terms of publication. Let your public information office know if a story is coming out soon.