Top tips if you want to talk science to the rest of the world
A continuation of insights from my GEM plenary
It’s been a minute, but never too late to continue a discussion. And actually, that’s a great way to start this post. When talking to the public on social media about your science, yes, consistency and frequency will help you grow a following… but that’s not the only way. This is especially true if you are working via the platform of blogs/long-form writing. “The internet is forever,”… except when I want to find that article about the place that looked like it might have tasty food that I wanted to try three years ago… but I digress. Reaching out and sharing the love of your science is important, even if it is late when you have time or just when you feel inspired. It is all good.
So back to the reason for this post. As you may remember, I gave the student plenary talk at GEM this year. The students had asked me to discuss how I do outreach and share my science, well, really, how I communicate my science. As I communicate my science similarly for both the broader science community and the media, I focused on the media bit - the bit that most people are less familiar with. The students stated that they were unsure how to start, how to get involved, and what they might want to know. Although I am not an expert, I do have some experience. In my previous post, I shared some tips and tricks on how to effectively share your science. In this post, I will continue the conversation, but I welcome any additional insights from your own experiences in the comments below.
Let’s talk about interviews. Interviews can be an absolute blast! Someone wants to hear from you about the things you love. Someone is actually asking you to talk at length about things your family is possibly tired of hearing about. Have fun with this! But there are some things you might want to know. For instance, always assume you are on the record. Most journalists will want you to feel comfortable, and they are very good at making you feel comfortable! This is good… But! But you should then remember that you are on the record. Try to keep things PG and well, to topics that you don’t mind if the whole world hears/reads what you have to say. Remember this during events that journalists are invited to as well.
As a short aside, we sometimes forget that some of our conferences/workshops invite journalists to join the scientists. Often they have a specific room set up for the “big events” and “press briefings”; however, journalists have a pass to all sessions. This caught me way off guard one year. I was on a space weather panel in; I think it was 2020. The panel and all were asked what piece of data did we think would be the most important to get to advance our field. I mentioned that we needed actual impact data. Data that told us when space weather impacted different types of technology. We think we know when that happens, but that type of data is very hard to get as it is often viewed as competition sensitive. Companies don’t really want to advertise when their products have issues. Makes sense, but it also makes our job as space weather scientists harder. Now, I wasn’t watching closely what and how I stated this. I thought I was amongst a friendly community - a community who might disagree with my answer but who would be understanding of it. They might judge me, but also they know me, so it would be like my cousins and aunts and uncles judging me. They are stuck with me and will still talk to me even if they disagree with what I say. At least, they will to a point.
A month or two later, I got an email from a good colleague congratulating me on a great interview in Space News. My response? I didn’t give an interview to Space News. Once I found the article, I realized that the journalist had attended or watched the video of the panel. I was mortified. Everything was presented fine, and I said what they had quoted me saying, but I was caught off guard. The journalist never reached out to me - there was no ethical reason or moral reason why they should have. It would have been nice, but they were under no obligation, as I was on the record by being on the panel. And while this story turned out fine, it was a lesson I will never forget. You are always on the record.
The next lesson: You do not have editorial privileges or a right to review the piece. This is a massive ethical issue for journalists. You, as their subject, should not have editorial review. Now, of course, we see it differently; we want to make sure we are understood and make sure that we don’t make any mistakes when representing our science. Most science journalists understand this and will ask for either clarification or make sure that you can review the scientific contributions you were interviewed for the piece. But this is something to be prepared for. You might not get a chance to see what they write and put together, and that is to ensure journalistic ethics are adhered to. We want them to respect our cultural norms, so we need to respect theirs. And thus, it becomes even more important to remember that you are always on the record. Take a beat and think about what you want to say, because you might not get a chance to review it later.
And the last thing to know before you decide to give an interview or write a piece for a magazine/newspaper/blog. Often you, nor the journalist, get to pick the title/headline. The title is picked by the editor. The editor wants to make sure that their news org is continued to be funded, so don’t be surprised if they pick something that is a bit sensationalized - clickbaity. It is incredibly annoying. It is also infuriating when your fellow scientists assume that you picked the title and blame you for bad science communication. That has happened to me. Having the editor pick the headline is really just not ideal, but it is standard practice. So, if you see a horrible science headline, make sure to read the article first before getting mad at the scientists quoted or in the byline. They probably weren’t the ones who picked it, and they are probably even more embarrassed than you are.
So to summarize before heading on:
You are always on the record
You do not have editorial privileges or rights to review the piece
You do not get to pick the headline/title.
Okay, so you haven’t yet been scared off, and I really hope you haven’t! So what’s next? Even before you get the call to do an interview, there are a few things that you can do. Know that they might have a very short turnaround time, so it’s okay to ask for a minute or even say “no” if you don’t think you will be ready within their time frame. Often your institution will have a comms person who can help you. When you respond to the interview request, cc your comms folks. In that email, ask the interviewer what they would like to talk about, how much time they have for the interview, who their audience is, and what is their platform (e.g., radio, online newspaper, TV, TikTok). Now you can prepare some notes and other materials. Figure out what your main takeaway message is, and your comms group can help with that. Write that main message down and keep it with you - ideally in your eyesight. I like to write it on a sticky note and put it on my computer monitor so that I see it and get reminded to stay on topic. I also like to find other websites and media (videos, other podcasts, or blogs) on the topic that I can give them as other references. Having this all ahead of time helps; even if it’s put together 15 minutes before the interview starts.
As you can see, it might be that it all happens very fast - within a few minutes or hours! It might seem too daunting or not in your skill set, but remember, neither was your science when you started. You had to practice; you had to train; you spent (hopefully not too many) long nights over E&M problems figuring out Bessel functions and MHD equations (or the equivalent hard ideas and topics for whatever field you are in). It took years to get to where you are, and now you are one of the world's experts in your knowledge area.
The good news is, you don’t have to be a world expert in Communications to give a good interview! The other good news is that there is media training that you can take, and practice will help you become better and feel more comfortable! So get out there and do it! Train, and when the call comes, you will be ready.
Also, as a human scientist, we practice science communications all the time. Sure, when you are talking to the public, you might not want to use all the jargon, add in more personal stories, and perhaps not go into ALL the details, but the core concept of good communication is the same as it is for everyday conversations. Listen to the other person and watch to see if they are giving you cues about if they understand you or not. Make it a conversation to ensure they understand what you want to convey. Be patient and friendly. You are a human; you know how to communicate. Enjoy yourself, show your love for your topic, and the rest won’t matter.
During the interview, relax and enjoy yourself. When you start feeling too anxious, worried, or just hyper, take a breath. Your body will thank you.
Remember to always be yourself. I know this sound cliché, but it’s true. You are awesome, and we, the public, want to see the amazing you! We want to see your nerdiness and your excitement for this thing we don’t understand. We want to share in your excitement, in your wonder, and in your concerns. And perhaps more importantly, we want to connect with a human, so be your full human self, flaws and all.
Along those lines, it is more than okay to say you don’t know! In fact, it’s often the start of a great discussion in an interview or even a way to connect more with your audience. They don’t know; when you don’t know, they feel seen - possibly disappointed - but seen. It’s also a great way to pivot the conversation back to what you do know. “I don’t know what forms black holes, but aren’t they interesting? Well, to be honest, I actually haven’t thought much about them because I find the dynamics in our atmosphere, a place where we live and work, just so much more fascinating. I keep getting distracted from reading up on other astrophysical phenomena by the bubbles and blobs we see in our own atmosphere - well not seen with our own eyes, but with our instruments. I mean, who would have thought that we have bubbles and blobs in our atmosphere? Our world above us is lumpy, and those lumps, depending on their size can impact our ability to communicate across the globe…” It might be a bit awkward, but it helps you control the direction of the conversation and helps set limits about what you are willing to talk about. It’s also more than okay to say, “I’m really sorry, but I don’t know. We don’t study that in my field. We focus on…”
Interviews, yes can be scary, but are really fun. I hope that you enjoy your time! But after the interview, you aren’t done. If it was a live TV/radio/ect. Interview follow-up and say thanks! They might not want or need any other information, but this is a great time to let them know that you are happy to talk about a range of topics. And now, you are part of their network and resources.
If it was an asynchronous interview, e.g., you talked with a journalist who is working on a segment for tonight’s news, follow up and say thanks! If you had mentioned any other media that might be of use to them, videos, papers, or images, send them the links to it! Let them know that you are happy to help with any follow-up questions or can find other experts and other media sources that might be of value. And end with the same as the live interview. Let them know what other topics you would be happy to help with!
After your interview has aired or your social media posts have been sent, share the news! Spread it on social media. Do the internet equivalent of hanging it on the fridge, and post it on FaceBook and LinkedIn, and any other platform you’re on. Make a tweet or a toot, find a creative common image, or make your own and put it on Instagram. But above all else… Don’t feed the trolls. Engage with the public, answer questions, and point them to other material and other experts, but don’t feed the trolls. The trolls have plenty of natural food sources on the internet. They won’t starve. Just leave them be… and that’s the hardest thing to do, but perhaps the most important.
Okay, so now you are ready, just one more thing. Where do you find resources to use for all of your science communication outreach? Well, there are plenty of sites to help with this, but also you should feel free to make your own!
Making your own isn’t too hard. Above is the slide from my talk where I was able to use (with permission!) two photos, one from Aaron West at UMN and one from Mike Shumko, who was part of our LAMP rocket mission team. Neither of them are professional photographers, but both of these images lead to fantastic stories. If you took it, you could explain how you felt, what moved you to take the image, and why you think this was such an important moment to capture.
Make use of the Scientific Visualization Studio at NASA. There are amazing resources there, all for your use and enjoyment - and a bit of learning too. And while the more recent videos and sound recordings are amazing - don’t discount the old stuff too! Those beeps from Sputnik literally announced the dawning of a new age!
Collaborating with talented artists and ensuring they receive equitable compensation for their contributions is a meaningful way to bring your vision to life and effectively convey your message. The communications team at your institution may include skilled artists or graphic designers, so why not leverage their expertise and creativity to inspire and engage your audience?
Okay, so you’ve got your message, you’ve practiced, you’ve found your resources - so now how do you get involved?
There are many ways, but if you are on a NASA grant, a great first step is to highlight your work with NASA! Your institution likely also has ways for you to get involved. It may be through blog posts, alumni magazine interviews, or even videos of your institution! Reach out to organizations you want to be involved with. Talk to your local NerdNite or other science events, talk to your library or local schools. Submit an article idea to TheConversation.com or write an opinion piece for a Newspaper. And most importantly, just do it. Whether it’s you starting your own substack, sharing your science through Instagram, or whatever platform works best for you - just do it! Then share it! And we can all learn and support you in this journey of sharing our science.
Oh, and before you go… There are two other great places to share your science.
At AGU this year, there are two fantastically fun sessions to check out! ED003 A Picture Says a Thousand Words https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm23/prelim.cgi/Session/189675
And ED042 Up-Goer Five Challenge: Making Big Ideas Simpler by Talking About Them in Words We Use A Lot https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm23/prelim.cgi/Session/188895