Page 81 - Fall2020

those at the beginning of this article. Moreover, many of the strategies described here are applicable to all inten- tional outreach efforts.
In their oft-cited Nature commentary, Durant et al. (1989) describe how public understanding of science provides benefits to individuals and society, including facilitat- ing a better functioning democracy, helping individuals make better informed decisions about their health and well-being, contributing to a stronger economy and pro- moting support for science funding. A detailed analysis of these benefits is provided by Gregory and Miller (1998) in their book Science in Public. The hypothesis underly- ing each benefit is that improved scientific literacy leads to better informed decision making.
Although journalists still play a vital role in selecting stories and translating the science, there are many other avenues, including social media, for scientists to engage directly with the public. An excellent overview of sci- ence outreach activities and social media platforms is provided in several Acoustics Today articles (Farrell and Jones, 2017; Jones, 2017, 2020).
Advice from Media Professionals
Professional science writers have a valuable perspective on how science gets communicated from investigator to the public. Dean (2009), a former science editor for The New York Times, describes the motivations, outlook, habits, and constraints of journalists, providing context for the strategies she recommends for researchers to improve their messaging. Many of the same strategies are emphasized by Bardi and Meyers (2015) from the
American Institute of Physics (AIP) Media Services team and by science journalists who have presented at ASA special sessions on effective public communication over the past several years. Presented here is a summary of these strategies.
Preparation and Background Check
If you get a call out of the blue from a journalist seeking information about work you have done, take some time to learn about the journalist, the publication he or she works for, and the angle of the story. Will it be a short piece for a general audience (a local newspaper) or a longerpieceforamoreknowledgeableaudience(suchas Science News)? Ask if you can call back in 10-15 minutes. This provides valuable time for you to do a quick search
of previous science reporting by the journalist and the publication venue (if you are not already familiar with it). If you come across red flags, it is perfectly acceptable to decline the interview. If you are inclined to do the interview, you can also use the extra time to gather your thoughts and consider what the salient points of your message will be. Either way, you should call back.
Honing Your Message
Most journalists, especially if they regularly cover science news, are interested in getting the story right, but they still need to get the attention of a highly distracted public that is not generally engaged with science. Unfortunately, the pressure to make a science story both simple and compelling can lead to making it misleading, especially if the reporter does not fully grasp the essential features of the work they are reporting. You can mitigate this hazard by preparing and consistently delivering a succinct mes- sage that accurately conveys your work while satisfying journalistic needs for simplicity. That is not a trivial task by any means, but you (the scientist) are better equipped to find that balance than the reporter.
The basic framework of your message, as described by Bardi and Meyers (2015), should be “We did X; we found Y; that means Z.” Be ruthless in stripping away any spe- cialized vocabulary, nonessential details, or concepts that may be unfamiliar to most people; make use of analogies and metaphors; emphasize broader impacts. In the busi- ness community, this message is known as the “elevator pitch.” Imagine that you have 20-30 seconds during an elevator ride to get the person next to you interested in and appreciative of the work you've done (or that you are trying to engage a prospective father-in-law). Before you get the interview call, from a journalist or your niece, consider what that message should be, hone it, and rehearse it. Practice on family and friends and try out different versions of your elevator pitch to see what works best. Use scientific methodology to figure out how to communicate your science!
If you can condense and distill your elevator pitch into a single short sentence, you just might have a sound bite. Journalism thrives on the sound bite. As frustrat- ing as this may be to scientists who prize the thorough, rigorous, and dispassionate communication style of conference presentations and peer-reviewed articles, it simply reflects how news is consumed by most people.
Fall 2020 • Acoustics Today 81