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Talking to the real world: Making science & medicine come alive for the public
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Transcript of Talking to the real world: Making science & medicine come alive for the public
Talking to the Real World
Making science & medicinecome alive for the public
Kara Gavin, M.S.Lead Public Relations Representative,
U-M Health System Dept. of Communication
Who am I?• Part of communication teams for
U-M Health System • One of about 15 U-M media staff• Trained in science writing/
journalism and biology• Find & tell stories from
science & medicine at U-M• Handle news media inquiries &
pushing news out to the world
Why does U-M* have staff like me?
• Discoveries should reach people in language they can understand
• Taxpayers who fund research & public universities deserve to know what they’re paying for
• The public has an insatiable appetite for news about science & medicine
*and lots of other places too
What do I do?• Connect with scientists & doctors• Plan the best communication
course• Write stories & get feedback• Commission or create visuals • Push stories to the public/reporters• Handle media requests/find experts• Approach reporters with ideas• Handle “hot button” issues
Why would a doctor or scientist talk to a reporter?
• Announcements of new research• Special case: embargoed news
• Expert opinion on an issue • Commenting on other research• Commenting on a societal issue• In-depth stories on an new
program, or a disease or treatment• Crisis/problem situations
Working with reporters• Prepare key messages
3 things they MUST know by the end
• Anticipate questions • Be ready to explain• Avoid jargon• Respect deadlines• Understand the news outlet• Respect their independence
A new era of communication• The news media’s gatekeeper role is eroding
• Big institutions = trustworthy news sources
•Everyone’s a publisher
Who needs reporters anyway?• Social media/search
deliver info directly• People find info on
their own • Visuals are vital • Rapid response to
controversy
News Media
• Immediate coverage• Later coverage• Later expert source
requests
PR services
• Eurekalert• Newswise• PR Newswire• Futurity• News aggregators
U-M outlets
• Record / Headlines• Magazines• Websites & blogs• Newsletters• Email: donors,
alumni, others
Social media
• U-M/UMHS fans• Shares of our
stories• Shares of news
coverage• Reddit, etc.
The U-M Science
News Machine
Who’s the audience?• 20% of Americans can explain what it means to
study something scientifically
• 34% of Americans can describe how to test a drug
• 55% say that astrology is “not at all scientific” – down from nearly two-thirds in 2010.
• 56% say research involving animals is acceptableNSF Science & Engineering Indicators, 2014
What do they know?• 71% mental illness is a medical
condition affecting the brain
• 69% genetic code in cells helps determine who we are
• 53% childhood vaccines are safe and effective
• 31% life evolved via natural selection
AP Poll April 2014 1,012 adults
Extremely/very confident in a
scientific concept
Getting new info to them• Over 80% report
they’re "very" or "moderately" interested in science/tech discoveries
• 4 in 10 cite the Internet as their #1 source of S&T info
• 50% say the benefits of science have strongly outweighed the harmful results
National Science Foundation
Science and Engineering Indicators 2014
This means…• STEM students &
professionals must ALL be communicators
• Communication skills are more vital than ever
• Share things you find online. Explain why they’re cool. Get OTHERS excited about them.
Online resources• National Institutes of Health:
Science, Health & the Public Trust http://umhealth.me/NIHscicomm
• American Assn. for the Advancement of Science – Communicating Science http://umhealth.me/AAASscicomm
• American Society of Human Genetics – Communicating Science http://umhealth.me/ASHGscicomm
Find me online• @karag on Twitter
(also @UMHealthSystem & @UM_IHPI)• LinkedIn: http://umhealth.me/KG-LI • My writing:
• New this week! http://michiganhealthlab.org
• http://uofmhealth.org/News