A presentation to early-career health services researchers about working with institutional communicators, interacting with the media, and using social media to advance their professional careers.

1. Communicating about
Research & Discovery
Kara Gavin, M.S.
Lead Public Relations Representative,
Michigan Medicine Dept. of Communication
Policy & Research Media Relations, U-M IHPI
News media, social media & beyond

2. Who am I?
• Member of Michigan Medicine Dept. of Communication
and the IHPI Communication team
• Trained in biology, science writing & journalism
• 20+ years’ experience publicizing research (U-M, BNL)
• Find & tell stories
• Handle news media inquiries
• Push stories out any way I can
What do I do?

3. Why does U-M* have staff like me?
• our institution’s work should reach people who care
• U-M expertise can have impact
• taxpayers & policymakers who fund research
need to know what they’re paying for
• most Americans need science/medicine translated
• it’s easier than ever
*and lots of other places too
Because…

4. IHPI: Investing in communication
• Staff: Communication manager, Government Relations,
Media Relations, Writer, Designer, Communication specialist
• Channels: Website, member profiles, news & feature articles,
issue briefs, Twitter, LinkedIn, internal & external newsletters,
videos, infographics, digital signs
• Training: Twitter, LinkedIn, Government Relations, more to come

5. What does the public know?
• 71% extremely/very confident: mental illness is a medical
condition affecting the brain (21% somewhat confident)
• 69% extremely/very confident: a genetic code in cells
helps determine who we are (22% somewhat confident)
• 53% extremely/very confident: childhood vaccines are
safe and effective (30% somewhat confident)
• 31% extremely/very confident: life evolved through
natural selection (24% somewhat confident)
AP poll published April 2014; 1,012 adults rated confidence in a scientific concept

6. Are genetically modified foods safe to eat?
Scientists: 88% Public: 37%
Should childhood vaccines be required?
Scientists: 86% Public: 68%
Is research involving animals OK?
Scientists: 89% Public: 47%
Did humans “evolve”?
Scientists: 98% Public: 65%
The survey of the general public was conducted using a probability-based sample of the adult population by landline and
cellular telephone Aug. 15-25, 2014, with a representative sample of 2,002 adults nationwide.
http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/29/public-and-scientists-views-on-science-and-society/
Their views vs. scientists’ views

7. An eager audience
National Science Foundation Science and Engineering Indicators 2016

8. Pew Research Center – Sept. 2017
http://www.journalism.org/2017/09/20/science-news-and-information-today/
Where they’re getting science info
Plus: 81% watch
science-related
entertainment
media
(crime dramas,
hospital-based
shows or sci fi)

9. Research & policymakers
• Policy should be based on
evidence
• Take aim at ‘wasteful
spending’ and research that
interest groups take issue
with
• Seize on controversies &
safety lapses
• Staffers may have little or no
medical/scientific background

10. What do we do?
• Connect with faculty about upcoming
publications, grants, major events, etc.
• Plan the best communication course
• Write & get feedback on what we write
• Commission or create visuals & videos
• Disseminate content via all appropriate
channels -- including reporters & social media
• Act as intake for media requests
• Coach faculty on media interactions
• Approach reporters with ideas or experts
• Handle “hot button” issues

11. Connect via the media
• Press release/blog post
on research or other work
• Expert opinion
on a topic in your specialty
• Commenting
on research by others
or on a societal/policy issue
• In-depth stories on a weighty topic
• Crisis/problem situations

12. Talking to reporters
• Prepare with PR person
• three key points
• Use layperson’s terms
• avoid jargon
• speak colloquially
• If there’s a press release, use it
• Respect deadlines
• Understand the news outlet
• Respect their independence

13. Use the time AHEAD of publication
The “Scout’s honor”
embargo system
for research news
• Institution/journal reaches
out to reporters a few days ahead
• Reporter agrees not to publish or
broadcast results until a set date/time
• Used by all major journals &
scientific/medical societies

14. A new era of communication
• Traditional news media’s
gatekeeper role is eroding
• Big institutions =
trustworthy news sources
• Everyone’s a publisher

15. Who needs reporters anyway?
• Social media & search
• Institutions & individuals
create & share directly
• Visuals & videos are vital
• Fast response to
controversy

16. 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.
Publish U-M
content in a
way that
anyone can
freely use
(as long as
they mention us
as the source)
Our Answer:

17. Since spring 2016:
www.michiganhealthlab.org
Reseach & education stories
via Web, Facebook, Twitter & Email
Sister site for health tips & patient stories:
www.michiganhealthblog.org

18. • 1-2 stories a day
• Aimed at sophisticated
general audience
• Easily shareable
• Custom graphics
• Paid social media
promotion
• Search engine
optimization
• Open copyright

19. Researchers using social media
• Connect with others in the field & beyond
• Share new findings, publications, news items,
observations, opinions, timely links
• Retain professional tone while engaging
• Get the most out of conferences & events

20. Creating your personal “brand”

21. Your personal brand…
• NOT a logo
• Must be built, over time
• Comes from the ways you present yourself
to the world…
… and what people can find about you
• Affects how people will interact with you &
your work

22. Why engage publicly?
• Connect with others in your field & beyond
• Raise the visibility of your work
• Share new findings, publications, news items,
observations, opinions, timely links
• Engage with individuals and institutions
around the world & right next door
• Get the most out of conferences & events
• Raise awareness of YOU for career purposes

23. Why else? Altmetrics!
• Aggregating activity around individual
journal articles:
• media coverage
• blog posts
• social media activity
• more
• Traces links & specific mentions of
individual papers by DOI
• Assigns a score & percentile
• Not perfect! But getting better

24. Brummett et al
New Persistent Opioid Use After Minor and
Major Surgical Procedures in US Adults
JAMA Surgery, April 2017 (online first)
An example…
15,042
views
12
citations
Since
April
2017

25. Jargon = words not in common vocabulary
Words that people in a
given field use exclusively,
or in a different way from
how others use them
“Robust” – an adjective for data?
Or coffee?
“Significant” – passed a statistical threshold?
Or another word for important?
To reach the public, avoid jargon

26. Does it pass the
Thanksgiving Table Test?

27. Communicating with the public
Logical
organization
“You” and
other
pronouns
Active voice
Common,
everyday
words
Short
sentences,
short
paragraphs
Easy-to-read
design
features

28. Every researcher’s essentials
• A robust, updated
professional web profile
• Know your PR person &
when you should contact us
• Basic LinkedIn profile
• Google yourself/set up a
Google alert for your name

29. “Laying low”
• Start by “lurking” – follow
individuals, institutions,
organizations, news media
• Monitor Twitter traffic at
conferences via hashtags
(& use them!)
• Subscribe to lists of Twitter
users compiled by others in your field
• Join LinkedIn groups for professional societies

30. Take it to the next level
• Claim Twitter handle, write a
brief bio & link to your page
• Share links & posts on LinkedIn
• Write a “plain English” web
blurb on your research focus
• Post/tweet about each paper
you publish/talk you give

31. Engaging more fully
• Share links to your
own work & work of others
• Post slide sets on
your site or SlideShare
• Take part in tweet chats, Reddit AMAs, online
campaigns, virtual journal clubs, etc.
• On your personal social media, educate
friends by sharing news/observations

32. Join
• Platform to reach the public on timely topics
• Articles created by academics, shaped by
professional editors
• Open copyright for republishing
• Routinely republished by major media outlets, from
Time and Washington Post to IFL Science
• Easily shared via social media and the web
• Authors can see data on views & republishing

33. I challenge you…
• Speak their
language.
• Don’t just hope
someone else
will do it!
• See it as part of a
research career.

34. I need more help!
Resources for communicating
with press & public
My slide sets:
https://www.slideshare.net/KaraGavin
Help with writing in plain English:
www.aaas.org/pes/communicatingscience
Logos, photos, templates
http://med.umich.edu/branding/logos.html
http://mediabank.med.umich.edu/