This document discusses best practices for scientists communicating science to journalists and the public. It recommends that scientists understand television rules and formats, focus on clear and engaging storytelling to explain one main concept per program, and work as part of a team with journalists and communications professionals. The goal is for audiences to understand scientific findings and their relevance in everyday terms, and to explain what they learned to others.

1. art
The science
of communicating science
Jaume Vilalta
Xavier Kirchner
juny 2008

2. We show our cards
Just three messages
1
2
3
To do not show on the media
should not an option for a scientist
Journalist play their role,
but they play on scientists side
TV has its own rules.
It is better to follow them

3. Why are we here?
Scientists – journalists,
a hate & love story
What is our role in the game?
What are we looking for?

4. The hate story
Why the gap between
“news generators” and “news broadcasters”?

5. Scientist?
We have very little social presence
Trivialities and banalities
are always pieces of news,
why really important things never are?
Journalists have no idea of science
… they don’t really make the effort
to understand our explanations
and they usually make mistakes

6. … the world from one angle
Journalists never call us
We have to investigate, we have to publish, …
we are too busy to make self promotion …
… this is not our priority
Who cares …
Talk shows are not serious …
Journalists want everything in short,
… they give us too little time to make clear
enough explanations

7. Journalists?
We get worried about audience …
… who cares about science and scientists?
In any case, when something really important
happens, we publish it
Small achievements are not pieces of news
They are always late when reporting news
It is too complicated …
… let’s leave it for the specialized press

8. … the world from the other angle
There are architects, doctors, lawyers,
who are “media stars”;
being science so important, why aren’t there
any media stars scientists?
Scientists are difficult to get, they are always
“too busy” to talk to journalists

9. The love (of convenience) story
Two parts who need each other?

10. The interdependence diagram
(cynical view)
$
Politicians
(Society,
Decision makers, …)
Research
Science
Media
$
This is
what
we are
talking
about
?
Advertising
Audience
Votes

11. Media is us (today)
Science is our future

12. Surviving and evolving is a matter
of getting adapted
Have scientists and scientific institutions
adapted to the Information Society?

13. Why?
(to get adapted – to show in the media)
To get known, to get recognition
To get more money
To be able to defend ourselves …
… to be able to attack others
To “pay the tax” and be able to keep working
To give back to the society
… helping to make it more intelligent
and more perceptive
Somebody (a boss) asked me to do that …

14. How? (to get adapted)
A matter of understanding
WE
"Gnothi seauton“
(Know yourself – Socrates)
Strengths
Weaknesses
Objectives:
What to explain?
Why?
THE OTHER
Know the context
Opportunities
Threats
Know the rules
It is not the same
to ride a bicycle
than a horse

15. Knowing the rules
What do journalists need?
To fill a newscast or a program
To do it cheap and quickly
To give the news, to get attention
Do not be left behind
To be able to repeat what others say
To get celebrities or charismatic characters
who communicate well

16. Knowing the rules
Is what I did a piece of news?
A piece of news is …
… a novel breach
of the order of things
susceptible to become
a reference point
for a community
News
News
“new”
change
“permanent” &
important
Target context

17. “...reference point for a community”
Clearly define the target community …
… and do not loose focus
The wider the community, the larger the step
If the step is large enough
it is understandable
If it is not understandable
it is not large enough
The shorter “the distance”,
the larger the impact and the significance

18. Could what I did / have done / do
be a piece of news?
Not everything
scientists do
is a piece of news …
… but …
… most of the things
that scientists achieve
have a great impact
on people’s lives …
It's a matter of communication
Don’t let the lack of
communication skills
to spoil a good
piece of news
Scientists are and
may be shown as
interesting people
There is life beyond
the news reports …
… but it needs
a context

19. Moving on
Zooming into the 3W: What, HoW and Who

20. What
New
Close
Subject
Character
Unique
It's a matter of communication
Or it could
be shown like that

21. How
Sex, lies & videotapes
Envelop
Conflict
Situation
Story
Dialectics – Disagreement – Fight
Protagonist – Antagonist
Boost
Discovery
Process
Exploring with new eyes
Participation
Two ways
of engaging
the audience
It's a matter of communication

22. Who
Two ways to get attention
You are the news
You are the character
If you are the character
you have the right
to generate news “per se”

23. A character who wants to
communicate, does communicate
Branding
It's a matter of communication

24. Rivalries reinforce characters
Differences
generate
interest
It's a matter of communication

25. You could be respected
even if you talk about complex subjects

26. The power of overcoming difficulties
Personal
testimonies
endorse
messages
and
get attention

27. People identifies with challengers
either “anonymous” …

28. People identifies with challengers
… or with a well known name

29. The power of love
A powerful Who could help any What&HoW

30. Facts are from Mars (or even Saturn),
people are from Venus
COLD FACTS
could be boring
(and/or tough)
Specially if they are slow
or difficult to visualize
WARM PEOPLE
are always interesting
Don’t commit
the sin of modesty, …
get out of the closed, …
but with something to say
Much better
if you are the news
It's a matter of communication

31. Good casting
Key factor for success
Not the wiser, not the savvier …
The best communicator
Bosses could do well, … OR NOT
Being engaged with the subject
passion helps to transmit love
When you are the character
you have to perform

32. You know how to whistle, don’t you?
Just put your lips together - and blow
You are the character
you have to perform
Get out of the lab, out of the office
Make pictures
Use your hands
Use what you have on hand
Film what you do and film yourself
Make mock-ups / do experiments
Don’t be shy …
a “second shot” is always an option

33. Passion for communicating
Enter the hearts to get into brains
Be honest, be sincere, be yourself
Forget stereotypes, forget patterns
Don’t imitate

34. A scientist who communicates
is not doing science
Communication strategies go first
Avoid “Pangea’s syndrome”
Lose your fear of making a fool of yourself
To simplify does not imply to devaluate

35. Love&Communication is a matter of 2
Messages: Focused, clear and loudly
News
target audience
Audience
people
People
“level”
Which is the “right level”?
Very intelligent
13 years old student
How science impacts
his/her life
and his/her community?

36. How to ride a horse
Getting adapted to TV
Some cooking recipes to assure success

37. Knowing “the other” - 1
TV dumb box & magic lantern
A Picture's Meaning Can Express
Ten Thousand Words
(some of them not intentionally)
… but very little ideas
Communicating Science
select & renounce
It's a matter of … TV

38. Knowing “the other” - 2
One team, one success
To participate in a TV program means
to become a member of a team
Accept to share your experience
with what the other team members know
A common objective: to succeed
Your success is their success
Their success is your success
Journalists play on your side

39. A concept is a concept, is a concept
Tangible
Human scale
Sizable in €
Intangible
Too big, too little
“Invisible”
Hidden
Abstract
It's a matter of … TV
Actions
Metaphors, analogies
Using words
(and drawings, and analogies, but
they are useless without words)
From concrete situations
to general concepts
Never the opposite

40. One idea per program
Keeping focus
keeping attention
What matters is the result
not the way
not the method
Transmitting knowledge
is not building knowledge
The way is full of traps, don’t fall into them
experimental processes
funny side phenomena …
KEEP FOCUSED !

41. From phenomena to explanations
Don’t start building by the roof
Begin close to the earth, telling stories …
Don’t start formulating enunciates
Always go
from the example to the concept
from what is particular to what is general

42. You do not paint the final picture
To put together the puzzle is somebody else’s role
Somebody will have to summarize,
better if it’s you
or better you help on doing that
Make the editor’s job easier
and your time & effort useful: talk easy
don’t use subordinates
don’t use long sentences
don’t use too technical words …
… or explain them

43. Working with journalists
If you prick them, they bleed …

44. Your team to get to “your fans”
With
the little help
of your friends:
Professionals
that help you
to communicate
well

45. Circuit road blocks
Bad communication between scientists and
their Press Office
Just no communication
Delays
The Press Office blocks
the direct communication
between scientist and journalists
Scientist do not dedicate enough time

46. Preparing the work of the team
Anticipate the news
Allow the journalists to follow the process
Document the steps
Get permissions and image rights
Prepare a clear and understandable dossier

47. … and then,
the audience opens the oven …

48. We have succeeded
when the people of the audience
is able to explain
to their neighbours and friends
what they have seen
“There is nothing that, being true,
could not be explained with simple words”
Cristian Ruiz i Altaba

49. Thanks a lot!
Now it’s time to talk
Jaume Vilalta <jvilalta.b@tv3.cat>
Xavier Kirchner <xavier@kirchner.cat>