The scienceof communicating science

Xavier KirchnerFCRI – IMAE Program, Director

June 2008

art

Jaume VilaltaTVC – QuèQuiCom Program , Director

Showing our cardsThe three simple messages

Not appearing in the press should not be an option for a scientist

Journalist play their part but they play on the scientists’ side

TV has its own rulesYou may as well follow them3

21

Why are we here?Scientists – journalists a love-hate story

What is our role in the game?What are we looking for?

The hate story

Why is there a gap between “news generators” and “news broadcasters”?

Scientist?

We have very little social presence Trivialities and banalities

are news, why aren’t really important things?

Journalists have no idea about science … they don’t really make the effort

to understand our explanations and they usually make mistakes

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 news items They are always late when reporting news It is too complicated …

… let’s leave it for the specialized press

… the world from the other angle

There are architects, doctors and lawyers who are “media stars”;Being in science is really important but why aren’t there any media scientists?

Scientists are difficult to get, they are always “too busy” to talk to journalists

Love story (of convenience)

Two players that need each other?

The interdependence diagram(cynical view)

Science

Media

Research

$

Audience

Advertising

$

VotesPoliticians(Society,

Decision makers, …)

?This is what

we are talking about

Media is us (today) Science is our future

Surviving and evolving is a matter of adapting

Have scientists and scientific institutions adapted to the Information

Society?

?Why? (adapt – to appear 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 tax” and be able to keep working To give back to society

… helping to make it more intelligent and more perceptive

Somebody (a boss) asked me to do it …

?How? (to adapt)A matter of understanding

US "Gnothi seauton“

(Know yourself – Socrates)

Strengths Weaknesses

Objectives: What to explain? Why?

THE OTHER Know the context

Opportunities Threats

Know the rules Riding a bicycle

is not the same as riding a horse

Knowing the rulesWhat do journalists need?

To fill a newscast or a program To do it cheaply and quickly

To give the news and get attention Not to be left behind

To be able to repeat what others say To get celebrities or charismatic characters

who communicate well

Knowing the rulesIs what I did a piece of news?

A piece of news is …… a novel breachin the order of thingssusceptible to becoming a reference pointfor a community

News “new”

News change

“permanent” & important

Target context

“...reference point for a community”

Clearly define the target community …… and do not lose 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

!Could what I did / have done / do

be a piece of news?

Don’t let the lack of communication skills spoil a good news item

Scientists are and may be shown as interesting people

There is life beyond the news reports …

… but it needs a context It's a matter of communication

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 …

Moving on

Zooming into the 3Ws: What, HoW and Who

?Or it could be shown like

that

What

New Close

Subject Character

Unique

It's a matter of communication

?HowSex, lies & videotapes

Conflict Situation Dialectics – Disagreement – Fight Protagonist – Antagonist

Discovery Process Exploring with new eyes Participation

Envelope

Story

Boost

Two ways of engagingthe audience

It's a matter of communication

?WhoTwo 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”

A character who wants to communicate, does communicate

Branding

It's a matter of communication

Rivalries reinforce characters

Differences generate interest

It's a matter of communication

You can be respected even if you talk about complex subjects

The power of overcoming difficulties

Personal testimonies endorse messagesand get attention

People identifies with challengerseither “anonymous” …

People identifies with challengers… or with a well known name

The power of love

A powerful Who can help any What&HoW

*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 closet, … but with something to say

Much betterif you are the news

It's a matter of communication

Good castingKey factor for success

Not the wisest, not the savviest … The best communicator

Bosses can do well, … OR NOT Being engaged with the subject

passion helps to transmit love When you are the character

you have to perform

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 take” is always an option

Passion for communicating

Enter the heart to get into the brain Be honest, be sincere, be yourself Forget stereotypes, forget patterns Don’t imitate

A scientist who communicatesis not doing scienceCommunication strategies go first

Avoid “Pangea’s syndrome” Lose your fear of making a fool of yourself Simplifying does not mean devaluing

#Love & Communication takes twoMessages: Focused, clear and loud

News target audience Audience people People “level” What is the “right level”?

Very intelligent13 year-old student

How science impacts his/her life and his/her community?

How to ride a horseGetting adapted to TV

Some recipes for success

Knowing “the other” - 1TV dumb box & magic lantern

A picture is worth a thousand words. (some of them not intentionally) … but very few ideas

Communicating Science select & renounce

It's a matter of … TV

Knowing “the other” - 2One team, one success

Participating in a TV program meansbecoming a member of a team

Accept sharing your experience with the other team members knowledge

A common objective: to succeed Your success is their success Their success is your success

Journalists play on your side

A concept is a concept, is a concept

Tangible Human scale Sizable in €

Intangible Too big, too little “Invisible” Hidden

Abstract

Actions

Using words (and drawings, and analogies, but they are useless without words).

Metaphors, analogies

From real situations to general concepts

Never the oppositeIt's a matter of … TV

1One idea per programKeeping focus holding attention

What matters is the result not the way not the method

Transmitting knowledge is not building knowledge

The path is full of traps, don’t fall into them experimental processes Amusing anecdotes…

KEEP FOCUSED !

From phenomena to explanationsDon’t start by building the roof first

Start near the ground, telling stories … Don’t start formulating prouncements Always go

from the example to the concept from what is particular to what is general

You do not paint the final picturePutting the puzzle together is somebody else’s role

Somebody will have to summarize, it will be better if you do it or better if you help with it

Make the editor’s job easier and your time & effort useful: speak clearly don’t use subordinates don’t use long sentences don’t use too technical words …

… or explain them

Working with journalists

Journalists are human too…

Your team to get to “your fans”

With a little help

from your friends:Professionals who help you

to communicate well

Circuit road blocks

Bad communication between scientists and their press office no communication at all delays

The press office blocks direct communication

between scientist and journalists

Scientist do not dedicate enough time

Preparing the work of the team

Anticipate the news Allow the journalists to follow the process Document the steps Get permission and image rights Prepare a clear and understandable dossier

… and then, the audience opens the oven …

We have success whenthe audience

is able to explain what they have seen

to their neighbors and friends

“There is nothing true thatcannot be explained in simple words”

Cristian Ruiz i Altaba

Thank you!

Now let’s talk

Jaume Vilalta <jvilalta.b@tv3.cat>Xavier Kirchner <xavier@kirchner.cat>

Backup slides