23 January 2012
AGU Video: As their film debuts at Sundance, scientists call for simple, personal tales
Photographer and AGU member James Balog urges scientists to “show us the cool stuff” when communicating with non-scientists. Balog, the subject of the documentary film “Chasing Ice,” premiering Jan. 23 at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, stopped by AGU headquarters in Washington, D.C., in early January to talk about the challenges and rewards of being a scientist-communicator.
29 November 2011
From Wanna-Be Reporter to Voice of America Journalist
After four busy summers studiously measuring the minute details of clouds, I spent my last summer as a graduate student in a newsroom, far away from the cockpit of a cloud-probing airplane. It was not just any newsroom but Voice of America’s politically charged newsroom in Washington, D. C. Almost overnight, this California-for-lifer was living and working amid the hustle and bustle of the nation’s capital. As a half researcher–half …
10 November 2011
From The S Factor Blog: Know Your Audience
Over the next few blog posts, I will be sharing some tips to aid our up-and-coming scientist-filmmakers in planning, developing, and executing better video storytelling. Some of the tips will be theoretical in nature, while others will focus on the technical craft of filmmaking. Today, we will discuss a critical component to developing effective media: Targeting an Audience.
24 October 2011
Improve Your Science Communication Skills at Fall Meeting
On the Sunday (12/4) before the scientific program begins, AGU is hosting a free, all-day training event for scientists wishing to become more adept at communicating with the press, the public, policymakers and other non-scientists. The event includes both a panel discussion about science communication and workshops where you will get to exercise your skills. Plus we’ll feed you lunch!
19 October 2011
Use your words (wisely)
The first day of organic chemistry, my professor warned us that we were about to start learning a new language. He wasn’t kidding, and ‘stoichiometry’** is still one of my favorite words. But the different definitions that scientists use for everyday terms can lead to confusion, and scientists should make sure they’re speaking the same language as their audiences. On our sister blog Mountain Beltway, Callan Bentley posted this table outlining some common examples.
13 October 2011
Science press decries elusive federal science experts, applauds better data access
Federal scientists should be more accessible to journalists, reporters said last week at a National Press Club event in Washington, D.C. The panel discussion “Access Denied: Science News and Government Transparency” addressed whether or not the Obama administration is living up to its promise to make science more transparent and accessible. And several journalists on the panel said there is still a ways to go.
30 September 2011
Scientists: Meet the journalists
Whenever I teach a media training workshop to scientists, I am pretty sure that two issues are going to pop up. The first is the inevitable question: “How can I review the story before it runs?” Scientists will be disappointed with that one, because the answer is, basically, sorry, you can’t. And the second issue is a litany of complaints about how journalists work: they oversimplify the science, their headlines …
20 July 2011
Why should scientists use Twitter?
I have been teaching science communication workshops for scientists for over two years, and not much from those seminars is met with more skepticism than when I say Twitter can be a great tool for science outreach, even for professional development. So I decided to ask scientists following our AGU account why researchers should be on Twitter, and what they could use Twitter for.
11 July 2011
New kid on the block: Georneys joins AGU’s blog network
A blog on geological musings, wanderings, and adventures, called Georneys, has joined AGU’s network of Earth and space science blogs. With the addition of Georneys on July 11, the AGU Blogosphere has grown to showcase 8 independent blogs since its launch last fall.
3 June 2011
Becoming Media Savvy: Bloopers to Learn From
Camera lenses and microphones are not as intimidating to me as they once were. That may be because I learn well from my mistakes, and I’ve made many of them when dealing with the media. I still make errors when doing interviews, but the lessons I’ve learned continue to prove beneficial as I strive to bring earth and ocean science to a broader audience.
The Plainspoken Scientist is an AGU blog on science communication, for scientists. With this blog, we at AGU wish to encourage scientists to reach out to the public and to do so with plainspoken discussion.
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