How New Media is Changing the Way We Communicate Science
Journalists and public information officers came together to discuss how new media is changing how health and science organizations communicate news at this year’s EurekAlert! seminar, “Using Multimedia to Communicate Science and Health News." The seminar, sponsored by Spectrum Science Communications, offered practical advice and strategies for how organizations can adapt to the rise in new media and decline of traditional news outlets.
This year’s panel of speakers included Karl Bates, Director of Research Communications at Duke University, Nils Bruzelius and Tom Kennedy of the Washington Post, Art Chimes of Voice of America and Jorge Ribas of Discovery News. Rea Blakey, host of "Discovery Health CME" and media training consultant, moderated. All of the panel members emphasized that new media has introduced many challenges for public information officers, but also unprecedented opportunities to tell their stories more compellingly and to a wider audience.
Below are some insights from individual panel members-
Karl Lef Bates Bates, Director of Research Communications at Duke University
This year’s panel of speakers included Karl Bates, Director of Research Communications at Duke University, Nils Bruzelius and Tom Kennedy of the Washington Post, Art Chimes of Voice of America and Jorge Ribas of Discovery News. Rea Blakey, host of "Discovery Health CME" and media training consultant, moderated. All of the panel members emphasized that new media has introduced many challenges for public information officers, but also unprecedented opportunities to tell their stories more compellingly and to a wider audience.
Below are some insights from individual panel members-
Karl Lef Bates Bates, Director of Research Communications at Duke University
• Public information professionals’ strategies need to change and adapt to the current media environment. Traditional press releases are no longer enough.
• Organizations now have greater opportunity to self-publish their own news, and are less dependent on the traditional media.
• Producing videos and audio recordings is easier and less expensive than many assume, and allows organizations to tell their stories more richly than they’ve been able to in the past.
Nils Bruzelius, Washington Post Deputy National Editor/Science
• Newspaper staffs are decreasing, and reporters have more time constraints than ever before. Public information officers need to make sure to keep their pitches as targeted as possible.
• Multimedia elements can help pique the interest of reporters, and materials they can use for the Website to augment a print story are a plus, but the most important thing to a reporter is still how compelling and significant your news is.
Tom Kennedy, Managing Editor for Multimedia, Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive
• Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive allows the paper to respond to breaking news as quickly as possible, but also provides a medium to tell key stories more richly and completely. Multimedia elements can enhance print stories and help engage new and different audiences.
• News outlets appreciate videos, photos and animations that public information officers can provide, but prefer content that is more “raw.” Overly edited or scripted content may not be able to be used.
• Organizations now have greater opportunity to self-publish their own news, and are less dependent on the traditional media.
• Producing videos and audio recordings is easier and less expensive than many assume, and allows organizations to tell their stories more richly than they’ve been able to in the past.
Nils Bruzelius, Washington Post Deputy National Editor/Science
• Newspaper staffs are decreasing, and reporters have more time constraints than ever before. Public information officers need to make sure to keep their pitches as targeted as possible.
• Multimedia elements can help pique the interest of reporters, and materials they can use for the Website to augment a print story are a plus, but the most important thing to a reporter is still how compelling and significant your news is.
Tom Kennedy, Managing Editor for Multimedia, Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive
• Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive allows the paper to respond to breaking news as quickly as possible, but also provides a medium to tell key stories more richly and completely. Multimedia elements can enhance print stories and help engage new and different audiences.
• News outlets appreciate videos, photos and animations that public information officers can provide, but prefer content that is more “raw.” Overly edited or scripted content may not be able to be used.
Art Chimes, Producer and Host of Our World, Voice of America
• Voice of America is a global news outlet, so stories that have an international element are the best fit for them.
• A user-friendly Website that makes it easy for reporters to find information and experts are key to making your organization a go-to resource for journalists.
• If your organization has a broadcast studio, make it accessible to your organization’s researchers and officials so radio journalists can have high-quality audio to use.
Jorge Ribas, Discover News Video Producer, Reporter and Editor
• Visuals play a key role in Ribas’ decision to do a story, and being able to supplement scientific research with compelling video or photographs spark his interest.
• Being able to spend time with researchers in their work environment allows both the reporter and readers/viewers to connect to the science on a personal level.
• Blogs provide an outlet for researchers to describe day-to-day activities, and gives a window into the work behind scientific breakthroughs. This is valuable context for reporters.
• Voice of America is a global news outlet, so stories that have an international element are the best fit for them.
• A user-friendly Website that makes it easy for reporters to find information and experts are key to making your organization a go-to resource for journalists.
• If your organization has a broadcast studio, make it accessible to your organization’s researchers and officials so radio journalists can have high-quality audio to use.
Jorge Ribas, Discover News Video Producer, Reporter and Editor
• Visuals play a key role in Ribas’ decision to do a story, and being able to supplement scientific research with compelling video or photographs spark his interest.
• Being able to spend time with researchers in their work environment allows both the reporter and readers/viewers to connect to the science on a personal level.
• Blogs provide an outlet for researchers to describe day-to-day activities, and gives a window into the work behind scientific breakthroughs. This is valuable context for reporters.
