Before the interview - How to work with the media - Other topics in scientific communication

How to write and publish a scientific paper - Barbara Gastel, Robert A. Day 2022

Before the interview
How to work with the media
Other topics in scientific communication

When a reporter approaches, I generally find myself wishing for a martini.

—Jonas Salk

Before the interview

Your scientific paper will be published soon, and a news release about it has attracted reporters. Or an earthquake, epidemic, or policy issue has drawn attention to your topic. Or maybe you are receiving an award. For whatever reason, a reporter calls. How can you work with the reporter to help ensure that the public receives accurate scientific information?

First, why work with the reporter? If your research is government funded, the public has a right to know. Also, as an important part of our culture, science merits coverage. Scientific information can help individuals and groups make sound decisions. Public information about science can draw students to scientific careers. Further, coverage in the popular media can promote public support for science in general and your institution in particular.

At your institution, members of the media relations staff may prepare news releases and help reporters find experts to interview. They can also give guidance, such as tips on being interviewed for television. Other sources of advice include the SciDev.Net Practical Guide “What Journalists Want from Scientists and Why” (www.scidev.net/global/practical-guides/what-journalists-want-from-scientists-and-why) and material from professional organizations such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science (www.aaas.org/resources/communication-toolkit). Books providing guidance include A Scientist’s Guide to Talking with the Media (Hayes and Grossman 2006), Communicating Science: A Primer for Working with the Media (Menninger and Gropp 2008), Am I Making Myself Clear? A Scientist’s Guide to Talking to the Public (Dean 2009), and Explaining Research (Meredith 2021).

(ScienceCartoonsPlus.com)

News releases (also known as press releases) informing reporters about your research may be prepared by your institution or by the journal publishing your paper. They are then disseminated to the media. A news release, which can be published as is or can lead to a story by a reporter, is structured like a newspaper article; for many examples of news releases, see the science news website EurekAlert! (www.eurekalert.org). Those preparing a news release about your work will normally consult you. By answering their questions and then checking a draft, you can help ensure accuracy. Realize, though, that a news release will be much less technical and much less detailed than a scientific paper.

When reporters contact you, ask about their background, task, and timetable. Those writing science stories range from general reporters with minimal science background to science journalists with doctorates in the sciences; knowing whether the reporter is a specialist can help you respond appropriately. Also, find out what the reporter is seeking; for example, will the article focus on your research or is a general article being written about your research field? Finally, what is the reporter’s deadline? Is the reporter writing a news story due today or a feature article due next month? Knowing the answers to such questions can help you respond most suitably. Of course, if you lack the expertise being sought, decline the interview and, if possible, direct the reporter to someone appropriately qualified.

Unless the reporter must talk with you immediately, think beforehand about what you want to say. Identify the main message that you wish to present. Especially for the broadcast media, come up with a short and snappy way to state it—in other words, a sound bite.

Before the interview, if possible, provide written materials or direct the reporter to some. Such materials may include news releases, papers you have written, and sources of general information about your research topic. Providing such materials facilitates the reporter’s work, promotes efficient use of interview time, and fosters accuracy.