A guide for STEM graduate students in the RELATE program at the University of Michigan about communicating directly with the general public and working with institutional communicators and reporters

1. Speaking
their language!
Kara Gavin, M.S.
Lead Public Relations Representative,
UMHS Dept. of Communication
Policy & Research Media Relations, IHPI

2. Who am I?
• Member of Michigan Medicine Dept. of Communication
• Trained in biology, science writing & journalism
• Cover health care research, mental health, basic science
• 25+ years’ experience publicizing research (U-M, BNL)

3. • Find & tell stories
• Handle news media inquiries
• Push stories out any way I can
What do I do?

4. Why does U-M* have staff like me?
*and lots of other places too
• So we can reach people who care
• So our faculty members’ expertise can have impact
• To be accountable to taxpayers & policymakers
• Because most people need research translated for them

5. You
• Papers
• Talks & posters
• Tweets & posts
• Commentaries
Comm
Staff
• U-M/Michigan Med.
• School/college
• IHPI
• Center/institute/dept.
Reporters
• Policymakers
• Advocates
• Clinicians & Patients
• Funders/Donors
• Professional societies
• Industry
• General public
The U-M
Communications
Ecosystem

7. Literacy statistics
•Average U.S. adult reading level: 8th grade
• 20% of adults: 5th grade level or below
•40% of older adults
•50% of adults from minority groups
The Partnership for Clear Health Communication
2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy

8. Science literacy of American adults
•20% can explain how to study something scientifically
•34% can describe how to test a drug
•55% say that astrology is “not at all scientific”
•25% say that genetic modification of crop plants
could be “very” or “extremely dangerous.”
•56% say animal research is acceptable
Science and Engineering Indicators, 2014 report

9. What do they think about science?
Pew Research Center’s US survey 2019 (left) and International
Science Survey 2019–2020 (right)

10. How did the
pandemic
change things?
Pew Trusts 2020 (December)
https://www.pewresearch.org/science
/2020/05/21/trust-in-medical-
scientists-has-grown-in-u-s-but-
mainly-among-democrats/

11. NSF Science & Engineering Indicators 2022 – 3M survey 2019 and 2020

12. What do they know?
•71%: mental illness is a medical condition that
affects the brain
•69%: a genetic code in cells helps determine
who we are
•53%: childhood vaccines are safe and
effective
•31%: life evolved through natural selection
AP poll published April 2014;
1,012 adults rated themselves extremely confident or very confident in a
scientific concept

13. Are genetically modified foods safe to eat?
Scientists: 88% Public: 37%
Should childhood vaccines be required?
Scientists: 86% Public: 68%
Is research involving animals OK?
Scientists: 89% Public: 47%
Did humans “evolve”?
Scientists: 98% Public: 65%
The survey of the general public was conducted using a probability-based sample of the adult population by landline and
cellular telephone Aug. 15-25, 2014, with a representative sample of 2,002 adults nationwide.
http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/29/public-and-scientists-views-on-science-and-society/
Public views vs. scientists’ views

14. Where they’re getting science info
Plus 81% watch
science-related
entertainment
media
(crime dramas,
hospital-based
shows or sci fi)
Pew Research Center – Sept. 2017
http://www.journalism.org/2017/09/20/science-news-and-information-today/

15. • Policy should be based on evidence
• Formal testimony, informal
conversations, service on advisory
committees, briefs & one-pagers
• Staffers may have little or no
medical/scientific background
• Tendency to seize on controversies
and what’s in the news
Researchers & policymakers

16. 1.8%
98.2%
STEM ~ 5.7M Everyone else ~310M
STEM workforce vs. US population
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2016/nsb20161/#/report/chapter-3/u-s-s-e-workforce-
definition-size-and-growth

17. For 200 years…
• Information flowed to the public
from officials via gatekeepers:
• News media
• Entertainment & publishing industry
• Educators & librarians
• Journalists as the ‘fourth estate’ of society
• Academic research & PR since WWII

18. Media reporting of science
•Shares results of research – much of it
taxpayer funded
•Changes health behavior & oversight of
science
•Influences public support of scientific
initiatives and legislation
•BUT – is declining in quantity news
business model changes

19. michiganhealthlab.org
michiganhealthblog.org
“Brand journalism”
• Our own “news organization”
• Sharing cutting-edge research news &
clinical stories/advice daily
• Aimed at professionals & public
• Jump on timely news topics quickly
• Shared on web, social media and email
• Optimized for search engine visibility

20. Attracting an audience
• 8.8M total views in CY21 (up from 6.4M in CY19)
• 524 new stories published in CY21
• ~70% of all traffic to site comes from searches
• The rest from social media (free and paid), newsletters (21,000
subscribers) & direct links
• Podcast of selected stories

21. Everyone can be a publisher.

22. But there can never be
enough people like ME
to tell the public about
what people like YOU do.

23. You can communicate directly!
• Your own tweets, LinkedIn posts, website
• Grant applications
• IRB-reviewed materials
• Journals and major meetings
• Reaching scientists in other disciplines
• Talking to donors, legislators
• Public events:
Nerd Nite, Science Café, Science by the Pint, TED

24. So…
how about
some tips?

25. • What are they looking for?
• What do they know about the
topic?
• Why should they care?
• Will they understand your
jargon, acronyms,
abbreviations?
Who’s Your Audience?

26. Logical
organization
“You” and
other
pronouns
Active voice
Common,
everyday
words
Short
sentences,
short
paragraphs
Easy-to-read
design
features
Communicating with the public

27. Confusion

28. Passive
voice

29. Jargon
(Words that are not in the common vocabulary, or words that people
in a certain field use in a different way from how others use them)

30. Use common words
YES!
Use
Help
Method
Needs
Limits
NO!
Utilize
Facilitate
Methodology
Necessitates
Parameters

31. If you can’t
avoid it,
EXPLAIN it!

32. Does it pass the Dinner Table Test?

33. I need more help!
Resources for communicating with press & public
https://www.slideshare.net/KaraGavin
NIH Checklist for Communicating Science & Health to the Public:
http://michmed.org/EzD1O
Logos, photos, templates:
U-M: http://vpcomm.umich.edu/brand/home
Mich Med: https://branding.med.umich.edu/home

34. Your duty as a scientist
•Engage with laypeople of all kinds
•Speak their language
•Listen, don’t just tell
•Don’t just hope someone else will do it!
•See it as part of your career