Science communication through public media is challenging unless the work is quirky, controversial, a major advance, or easily explained. While most science fails this test, alternatives for sharing research include trade journals, online websites, and managing social media profiles. Building relationships with editors and crafting engaging summaries are important for effective science communication.

1. Science and the media, social and
otherwise: What are the opportunities and
are they worthwhile?
Adam Micolich
ARC Future Fellow
School of Physics,
UNSW
For the twitterers:
feel free to live-
tweet with
#UNSWPDA
UNSW UNSW Postdoctoral Academy
Nanoelectronics
School of Physics ThurGroup 2013
11 Apr.

2. In the beginning, there was…
• Journal papers
• Conference talks (Keynote, Invited and Contributed)
• Seminars
• Newspapers (if you could get in them)
• Scientific magazines (if you could get in them)

3. Getting into the public media is hard unless…
The general public media only wants to know about your science if:
• There is a quirky aspect to it that can be spun into a headline.
• It is controversial.
• It is a major advance in some way.
• It is dead easy to explain or you can distil it down to 30 seconds.
• There is a celebrity involved or it is some how sexy…
Most science fails this test.

4. … and sex does indeed sell ...

5. The Pollock example
This had: a) in Nature, b) celebrity,
c) quirky aspect, d) easy to explain.
Got lots of good media easily.

6. And controversy makes it even easier!
This had: a) a fight in Nature, b)
celebrity, c) quirky aspect, d) easy to
explain.
It got as much/more media than the first!

7. Moral of the story
If your science happens to give you a really good hand, then play for all the chips.
A : There is a quirky aspect to it that can be spun into a headline.
K : It is controversial.
Q : It is a major advance in some way.
J : It is dead easy to explain or you can distil it down to 30 seconds.
10  : There is a celebrity involved or it is some how sexy…

8. The common game when the hand sucks
1. Do scientifically interesting experiment.
2. Write a „high impact‟ journal publication.
3. Think „Hey, the media might be interested in this‟
4. Contact Faculty media rep., send paper, have a chat.
5. Media rep. says its not going to catch the public media‟s attention.
6.

9. But you have other options!
• The journal‟s own media or website for highlighting articles (ask the editor).
• Trade journals, e.g., Materials Today, IEEE Spectrum, etc. (note these have
limited capacity in print, but are often happy to give you online space.)
• Online websites, e.g., Physorg.com, nanotechweb.org, reddit. Some have
editors, some you submit yourself, some are popularity based.
Advantage: Sometimes these avenues will get you others! The media likes to copy
itself, journalists are often busy on tight deadlines and will happily adopt each
others stories.
The trick: You need to invest the time in managing your own media…

10. Managing your media
"Take it from me, there's nothing like
a job well done. Except the quiet
enveloping darkness at the bottom of
a bottle of Jim Beam after a job done
any way at all."
Hunter S. Thompson
• You need to learn a new style of writing, it will be frustrating. You need to sit yourself
halfway between your media office and a normal paper-writer.
• I write my own press releases. I distil to 500 words first copy, then 250 - 300
words, and lastly a 100 word copy, so I have something ready for all lengths.
• It is usually the 250-300 word copy that I go fishing with. Sometimes I will also get the
media office to write a general release so I can fish in separate markets.

11. Case Study: Plastic Superconductors
2. Draft technical release
1. Start with paper.

12. Case Study: Plastic Superconductors
3. Approach chosen magazine or online outlet. Hope they like it (depends on hand).
4. Sometimes work with staff writer to help them refine the story. Be helpful, not
demanding. Compromises are needed to get a story across effectively. They
are trained professionals, trust their judgement for the most part.
5. Wait for your article to come out… (was 14th Feb.)

13. Case Study: Plastic Superconductors
6. And then we
doubled down…
This involved writing a general release, run
through the uni websites, Phys.org, and a
few media office connections.
One tip here. It can pay to give someone
an „exclusive‟. We did this for Materials
Today, and then ran the general media a
week after they went public.

14. Managing your media
• Get a good image, it can make a HUGE difference to your success with media.
• Build relationships with editors. ALWAYS deliver on time, they WILL NOT wait for you.

15. Managing your media: Multi-institutions
• Press releases made simultaneously by two or more institutions can be very
powerful, but can be very dangerous. Each media office will tend to fight to make
their institute look more important, involved, etc. than the other(s).
• As a team of investigators, you need to agree on a common release, and bully your
media office to release it as you (as a team) want it. This is the one time in media
when you must rule with an iron fist. A rogue media office can create hell for you.
• If your media office are fools, run through only one office to have a single message.

16. Managing your media: Multi-institutions
“William S. Burroughs talks about the world as nothing but allies and
enemies, and its important to understand what things around you are
the enemy. A lot of the time, your worst enemy is your own ego.”
John Frusciante
• When you write the release, make sure you give all of the team a part. Share the love
around, it‟s not only the right thing to do, but it means you will be a united force when
you have to control the institutional egos of your respective media offices.

17. Opinion pieces
• Opinion pieces used to be hard, depending on
your area of work. The common venue was The
Australian‟s Higher Education Section.

18. Opinion pieces: Beat the media!
• Opinion pieces used to be hard, depending on your area of work. The common venue
was The Australian‟s Higher Education Section. That‟s changed a bit in the internet
era, a good example is:

19. Opinion pieces: General Science is fine.

20. Opinion pieces: Beat the media!
Note again the common themes: quirky, easy to
explain, interesting, connection to the
everyday, controversial topic… they work every
time!
You could do this for your own
papers, but it might be better
to build little networks for
cross-commentary, so
someone else writes the
commentary (more genuine).
Just like News & Views in
Nature.

21. Blogging
• Another possibility is to start your own blog… (which I‟ve never succeeded at).
• Do not do this unless you:
a) Have a clear idea of interesting content to write
b) Can write well in an accessible manner on a short timescale
c) Intend to post regularly and consistently
d) Are willing to wait a significant amount of time to see readership gains
Your journalistic skills should be well developed to do this effectively!

22. Tips from an expert…
I will come back to this…
Pilfered with thanks from Jamie Elfridge, VU Wellington (sciblogs.co.nz/just-so-science/)

23. To social media…

24. Social media is all about separating audiences
On the border
Firmly State
(i.e., work) Firmly Church
(i.e., life)

25. Yes, there is Science on Facebook…

26. It‟s boring as all hell, but if you want a job…

27. I‟m coming to love Twitter, but it‟s not what people think…

28. Key points on twitter
• Have some patience, it takes time to get the hang of and build a follower base.
• You need to make a decision about „who you are‟ and what you are trying to achieve.
Are you:
a) A spokesperson for a group/organization.
b) An advocate (e.g., a person who tends to focus on one topic/user-base.
c) A general user who just happens to have a bit of an interest in science.
I personally recommend the latter (c), it gives you MUCH more freedom as a twitter user.
I think a) is somewhat effective, and b) only if you are already well known (i.e., celebrity).
• Twitter is more or less useless for promoting your own science, I have seen almost
no one do it effectively (even people who think they do).
• Twitter is very useful for networking in meeting new people, esp. at conferences.
• Twitter can be useful for science advocacy, since you have access to politicians.
• Twitter can be fun! Don‟t forget that.

29. Instagram/Pinterest
• Instagram is like twitter with pictures
• Pinterest: Possibly interesting if your science is very visual (e.g., astro/microscopy).

30. YouTube
• YouTube can be very powerful, especially for outreach & public education.

31. Key points on YouTube
• Don‟t underestimate this one, it‟s going to take some work. If you aren‟t going to put
in some time, don‟t start.
• In particular, you need to learn two skills:
a) How to really simplify the science and not only explain it well but very concisely
b) Feel comfortable in front of a camera
You don‟t need to master them before you start, focus on continual improvement.
• Demonstrations REALLY help, try to be as visual as you can be.
• If there‟s a quirk, exploit it. You can “go viral” with a good quirk (use twitter/reddit to
help this).
• You can make money from videos. If you choose to do this, I encourage you to use it
for a good cause: use it to improve your channel first. If you aren‟t willing to do
this, don‟t make money – your values are worth more than $ (Decl.: I raise no money).
• Wanna upgrade your channel?

32. Key points on YouTube
• Buy yourself some good performance gear. I started out on a borrowed school
handicam. I now have my own kit, both at work, and at home.
• Work: Microsoft Lifecam HD 1080p and a Blue Yeti.
• Home: Logitech C910 (Zeiss optics, 1080p, stereo sound, tripod mountable!).
• I do all my editing with Windows Live Movie Maker, it has all you need.

33. Some logistical aspects for YouTube
• Leave all the funky effects out, they will not help, in fact they distract.
• Learn how to „sit‟ a few seconds before and after you talk so you can crop your
sequences properly. This is the only way to avoid being really choppy or
opening/closing with snarls on your face.
• Try to talk clearly, and if necessary, more slowly (n.b., this is not always easy).
• Be ruthless about cropping. Yes, you have 10 minutes, you don‟t have to use it all. It
can help to have a test audience, someone who can say „I‟m bored at this bit‟.
• Try to guess ahead to where possible confusions reside and head them off (e.g., the
hypothesis example – rubber-band heat engine).
• If you can exploit any media „high cards‟, do it. High cards always help.
• Don‟t be afraid to take lots of takes but also bear in mind that perfection never
happens. Look for the take that‟s good enough.
• When you screw up a take, don‟t get frustrated, try to laugh instead. It not only makes
you happier, it usually makes you come off better on camera in the next take.

34. One last key advocacy points: Be you!!
• Physics in particular has a serious image problem…

35. One last key advocacy points: Be you!!
• The public media will happily reinforce this stereotype ad infinitum.
• Many scientists in the media will even happily „ham it up‟ in the desperation to get
some media attention (I won‟t „name and shame‟ to avoid offence).
I will have my John‟s
revenge on those crazy
footballers…

36. One last key advocacy points: Be you!!
• It really is this bad… add jacket, gloves and a beaker of goo = scientist.
Dude, it‟s water! Don‟t be such But otherwise portrayed as a
a coward. normal guy…

37. One last key advocacy points: Be you!!
• The media stereotypes women in science too…

38. One key advocacy point: Be you!!
• We OWN the media now, television is almost dead, esp. amongst the younger
generations. With things like YouTube and Twitter, we can set our own personas,
we can go from being portrayed as „crazy‟ or „weird‟ to normal people with normal lives
and very interesting, challenging, important jobs.
• If you wouldn‟t normally wear a lab jacket or safety glasses*, and there‟s no reason
to, then don‟t. If you wouldn‟t behave slightly „weird‟, then don‟t. Be yourself.
If you go on tv, please hold to
the same values. Stand up for
yourself. It‟s the only way we
will convince people that being
a scientist is a job like any
other (even though it‟s a
particularly fun one mostly ).
It‟s a jar of M&Ms, no lab jacket or
safety glasses required.
* n.b., if you would wear safety gear
then do it. Be responsible too!

39. One key advocacy point: Be you!!
And so, don‟t be afraid to talk about „more important things‟…

40. Thanks for listening
Now go and indulge your inner journalist… happy writing.