Posts in: Media Tips

Lately, we’ve heard a lot about why scientists find it challenging to connect their science to broader dialogues. But influences external to academic culture may be contributing in equal measure to this frustration. Sweeping changes in the field of science journalism – the medium through which science has traditionally been shared with the broader public – ar...

COMPASS often asks scientists, “Where do you get your news?” The answers are typicallythe same – they listen to NPR, read the New York Times, and watch theDaily Show. Fair enough! NPR was the exclusive soundtrack to my years at the lab bench, what about you?

This word cloud represents answers from 170 researchers who participated in COMPASS trainings ...

In my last post, I described the importance of being a good listener in order to be an effective communicator.  As the former production assistant for the environmental radio show Living on Earth, (and as the show’s current part-time transcriber), I’ve had many opportunities to listen critically to and to be a part of great science-minded radio. While th...

As a verb, pique means “to stimulate (interest or curiosity).” As a noun, however, it has a rather different sense: “a feeling of irritation or resentment.” It strikes me that there may be no more perfect word to describe a certain fixture of the science journalism world… the press release. Done well, press releases can offer researchers the chance to ...

The discussion was bright and busy. Everyone at the table was talking rapidly, asking questions and sharing thoughts about science journalism and outreach. Everyone, that was, except the scientist sitting across from me. She had been tentative and largely silent, but suddenly she was grinning. “I get it,” she said, “I am a runner, right? People are always say...