Monday, November 5, 2007 - 10:53 AM
25-5
Communicating Science to Non-scientists: 'Selling' Your Story.
Mauricio Espinoza, Communications & Technology, The Ohio State University, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, 1680 Madison Ave, Wooster, OH 44691
The ability to effectively communicate the essence and impact of scientific endeavors and discoveries — not to other scientists, but to policy makers and citizens — is becoming increasingly significant in an era of "communication saturation" and rapid globalization of knowledge. Whether or not global climate change is happening, just to cite an example, will not necessarily be determined by scientific evidence — but by the researchers' skill in "selling" their story to legislators, activists and the public. This presentation focuses on the need to break communication barriers in order to reach out to the audiences mentioned above, including how to work with the media to promote your research and provide useful information to the public; how to present complex data and concepts in a way that everyday people will understand them and care about them; and what not to do when communicating with policy-makers.