Communicating with the media: From the laboratory to the real world

Abstract

Scientists often view communicating with the media as a risky process, based largely on concerns that they might be held responsible for inaccuracies in reporting their work. Yet my experiences with the media have generally been very rewarding. Most frequently, those who have interviewed me have been well prepared and have thought broadly about the subject matter of my research. Our conversations have often induced me to think outside the box and have led to novel ideas for studies that might otherwise have been left undone. The potential for feedback has recently been enhanced by the development of social networks—these often pick up on reports in newspapers and magazines, and provide an important additional forum for discussion. In this talk, I describe some experiences that illustrate these points and offer some suggestions for interacting with the media so as to communicate research findings and their implications most effectively.