The four annual VoYs workshops are aimed at PhD students, postdocs and early career scientists to raise awareness on communicating science to the general public via the media –e.g. newspapers, radio or TV.
The workshops included three sessions to address communication from different perspectives. In the first session, a discussion with more experienced scientists about how to tackle a number of barriers to sharing science to the public –e.g. when results are manipulated, debates become polarised or statements go wrong. In the second session, a panel of journalists presented how news items are treated on different platforms, focusing on the constraints these have –such as compensating facts and entertainment and fitting the information into a tight slot. In the final session, the participants analysed various means of standing up for science, by encouraging sensible science and evidence for the wider audience from peer-reviewed journals to personal blogs.
In addition to participating in these lively discussions, Fernando noted that because of the different perspectives adopted during the workshop, he was able to put himself into a journalist’s position and better understand how findings may be best conveyed.
He said: “Understanding how media actually works is an excellent skill for us –scientists– to get the message right.
“Sharing good science and evidence to the general public rests on the understanding between researchers and journalists.”
(Photo courtesy of Anastasia Skamarauskas.)