{"442091":{"#nid":"442091","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Talking about Research: Faculty Share How and Why They Do It","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EResearchers spend a significant portion of their lives becoming experts in their field. As a result, many of them welcome the opportunity to speak to fellow researchers at workshops and conferences. But when it comes to speaking to lay audiences \u2014 particularly the popular press \u2014 many researchers put on the brakes because they are afraid of being misunderstood or misquoted. But, what are the benefits to overcoming this fear and communicating with a broader audience? \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p4\u0022\u003EProfessor Kim Cobb of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences notes that\u0026nbsp; benefits do accrue with time but may not be obvious to most researchers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cThe problem is, most of the benefits may not be of direct benefit to [the researchers]. They are missing opportunities to inspire the next generation of scientists in their field, to garner public support for federal research funding, or to educate voters and policymakers about science that could inform public policy.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EJud Ready, deputy director of Georgia Tech\u2019s Institute for Materials, said, \u201cThe benefits [of speaking to non-technical audiences] outweigh the detriments to a large degree.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EReady pointed out that for researchers who want to license research, appearing in the popular press is one way to make connections with those who control the purse strings.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cMany venture capitalists and industry funding decision-makers attend technical conferences and read technical journals,\u201d he said. \u201cBut they can\u2019t attend every conference or read every single journal, so much work is missed. There is a better chance for your work to get recognized immediately if it gets highlighted by the popular press.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003ECobb reinforced the importance of engaging with the public to secure financial support.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cIn an era when public funding for science is on the decrease and private funding for scientific research is increasing, being able to succinctly and convincingly pitch an idea to potential private donors and foundations is a wonderful asset,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EAnother benefit is in creating an alternative network of professionals \u2014 professionals who work in the communication sphere, Cobb said. \u201cThe media greatly value the skillsets honed through frequent public engagement, so you are more likely to be called on for press opportunities.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5 class=\u0022p6\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGetting Over the First Hurdle\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003ECobb admits to, at first, being reluctant about engaging the public, having witnessed vicious attacks leveled at some of the more outspoken climate scientists about a decade ago.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cThose attacks continue today, but they are clearly diluted through the constant din of an increasing number of climate scientists willing to speak out on their research. I felt a strong moral obligation to counter the fear tactics of the climate skeptic community by engaging the public in the conversation about climate,\u201d said Cobb. \u201cThe first time I gave a public lecture on climate change science almost 10 years ago, I was very afraid that I would be cut down after my talk. Instead, I was surrounded by people saying things like: \u2018I had no idea it was so bad\u2019 and \u2018This is the first time I have understood the science behind climate change.\u2019 I was hooked.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EFor those researchers whose nerves keep them from getting over that first hurdle like Cobb did, Joey Asher says the best way to deal with nerves is to practice.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EAn adjunct lecturer in the Scheller College of Business and president of Speechworks, a personal coaching business, Asher says, \u201cIf you\u2019re going to give a presentation to the public, practice it out loud from beginning to end without stopping \u2014 like it\u2019s a play. Then do it again and again until you\u2019re comfortable you can deliver it without thinking too much.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EAsher suggests the same approach when speaking to the media.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cYou just practice answering questions,\u201d he said. \u201cWrite down all the questions you think you might get and practice answering them. You can actually ask the reporters for the questions in advance, and they\u2019ll often oblige. But if they don\u2019t, you can usually guess what questions they will ask.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EReady supplements Asher\u2019s advice with the recommendation of making real-world connections.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cI use analogies a lot,\u201d he said. \u201cThrough my use of analogies, I can take an uncommon subject like nanotubes and relate it to a common subject.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EReady also advises colleagues to not let fear of being misquoted stop them from speaking to the press. He said they should, though, be mindful they might not always have the option to review the story prior to publication, which is why it is so important to speak simply.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EIn any case, he said, \u201cMost people recognize that an error in a story is not the fault of the researcher, but is usually a misunderstanding by the reporter.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003EWhen it comes to speaking to lay audiences \u2014 particularly the popular press \u2014 many researchers put on the brakes because they are afraid of being misunderstood or misquoted. What are the benefits to overcoming this fear and communicating with a broader audience?\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"What are the benefits to engaging with mass media to share your work?"}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2015-08-31 11:06:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:19:29","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-08-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2015-08-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"442101":{"id":"442101","type":"image","title":"Why Talk About Research","body":null,"created":"1449256190","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:09:50","changed":"1475895182","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:02","alt":"Why Talk About Research","file":{"fid":"203109","name":"talkingaboutresearch-illu.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/talkingaboutresearch-illu_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/talkingaboutresearch-illu_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":126975,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/talkingaboutresearch-illu_0.jpg?itok=l7Ba2Jcb"}}},"media_ids":["442101"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.comm.gatech.edu\/account-management","title":"Institute Communications Client Managers"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1506","name":"faculty"},{"id":"139841","name":"journalists"},{"id":"1976","name":"Media"},{"id":"139851","name":"media training"},{"id":"139831","name":"reporters"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"167018","name":"staff"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:victor.rogers@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EVictor Rogers\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}