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Work with the media
Kim Burtnyk
Astronomy writer, science communicator and astronomy program and exhibit developer and evaluator, South Pasadena, California, USA
Having a good relationship with the media can be extremely important to your career as an astronomer. In these days of increasing pressure for funding, and a more transparent funding process, having the public at large as an ally can impact the funding you receive for the work you do (in a broad general sense.) Large funding agencies such as NASA, the NSF, the IAU, UNESCO, etc. are all placing greater emphasis on public outreach and informal educational activities. For most scientists, these informal educational outlets are media interviews and articles. The sense of accountability is growing; and ultimately the scientific community is accountable to the public who ultimately funds much of your research.
The IAU Washington Charter encourages astronomers to share their research in public outreach activities. Become familiar with this initiative and encourage your own institution to participate. [For example, see how the work of astronomers at McDonald Observatory are featured]
Sharing your work with the media is also a great way to rediscover your own passion for your work. There is nothing greater as a scientist than going through five different ways of explaining what you do to a lay-person, and finally hitting on that one explanation that evokes that immediate "A ha!" moment.
Avoid jargon at all cost. Test out your explanations with family members, or friends outside of your field. It's easy to become complacent with terminology with which you are intimately familiar. This is especially true when speaking to journalists who have no science background or little science journalism experience. They won't know any better and are likely to misinterpret terms you use. That is of no benefit to you or the journalist.
Convey the emotion of your work to the journalist. That will encourage the journalist to also use that emotion in part of the story, and the best way to interest people in your work is to create an emotional connection with them.
Ask the journalist questions too, to try to gauge their understanding of and enthusiasm for the topic. When you see their spark, you can be more assured that the journalist will convey that excitement with their own words.
If the journalist doesn't offer...insist that they allow you to review the technical aspects of the article before it is published. But be careful when doing this. You never want to mess with the style of the writer. Whether or not you like the style, it is solely the job of the editor of the publication to decide the appropriateness of tone and style. Look for subtleties in language that may in fact have a great impact on the meaning of your work.
Speaking from personal experience, as a scientist and science journalist, I once had an 'editor' replace, unbeknownst to me, the very carefully chosen word, "interplanetary" with "interstellar", which made me look like a fool to the scientist I had interviewed, and gained the trust of. If I had an opportunity to see the copy before it was printed, I would have INSISTED to the editor that the word be changed back and explained the difference that the erroneous word made to the story. I won't make that mistake again, even though that was an editor's "creative license"... You can't catch them all, but you can be diligent.
In these internet-driven media times, it is imperative that the information that comes from "official" and reputable sources be accurate. The level of science illiteracy around the world is astounding. We all have to do our part.
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