# Presentation: 096262

## Using Media to Engage 
the Public in Science

Ryan Britton, Managing Partner

January 2009

**Page**** **

**Using Media to Engage **
**the Public in Science**
**Ryan Britton, ****Managing Partner**
**January 2009**

**Notes:**
Notes:  

Thank you.   EarthSky is BIG fans of NASA.  

Unless noted, what I will talk about today is directly from our experience as science media producers.  A lot of what I am talking about, NASA has taken to heart in many the things that we have learned . . . As I bring these points into discussion, they are not in response to NASA’s outreach activities. . . Rather I’m just going to plow on through what we’ve learned . .. . Sometimes the hard way.  

## Presentation Topics

**EarthSky Overview **
**Science Media and the Public**
**Engaging the Public with Science**
**Emerging Communication Trends**

## EarthSky is a Science Media Company

**EarthSky is a Science Media Company**

- Founded 1991 by science journalist Deborah Byrd
- Scientists describe their insights in their own words
- 600+ Global Science Advisors and Advisory Council of 10 including Nobel Prize winner and member of World Bank
- First-ever radio award from National Science Board:
*“**Achievement in broadcasting explanations of research and everyday science to a worldwide audience.”*

**Notes:**
We are a powerful clear voice for science

## What EarthSky Does

** **

**What EarthSky Does**

- 14 million daily impressions*
- 80 new podcasts a month
- English and Spanish
- 6,000 podcasts to date
-     *Number of times EarthSky products are heard, seen or accessed

## EarthSky Partners & Sponsors Include

**EarthSky Partners & Sponsors Include**

## Reaching the Public with Important Science Information

**=**

**Notes:**
Notes: Begin with story of what we are up against.  1) Cab Driver in Florida asks me what I do . . I tell him.. .. Ah, well my sister in law is a witch and she casts spells . .. that's what he associated science with.  2)  Folks get astronomy and astrology mixed up all the time.  

## Public Does Not Understand Science

- Pseudoscience practices widespread in U.S. criminal justice system

- 100 million Americans believe astrology is a “sort of a science”

-      45 million Americans believe the ocean is a
-       source of fresh water

- 3. Environmental Literacy in America, National Environmental Education & Training
-     Foundation, 2005

- 1. Public Attitudes Survey, National Science Foundation, 2006

- 2. Criminal Justice and Behavior Journal, October 2008

**Notes:**
Point B) This entire journal issue explores the widespread use of practices in the US criminal justice system which lack for effectiveness or reliability such as genetic racial profiling and hypnotic confession.  This stuff is being introduced into the courtroom as science--it’s profiting from the reputation of science.  

It's not in our best interest to think that our world is the world of the general public.  Talking to the public is very different than talking to scientists.  

## Muddying of Waters

-      Nearly equal numbers of people think that evolution and creationism should be taught in U.S. classrooms.
-      “Evolution, Creationism, Intelligent
-          Design” Gallup Poll 2007

**Notes:**
EarthSky has seen a rise in relativism in the science debate:  “Well that’s your opinion.”  “The scientific data says this .. .  This is my supporting evidence.”  “Well, I have THIS evidence.”  We can agree to disagree . . .  

SO  . . . There is the muddying of the waters.  People trying to broaden the definition of science beyond a powerful tool for humanity.  The broader definition weakens the very power of science.  Science Kryptonite. 

However, the national science Foundation shows that science literacy rates ARE holding steady. 

## Public Trusts Scientists and Their Research

- 85% of people surveyed believe “scientific research is essential for improving the quality of human lives”

-   80% of people surveyed perceive scientists and
-    researchers to have a good understanding, or very
-    best understanding, of issues such as global
-    warming, stem cell research and GMO foods

- 2. University of Chicago, National Opinion Research Center, General Social Survey, 2006

- 1. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)  Center for Public Policy Survey, 2001, 2006

**Notes:**
Notes: This is the type of feedback we get all the time.  People want to know.  People are not largely informed, but they are interested.

## The Public Cares about their World  BBMG Conscious Consumer Study 2008

- Respondents Ranked as “Most/Very Important”

**Notes:**
This study is significant because I believe it is a sign of an awakening by the general public.   Science is a tool of empowerment.  The public is using science research and as a way to help choose the products that they buy.  

Care deeply about world around them; The most pressing issues for consumers are those that directly affect them; Solutions to these pressing issues are coming from science and research

## Attention Spans are Shrinking

-    People have about  an 8-minute attention span
-      Arizona State University’s NSF-funded ACEPT Study

**Notes:**
This slide relates to the general media climate beyond communicating science.  

ACEPT = Arizona Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers

There has been some research that show these shrinking attentions spans may result from stimulus from 1-3 . . . This is a trend that is probably not going anywhere.  

## It's a Noisy, Crazy Media World

**It's a Noisy, Crazy Media World**

- The average American is exposed to 600-625 advertisements or endorsements per day
- The advertising industry spends more that 300 billion dollars on advertising in U.S. each year
- 1. Our Rising Ad Dosage: It’s Not as Oppressive as Some Think, *Media Matters,2/15/*2007
- 2. Lehman Brothers 2008 Advertising Forecast Report

**Notes:**
They average American only pays attention to about 30 to 75 advertisements or endorsements per day.  

## Your Competition

**Newborn photos of Brad Pitt’s daughter attracted 26.5 million page views** (Variety Fair “People who need People” July, 6, 2006)

**Sold 83 million albums globally**
- (Recording Industry Association of America)

## How to best reach the public regarding science  

- Mass media works
- Don't wait for the media to come to you
- Don't rely on earned media

**Notes:**
1)  The Relevance of Mass Media Digital/Internet Media continues to increase in relevance, but remember that Mass/Broadcast media has NOT decreased in relevance.  It still reaches a ton of people. . .  in most cases, it can be the best bang for your buck. 

Don't wait for the media to come to you.  Go Pitch!  There are not short cuts here.  It's a noisy world out there and those that have good reputations and distribution networks get pitched all the time.  But take the time to tell us why people should care.  You can get some earned media this way.  

3) Earned media is great.  You should go after it as an important component--send out those press releases . . . but at the end of the day, it's too inconsistent to be relied upon all by itself.   If you rely on earned media to get your messages out, the overwhelming chances are you will not get your messages out there.  

## How to best reach public regarding science  

- 4. Build outreach campaigns into what you do
- 5. Stick with what works

**Notes:**
The reality of the world is that distribution is incredibly important.  It's a noisy world . . . most distribution is paid.  Look for the most bang for your buck.  Get hard numbers if you work with anybody . . . but expect to have to spend cash to be effective.   

5)  Stick with what works . . . There's a lot of emphasis on innovation within education and science education.  Given the rapidly changing media-scape, that's understandable—we need to be cutting edge.  But in terms of getting your messages out, as scientists, it's not your job to invent any media wheel.  Inventing the wheel is expensive and can be risky . . . Being results and audience numbers oriented in terms of audience reach is much important than coming up with the science education equivalent of Firby.   (show ESCI reach data and cpm data next)  

## Impressions Made by Popular Media Sources

**Impressions Made by Popular Media Sources**

- 10

- 30

- Impressions In Millions

- Rates based on a one week period

- 20

## How to best engage the public

- Tell a compelling story
- Inspire us
- Don’t be modest!
- Show your personality

**Notes:**
Tell us a story . . . People relate to great stories. Think about your research as a narrative
Notes:  You are doing good work and people need to know about that good work you're doing and how it helps humanity.   This is what Carl Sagan did so well.  Space wasn't understood through equasions . . . . it was a story.    At EarthSky we train our reporters to get that story, but you might not be talking to a reporter that does.  

Inspire Us -- nobody else is being modest.) Your work and research has the capacity to ”Wow" . . . no "Aw shucks, just doing my job, here."  Mention James Hansen as our Communicator of the Year.  He gives it to us.  The importance of his work has he relates it is irrefutable.  

Don't hide behind your data.   E.O. Wilson –Entomologist .  .. he has all kinds of things to say about insects and about conservation and ecology.  But he's just such a compelling guy, he's funny, he's relaxed, Just very, very likeable.  We all have a little of him in us.  Jill Tarter at SETI is also a great example.   A calming figure . . . important when you talk about other species on other planets in relation to The Day the Earth Stood still or Independence Day. 

## How to best engage the public

- Tell why your work is relevant
- Why should the audience care?
- Why should the audience pay attention?
- Have fun!

**Notes:**
Answer the Should Questions: Show us people are ultimately going to ask for the importance and relevance to them.   You're making a JUDGEMENT CALL here . . . you have to make that call.   Make that connection.    Gavin Schmidt--  Real climate web site.  He makes that call .  .  . And increases his relevance as a result. 

Have Fun--Fun is contagious . .. Having fun should be your baseline . . . Even when you have bad news--it can still be your baseline.  

## EarthSky- What has worked for us

- 90-second daily podcasts
- 60-second daily podcasts
- 60-second Spanish language podcasts
- 8-minute extended  podcasts
- Concise web content

## 
Over a decade of independent media evaluations confirm Earth & Sky’s 90-second shows are an effective learning tool for science literacy

   *Informal Science Learning Review (Dec, 2005)

- Over a decade of independent media evaluations confirm Earth & Sky’s 90-second shows are an effective learning tool for science literacy
-    *Informal Science Learning Review (Dec, 2005)

**Can 90 seconds of science make a difference?***

- -- 90% of listeners report learning from the series, and enjoying
-     hearing scientists talk about their work

- -- 90% of listeners report that Earth & Sky podcasts motivate them to take further action
- Discuss a topic
- Learn more about science

## EarthSky Examples

**Earth & Sky daily podcast**                                                                                           *Why go back to the moon? *                                                                                        S. Pete Worden, Director, NASA Ames Research Center
**Clear Voices for Science extended podcast**
-      *Robert Bindschadler on what ice sheets reveal about climate*            Robert Bindschadler, Chief Scientist, Laboratory for Hydrospheric and Biospheric Processes, Goddard Space Flight Center
**Cielo y Tierra Spanish daily podcast**
*La luz azul ayuda a regular el reloj corporal de los astronautas*
- George Brainard, Profesor, Universidad Thomas Jefferson

**Notes:**
Play audio examples here.  

## Internet as a Resource

- 19% of Internet users surveyed report downloading podcasts. . . up from 12% in 2006
- 40 million Americans use the Internet as their primary source of science news and information
- 128 million adults use the Internet as a research tool

- (Pew Charitable Trusts, Study: The Internet as a Resource for News and Information                    about Science, 2006, 2008)

## Emerging Communication Trends & Social Media

-   More people now than ever use the Internet to share
-    ideas

**  **New platforms accommodate a diversity of interests
-    - Social networking    - Photography    - Blogs      - Video

-   Viral nature of platforms push trends, ideas, and
-    topics quickly to a wide audience

## You will find EarthSky on

-  BlogBurst.com
-  Digitalpodcast.com
-  PodNova.com
-  Everypodcast.com

-  Folcast.com
-  Podnanza.com
-  Podbean.com
-  Podcastdirectory.com

-  Podcastalley.com
-  Podcast.com
-  Podfeed.net
-  PublicRadioFan.com

-  Odeo.com
-  Odigo.com
-  TruMix.com
-  Podcastpickle.com

## Conclusions

**Conclusions**

**Invest in education and outreach**
- There are no shortcuts
- Be results oriented
**Effective outreach is multiplatform**
- Digital media
- Broadcast media
**Connect**
- Understand your audience
- Provide what’s relevant to them
- Be personable
**Effective education and outreach  generates goodwill and support**
**EarthSky can help!**

**Notes:**
My builder, kept talking about our tidbits . . . . .  Was almost there  I just gave him the word, SCIENCE.