A set of slides developed for graduate students at the University of Michigan in the RELATE workshop, summer 2019

1. Speaking
their language!
Kara Gavin, M.S.
Lead Public Relations Representative,
UMHS Dept. of Communication
Policy & Research Media Relations, IHPI

2. Who am I?
• Member of Michigan Medicine Dept. of Communication
• Trained in biology, science writing & journalism
• Cover health care research, mental health, basic science
• 20+ years’ experience publicizing research (U-M, BNL)

3. • Find & tell stories
• Handle news media inquiries
• Push stories out any way I can
What do I do?

4. Literacy statistics
•Average U.S. adult reading level: 8th grade
• 20% of adults: 5th grade level or below
•40% of older adults
•50% of adults from minority groups
The Partnership for Clear Health Communication
2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy

5. Science literacy of American adults
•20% can explain how to study something scientifically
•34% can describe how to test a drug
•55% say that astrology is “not at all scientific”
•25% say that genetic modification of crop plants
could be “very” or “extremely dangerous.”
•56% say animal research is acceptable
Science and Engineering Indicators, 2014 report

6. What do they think about science?
•Over 80%: "very" or "moderately"
interested in science discoveries
•50%: the benefits of scientific
research have strongly
outweighed the harmful results
National Science Foundation
Science and Engineering Indicators 2014

7. What do they know?
•71%: mental illness is a medical condition that
affects the brain
•69%: a genetic code in cells helps determine
who we are
•53%: childhood vaccines are safe and
effective
•31%: life evolved through natural selection
AP poll published April 2014;
1,012 adults rated themselves extremely confident or very confident in a
scientific concept

8. Are genetically modified foods safe to eat?
Scientists: 88% Public: 37%
Should childhood vaccines be required?
Scientists: 86% Public: 68%
Is research involving animals OK?
Scientists: 89% Public: 47%
Did humans “evolve”?
Scientists: 98% Public: 65%
The survey of the general public was conducted using a probability-based sample of the adult population by landline and
cellular telephone Aug. 15-25, 2014, with a representative sample of 2,002 adults nationwide.
http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/29/public-and-scientists-views-on-science-and-society/
Public views vs. scientists’ views

9. An eager audience
National Science Foundation Science and Engineering Indicators 2016

10. Where they’re getting science info
Plus 81% watch
science-related
entertainment
media
(crime dramas,
hospital-based
shows or sci fi)
Pew Research Center – Sept. 2017
http://www.journalism.org/2017/09/20/science-news-and-information-today/

11. Activist legislators
• Prominent officials
taking aim at ‘wasteful
spending’, industry
relationships
• Controversies,
oversight, safety lapses
• Staffers may have
little scientific
background

12. 1.8%
98.2%
STEM ~ 5.7M Everyone else ~310M
STEM workforce vs. US population
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2016/nsb20161/#/report/chapter-3/u-s-s-e-workforce-
definition-size-and-growth

13. Why does U-M* have staff like me?
• your work should reach people who care
• your expertise can have impact
• taxpayers & policymakers who fund research
need to know what they’re paying for
• most Americans need science translated
• it’s easier than ever
*and lots of other places too
Because…

14. Media reporting of science
•Shares results of research – much of it
taxpayer funded
•Changes health behavior & oversight of
science
•Influences public support of scientific
initiatives and legislation
•BUT – is declining in quantity news
business model changes

15. Communicating in the age of…
• The news media’s gatekeeper role is eroding
• Stories from big institutions = news articles
• Social media pushes info directly to audiences
• Patients, donors, advocates find info on their own
• Visuals are vital
• Rapid response to crisis/controversy
If it’s not on the Web, it doesn’t exist!

16. But there can never be
enough people like ME
to tell the public about
what people like YOU do.

17. You can communicate directly!
• Your own tweets, LinkedIn posts, website
• Grant applications
• IRB-reviewed materials
• Journals and major meetings
• Reaching scientists in other disciplines
• Talking to donors, legislators
• Public events:
Nerd Nite, Science Café, Science by the Pint, TED

18. So…
how about
some tips?

19. • What are they looking for?
• What do they know about the topic?
• Why should they care?
• Will they understand your jargon, acronyms,
abbreviations?
Who’s Your Audience?

20. Logical
organization
“You” and
other
pronouns
Active voice
Common,
everyday
words
Short
sentences,
short
paragraphs
Easy-to-read
design
features
Communicating with the public

21. Passive
voice

22. Jargon
(Words that are not in the common vocabulary, or words that people
in a certain field use in a different way from how others use them)

23. Use common words
YES!
Use
Help
Method
Needs
Limits
NO!
Utilize
Facilitate
Methodology
Necessitates
Parameters

24. If you can’t
avoid it,
EXPLAIN it!

25. Does it pass the Dinner Table Test?

26. Testing readability
• Flesch-Kincaid readability test:
• File  Options  Proofing
• Show Readability Statistics.
• Define scientific terms, take them
out of the text temporarily, run
Spelling check.
• If you get a score over
8th grade, revise!

27. I need more help!
Resources for communicating with press & public
https://www.slideshare.net/KaraGavin
NIH Checklist for Communicating Science & Health to the Public:
http://michmed.org/EzD1O
Logos, photos, templates:
U-M: http://vpcomm.umich.edu/brand/home
Mich Med: http://www.med.umich.edu/branding/

28. Your duty as a scientist
•Engage with laypeople of all kinds
•Speak their language
•Listen, don’t just tell
•Don’t just hope someone else will do it!
•See it as part of your career