Communication Learning Objectives/Journalistic science communication

Journalistic science communication, multimedia integration, and using digital tools

Knowledge

Define the characteristics of newsworthiness

Identify use of the inverted pyramid structure in journalistic writing

Identify the characteristics of a good opening paragraph (lead) --who, what, where, when, why, how

Recognize the role of the public affairs or communications offices in communicating science

Understand

Recognize the needs and limitations of people working in the media

Recognize, as scientists, that complexity must be sacrificed for clarity in some cases

Explain why it is important to use quotations more frequently than in academic science communication

Apply

Apply the inverted pyramid structure when writing press releases or journalistic articles

Use appropriate, interesting quotations when writing in journalistic style

Evaluate

Critically discuss the historical “two cultures” of science and journalism

Critically discuss how science communication is changing (online news, social media, citizen journalism, blogging, etc.) and how this affects the work of journalists, press officers, and other members of the media

Critically discuss how science communication is changing (online news, social media, citizen journalism, blogging, etc.) and how this affects the work of scientists

Critically examine best practice examples of science podcasts and videos

Create

Write a lead for an article about science that is intended for a non-expert audience

Write a blog post about scientific research in journalistic style (max 500 words) for a non-expert audience

Construct a production plan for a multimedia project that reports on a current piece of scientific research

Conduct an on-camera interview with a researcher

Create detailed scripts, including narration and shot lists, for a short video and podcast based on an interview with a researcher

Produce a short podcast about a current piece of scientific research

Produce a short video about a current piece of scientific research

Contribute posts and comments to the course blog