Science Communications Tips
How to Prepare for a Media Interview
Mary Anne Moser
This will take a couple of hours to do the first time. Then you will just need 10 minutes to review it prior to a media interview.
Even if the media never calls, this work will serve you in more ways than you can imagine, and is well worth the investment of time. It is an exercise that will make you a clear thinker and better communicator about your work in all contexts.
Know this: The media, for the most part, may not see your science as newsworthy. But this lack of interest can turn very quickly into a tsunami of interview requests, if your story gets picked up. You will be very grateful you prepared in advance.
Steps to guide you:
- Think advance about the primary outcome you are hoping to achieve in communicating science.
Would you like to see a call to action, a recommended behavior change? Or are you trying to get people to attend an event or pay attention to a whole body of work? Are you hoping to instigate conversations? Attract students? Inspire people? Entertain? Change minds? A combination of two, maybe three? Being clear about what you hope to accomplish through your efforts to communicate is job number one.
- Think about the absolutely essential things you would like to get across - for example:
- Message 1
- Message 2
- Message 3
- Create a short one-paragraph summary of your science story, using facts and figures to set the stage or for comparison, using this structure:
- What
- So what
- Now what
- Are there examples and analogies that enhance the message?
- What visuals can enhance the message - for example:
- Illustrations
- Props (what could you show to a photographer)
- B-roll (supporting video)
- Other organizations, companies, partners involved
- Any potential issues arising from your work?