Communicating Science...During a Pandemic
it has never been more apparent
just how important science communication
is than during the covid19 pandemic
where experts in virology public health
and epidemiology
have been providing regular commentary
to the public
today i’d like to share with you some of
what i have learned
about communicating science during a
pandemic
not only for those that might want to
get involved but also for anyone that
has seen a scientist on the news
and wondered why we do it
i’ve attended a couple of communication
courses over the years
and one thing that has always bothered
me is that we’re told to focus our talk
to a specific audience
am i talking to fellow scientists or to
the general public
but why can’t it be both science is
universal
and everybody deserves to understand it
the whole world has been watching as the
research around covid19 evolves
and i think we can all agree that there
hasn’t been such
constant media coverage of a topic than
there has about this pandemic people are
watching as science plays out in real
time
in a public forum and while that
presents opportunities to learn
and to discuss and debate ideas it has
also contributed to the rise
in science denialism and conspiracy
theories
if we recognize science communication
for the powerful tool it is
and encourage and train future
scientists in how to discuss their work
with their community
we could affect real change and see a
return
to the public’s trust in science
pandemics are nothing new they have
occurred
throughout history and with them there
have
always been people that have sought to
discredit scientists
but the pandemic we are currently living
through is the first to occur
in the age of tick tock a quote from the
irish writer jonathan swift
is falsehood flies and the truth comes
limping after it
one look at a facebook or twitter
timeline shows just how true this is
false information and fake news are more
likely to go viral on social
media and once they do it is almost
impossible to undo all of that damage
interestingly ted actually have
guidelines for what you can talk about
on this famous red dot
i couldn’t stand here and discuss
unproven pseudoscience
to whoever may be watching but hugely
influential people
and even world leaders or ex-leaders can
say whatever they like
knowing that their tweets will go viral
and that a lot of people will listen
so how do we counter the misinformation
that is out there
the answer is actually pretty simple
scientists need to talk to people we
need to engage with the media
with the public with policy makers and
politicians
and with scientists that hold opposing
views
to our own before 2020
i was researching how respiratory
viruses make us sick
i do a little bit of science outreach on
the side taking part in science
festivals
and going to schools trying to convince
kids that they should study viruses
and that it might actually come in
useful someday
then in february i received my first
media request
they asked me to comment on a new
respiratory virus
causing a few cases of pneumonia in
china
i turned this down i didn’t think i was
old enough
or had enough experience and i worried
that people wouldn’t take me seriously
because i didn’t have professor in front
of my name
but after further consideration and some
very insistent journalists
i realized that i shouldn’t treat this
any differently
to the science outreach i was used to
doing sure
the audience might be slightly older but
the goal is the same
to communicate science in a way that can
be easily understood
over the past year i’ve taken part in
hundreds of media appearances
and believe me it can be tough sometimes
i just want to go back to tweeting
about the great british bake off and
what my current favorite song from the
hamilton soundtrack
is this time
we’re talking about a pandemic but next
time
it might be an earthquake or a black
hole or a return to discussing climate
change
and we need people that can comment on
any eventuality
and for those future experts i’d like to
share a few of the things that i’ve
learned about
communicating science that i wish i knew
at the start of 2020
number one get involved take part in
local initiatives like festivals
and career days contact your institution
or company press office
or communications team and tell them
you’re willing to comment
on certain topics and be active on
social media let people see what it is
like to do your job
number two it always takes more time
than you think
do not underestimate the time commitment
that public engagement takes
not only to do the event or interview
but also to prepare for it
which brings me to number three always
be prepared
ask the producer or reporter or host or
chair
or whoever is running the event what the
topic is
and if they have a list of possible
questions make sure you know your facts
and find out if you’ll be appearing
alongside anyone else
and google them know their standpoint on
an issue
number four you can never be completely
prepared but that is okay
it is okay not to know something in fact
it’s a good thing when you’re honest
about it
and number five it is okay to say no
i find this one quite tough i struggle
to say no when someone asks me for
a favor but if it is something you do
not feel confident doing
say no and maybe suggest a colleague
and remember science outreach is a skill
it takes training and practice
not only that but it isn’t really part
of our job description
very few scientific jobs have time set
aside
to allow for public engagement this is
something that we have to balance
alongside our other work commitments
while still trying to maintain that
mythical work-life balance
thankfully attitudes are starting to
change
research institutes and funding bodies
are recognizing the importance
of the public trust in science because
science
alone cannot solve a public health
crisis like covid19
for the public to trust in science again
we need experts that are able to
translate science
into language that is easier to
understand
science needs to move with the times we
need experts that are relatable
and representative to act as translators
for those who haven’t learned to speak
the language of science
the rest of that jonathan swift quote
that i mentioned earlier
is actually when men come to be
undeceived
it is too late like a physician
who has found an infallible medicine
after the patient is dead
let’s not wait too long to realize that
communication
is one of the greatest tools we have to
tackle
this and any future pandemics
you