This page presents archived content from “Communicating Ciencia: Adapting to the Changing Faces and Voices of Mass Media” prepared for ScienceWriters2016 in San Antonio, Texas.
~ THREE THINGS PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ~
About Communicating Science to Bicultural and Bilingual Audiences
- Communities are not faceless crowds. The communities we cover – like our readers – are not homogenous. They have real faces. Don’t let your medium or the breadth of your story dictate how you listen and speak to them.
- Don’t just parachute in. There’s value in poundin’ the streets. Get down to the local level, and establish relationships with your “fixers.” Telling a good story means you have to talk to people!
- Embrace awkwardness. You don’t have to be part of a culture to understand it, or be embraced by it. Use your vulnerability and curiosity as a conduit, and ask sources to guide you into their culture. There are no dumb questions! It helps you show industry, and be more honest in your reporting.
Aleszu Bajak is a freelance science journalist and graduate programs manager at Northeastern University’s School of Journalism, and at the time of #SciWri16 was a senior writer at Undark. Follow @aleszubajak
Communicating Ciencia 