You Said WHAT? The Challenge of Speaking Science in the Modern World of Instant Communication

We live in a complex world.

As a citizen, I have a right, if not a responsibility, to understand it. As scientists, you have a right, if not a responsibility, to explain it. How you explain our complex natural world, and how I understand it, can be wildly different.

You say ‘climate change,’ I think ‘weather.’

You say ‘adaptive management,’ I think ‘guess.’

You say ‘compensatory density dependence,’ I think … In fact, don’t say that. Tell me instead that fish grow best when there is little competition for food, and not so well as the number of fish competing for the same food increases. And then tell me why that is important.

It used to be that your primary means of communicating with the broad public was through news reporters who had actual deadlines. In today’s world of ever-expanding electronic communication, the concept of who is a reporter is remarkably fluid and deadlines are all the time.

As scientists and communicators, we have to adapt. From the perspective of 12 years as a reporter, and 25 years as a source for reporters, I’ll discuss how my employer, and I personally, have evolved in the rapidly changing world of communication.