This past week I had the opportunity to listen to a seminar given by the Department of Communications at Columbia University on how a scientist should and should not communicate with the media. This issue is relevant to every scientist, no matter what institution they work for. In essence, communication with the media could help to promote or destroy a scientist’s research in the public eye.

So, how can one prepare for an interview with media personnel? Some of the tips discussed in the seminar were:

1. First and foremost, be sure to contact your local communications department. They are your most important ally.
2. Establish 3 main points you want to make in the interview and always be sure to come back to these points.
3. Anticipate questions and develop possible answers. If you can, ask the interviewer for a list of questions prior to the interview.
4. Speak in headlines. Offer your conclusion first and back it up with your data.
5. Speak in lay terms. If you must use a scientific or medical term, be sure to explain it.
6. Don’t give one-word answers.
7. When asked about a problem, talk about the solution.

While they offered many other helpful tips, the speakers kept referring back to the last tip, talk about the solution. For me, this was a bit confusing. Why would a scientist need to defend their research to the public? If they were capable enough to convince a peer review committee that their research was worthy of funding and/or publication, why would the public see their research as problematic? Aside from the obvious fact that some just disagree with the principles of scientific research (such as a religious or political group), the communications department discussed how a scientist must always focus on the positive aspects of their research in order to prevent a reporter from trapping them into saying something they wouldn’t say otherwise. They even showed a few examples of distinguished professors that were caught in this very predicament. Often, scientists are interviewed for hours but only one small snippet of information is actually used by the media. This could be a controversial statement the is used to sell the story to the public, which may have differed from the actual interview topic.

Now, I don’t intend to portray that talking to the media is a bad thing for a scientist. In fact, it is an excellent way to publicize your research. One faculty member present at the seminar said that after a high profile news station interviewed her, she received numerous calls from private funding associations asking for grant applications. I just think it is very important to do everything in your power to make sure that contact with the media goes as smoothly as possible. A good interview can really help your career, but a bad one could hurt it. That is the reason your local communications department is so important. They have the experience to tell you which media outlets report in a responsible manner and which just want to sell the story. They can also let you know who you should and should not talk to.

So don’t be afraid to talk to the media, just be prepared and try to work with those who practice responsible reporting. As a scientist, it may be worth the effort.