- This discussion was inspired by this TED talk:
Talk Nerdy to Me - The participants were:
Kat Friedrich - news editor and reporter specializing in energy, engineering and sustainability
Tara Haelle - science and health journalist and photographer
Kirk Englehardt - director of research communications at Georgia Institute of Technology
Science Writers' Handbook - a publication by and for science media professionals 
.@kirkenglehardt @sciwrihandbook Do you think telling personal stories helps science communicators? I see it often in TED talks.- .@kirkenglehardt @sciwrihandbook Also, do you think science writers who post personal info tend to develop more influence on Twitter?
@katsciwriter @sciwrihandbook I think telling personal stories helps all communicators. I use personal stories all the time when I present.- @katsciwriter @sciwrihandbook Again, I think any communicator/writer/person who shares a bit of themselves will benefit. I'm not sure...
- @katsciwriter @sciwrihandbook ...if it would mean more influence, but it could mean more engagement - which is the reason we set up...
- @katsciwriter @sciwrihandbook ...these accounts in the first place. :-) Influence is a bit different though. I believe having...
- @katsciwriter @sciwrihandbook ...personality is what separates us from the bots - and we'll grow our networks quicker if we engage...and
- @katsciwriter @sciwrihandbook we are 'engaging.' (hope that makes sense.)
- @kirkenglehardt @sciwrihandbook I think I'd like to tell more personal stories as a science communicator too.
- @kirkenglehardt @sciwrihandbook The main reason I do not share a lot of personal stories is that other energy reporters usually don't.
- @kirkenglehardt @sciwrihandbook In the energy industry in particular, there is this impersonal style that a lot of people use.
- @kirkenglehardt @sciwrihandbook I want to relate to my audience and be authentic, but I also want to be seen as professional.
- @katsciwriter @sciwrihandbook Politically this can be difficult. Especially when you're trying to remain impartial. Taking positions...
- @katsciwriter @sciwrihandbook ...is tough. But sharing a picture of your pet, or a funny story about something that happened to you...
- @katsciwriter @sciwrihandbook ...would be less problematic and endearing.
- @kirkenglehardt @sciwrihandbook That's a good point. Some anecdotes are more work-friendly than others.
@katsciwriter @kirkenglehardt Great conversation. Also, some fields are more anecdote-friendly than others, like medicine....- @katsciwriter @kirkenglehardt ...A personal essay (a sidebar, maybe) on a medical problem that relates to the main story can be powerful...
- @katsciwriter @kirkenglehardt ...But the hard part is achieving balance: sharing enough to resonate without detracting from the main point.
@sciwrihandbook @katsciwriter @kirkenglehardt Tongue-in-cheek and gentle self-deprecation re field might be personal. Ie, "yea, I admit- @sciwrihandbook @katsciwriter @kirkenglehardt "I've driven to the convenience store I could walk to in 10 min" in story about emissions
- @sciwrihandbook @katsciwriter @kirkenglehardt (totally talking off cuff; I tend to make fun of myself w some of the topics I cover)
- @sciwrihandbook @katsciwriter @kirkenglehardt (but not in a way that would imply I'm not credible/reliable w topic evidence. Make sense?)
Making Science Media Personal and Visual
Four science media professionals had a Twitter chat about how to include humor and multimedia in online content and presentations. They shared links to blog posts that showed personal warmth, sarcasm, gallows humor, pop culture allusions, and family stories.
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Kat Friedrich194 Views
Kat Friedrich194 Views
