Traditional journalism is still the most reliable way to bring facts into public consciousness.
While different social media and influencers work as alternative ways to present information to people, these channels are usually highly specific and have a relatively low chance of spreading out of the groups the people are part of.
It is also notable, that most social media groups also comment on general news presented by traditional media. In my case, my topic of wear research is probably far too niche to create notable attraction on social media, so talking with the traditional media is most likely the most effective choice.
Researchers and journalists have somewhat different views on what is important information
and what is not. To generalize, researchers prefer logical chains of thought as the basis of opinions and arguments and journalists prefer simple and confident statements of facts or opinions.
In my opinion, this is most likely due to the different kinds of audiences these people usually present their opinions to. Logical chains of thought inherently lead to focus on details, edge cases, and different levels of confidence.
For a journalist, these factors usually are not that interesting, as journalists try to cater to the general public even if they are the foremost experts on these topics.
In order to have a good working relationship with a journalist, some common advice for researchers follows.
Have a clear message. Simple messages reduce the likelihood of miscommunications.
Always have an answer. It is far more likely, that a journalist will contact the person
again if they always answer questions when asked.
Be confident in yourself. A person with a character is far more likely to be remembered that a person that does not leave an impression.
Have a strategy. Think beforehand about the core issues of your research and have a long time communication strategy.
A consistent long-term effort is far more likely to lead to success with public relations than a single major incident.
Doctoral Researcher, DSII
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