The Workshop

Scientists often encounter problems when they face critical and complex questions from the media or when they have to explain a state of knowledge that includes uncertainties and unknowns. This results from their life-long training and their intrinsic use of scientific language, which is often complicated to follow and is thus perceived as a mystery by the general public.

When communicating about risk with the media, it is important to understand what scientists need to tell journalists to help them produce an unbiased and interesting story with a clear message, especially when hopes and worries of the public are concerned.

A 3-day workshop with journalists and communication experts was developed to train scientists in theory and practice how to deal with difficult questions, how to communicate things which are not yet known and how to fairly present the state of the art.

Furthermore, the workshop covers crisis communication, i.e., how to communicate professionally if an incident or even an accident has already occurred.

Agenda

Day 1

Introduction – Why Communicating Risk in Nanosciences?

• The Natural-Scientific Perspective
• From the View of Communication Sciences

Input Lecture – Issues Management & Crisis Communication

• Risk & Crisis Communication I
• Risk & Crisis Communication II

Team Work I

• Current Cases & Discussion

Day 2

Interview Training I

• Presenting Your Scientific Work to Public Media
• Critical Reflections – Feedback

Team Work II

• Defining Risk-Related Issues in Current Scientific Projects
• Dealing with Critical Questions

Day 3

Interview Training II

• Communicating Risk to Public Media
• Critical Reflections – Feedback

Documentation @ Open-Source Webspace

• Summary of Experiences
• Compilation Lessons Learned

Venue

AV Studios of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

Future editions

If you are interested in participating in a future workshop, or to make it a part of your own training efforts, please leave a message and your contact details below.