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You have been framed
Scientists have got to stop answering the questions they are asked. Trust me, it causes nothing but trouble.If you want to see why answering questions is a bad idea, look no further than climate...
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Video content is king
Christmas and New Year's Day were anything but holidays for me this year. I found myself caught in an international media maelstrom when a group of scientists on an expedition to the Antarctic found...
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The disagreeable scientist
Scientists, don't get mad, get disagreeable. Scientists are too damn polite. And I hate to say it, but when it comes to controversial areas of science, particularly those that relate to policy...
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Bolt should apologise to scientists
The fellow to the left is one of Australia's leading right wing commentators. As I've mentioned before, he has publicly stated that it his duty to move the public conversation to the right to create...
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When opportunity knocks
Dr Erik van Sebille (left) speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer. One of the most underestimated areas of media communications, particularly in the area of science communications, is opportunistic media....
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Everything comes in threes
Science communication, in fact media communication, full stop, can sometimes be a tough gig. So, let me help make it much easier with my simple rule of threes.Over the years, one of the oddest things...
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How scientists can control media interviews
Control: Don't let your interview descend into chaos. It's remarkable how many scientists are terrified of interviews. Some just hate the spotlight but many are fearful that they will be misrepresented...
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Gadgets do not equal good communication
It's not the gadget it's how you use it that counts. I have just come back from Milan where I was an observer at a conference on medical and anatomical education. One of the plenary talks was focused...
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How bad event marketing can kill your reputation
He just couldn't finish the media release for your event If you ever want to irritate an editor, reporter or news manager and eventually get them to ignore everything you have put out send them media...
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Get the most out of media release videos
By Minkelhof (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsVideos are not just for decoration, as these stats show.In a previous post I talked about how communicating using social media is being...
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Hi All. This webpage is on hold as I am in the process of writing a book on comms. Normal service will resume once that task is concluded. CheersAlvin
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The arrogance of "dumbing it down"
It's time the phrase "dumbing it down" was made extinct. In science communication and any other form of communication we are always told to think about our audience. It is one of the foundations of our...
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Why media releases are dying
It has been a long time coming but this year has seemed to be the turning point for the usefulness of media releases in Australia.Around six months ago, I noticed that there was a definite change in...
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Who are you really?
In science communication we always talk about getting to know your audience but we seldom, if ever, deal with a more important question for experts in the media, who do you want to be in public? It's...
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It's about change stupid
I may be watching from afar, but the US election is turning into a case study of one of the fundamentals of communication — that of having a clear message and endpoint at the core of your...
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The death of not-for-profit science
Over the past few days at the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society's annual conference I have found myself pulled deeply into concerns of climate scientists in regards to savage cuts to...
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Community: A new, online model for newspapers.
Yesterday's News by Mick Baker. Flickr (CC BY 2.0) Newspapers and broadcasters continue to fail online because they won't let us in. Here's how they can be profitable again.Australia is on track for a...
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Can we cool it on the heat spike, please?
Yes, we have just had the hottest February ever (and, wow, what a spike it was) and 2015 was another record warm year but it is enormously important that global warming advocates and climate scientists...
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How to beat the billion dollar research parasite.
A lot of dollars - Reynermedia (Flickr CC BY 2.0). The publishing model for academia is so broken it verges on satire. Globally, it costs taxpayers and researchers hundreds of millions of dollars...
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When baby boomers go bust.
Change by Rob Gallop (Flickr BY-ND 2.0) A great change is coming. It will impact politics, media, business and all aspects of life, primarily in Western democratic societies. There have already been...
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