Why scientists have to stop speaking in High Alien
Very clever people with a decade or four of subject expertise in public health need to know how to talk to the rest of us about their work in plain English. Here’s why, and how they can get started. The post Why scientists have to stop speaking in High Alien appeared first on Bhekisisa .
The Climate Health Story Project (CHSP), funded by the Wellcome Trust, aimed to assist researchers studying how climate change impacts human health to communicate their findings in a more accessible manner. Senior journalist Ida Jooste explained that even if researchers resisted techniques that simplified science, they eventually understood that engaging storytelling would encourage people to delve deeper into the subject.
The project, which included workshops, webinars, and a mentorship program, helped 10 academics and climate and health advocates learn how to write stories and converse with journalists using plain language. Over two full-day sessions, participants recognized the need to explain complex concepts in simpler terms, as their work often relied on acronyms, context, and scientific jargon that were not easily understood by a general audience.
For example, a passage describing how rising temperatures can increase bacterial resistance and the spread of antibiotic resistance was simplified to convey that heat and sunlight accelerate germs' ability to develop resistance to medicines, and this skill is shared among them. The project emphasized the importance of "hooking" the audience at the beginning of a story to maintain interest and encourage people to explore scientific topics more thoroughly.
Written by urgent.news from Bhekisisa's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
