Telling a story that sticks:

communicating science to stakeholders

Peg HerringExtension and Experiment Station

CommunicationsApril 2010

“If I’d had more time, I would have written a

shorter letter”Mark

Twain

OBFUSCATION

def: to darken, to cloud over, to obscure the real meaning of

things

“If you cannot - in the long run - tell everyone what you have been doing,

your doing has been worthless.”

Erwin Schrodinger

Nobel Prize winner in physics

EXTENSION

def: enlarging the scope of time or

distance; increasing the reach of a function

OSU Extension

delivers research-based information to help people where they live and work

• nationwide university-based network

• agents are faculty of state universities

• land grant mission = teaching + research + extension

• OSU is Extension in Oregon

OSU Extension

programs related to Fisheries and Wildlife

• Watershed Stewardship program

• Master Naturalist training program

• Wildlife Stewards program

• Marine Invaders program

• consult with land owners

• convene community decision-makers

• 4H youth development

“If you can't explain what you're doing and why you're doing it to any

intelligent layman, that really means that you don't understand it

yourself.” Allan Bromley,

President of the American Physical

Society

4-year journalism course

in 5 minutes

4-year journalism course

in 5 minutes•Use short sentences

4-year journalism course

in 5 minutes•Use short sentences

•Use short paragraphs

4-year journalism course

in 5 minutes•Use short sentences

•Use short paragraphs

•Use easy words

4-year journalism course

in 5 minutes•Use short sentences

•Use short paragraphs

•Use easy words

•Use active verbs

4-year journalism course

in 5 minutes•Use short sentences

•Use short paragraphs

•Use easy words

•Use active verbs

•Use personal words

4-year journalism course

in 5 minutes•Use short sentences

•Use short paragraphs

•Use easy words

•Use active verbs

•Use personal words

•Tell a story

4-year journalism course

in 5 minutes•Use short sentences

•Use short paragraphs

•Use easy words

•Use active verbs

•Use personal words

•Tell a story

•Listen to your audience

What we’ve learned from Facebook

What we’ve learned from Facebook

•Make connections

What we’ve learned from Facebook

•Make connections

•Understand concerns

What we’ve learned from Facebook

•Make connections

•Understand concerns

•Never underestimate someone’s interest

What we’ve learned from Facebook

•Make connections

•Understand concerns

•Never underestimate someone’s interest

•Never overestimate someone’s knowledge

What we’ve learned from Facebook

•Make connections

•Understand concerns

•Never underestimate someone’s interest

•Never overestimate someone’s knowledge

•Speak the language

What we’ve learned from Facebook

•Make connections

•Understand concerns

•Never underestimate someone’s interest

•Never overestimate someone’s knowledge

•Speak the language

•Go viral

“Communicate and we'll win in the

end.”

David Brower

former Director of the Sierra Club

Communication challenge

1.Divide into teams

2.Look over your magazine section

3. Pick a story; read and discuss it

4.In 25 words or less, describe the story to a 6th grader5.In 25 words or less, describe the story to a state legislator

Department ofExtension and

Experiment Station Communications

http://

extension.oregonstate.edu/

eesc/