008 - Course 02. Taking Sociological Research Public: How to Become a News Source (and When Not To)

Session Submission Type: Workshop

Abstract

This 4-hour course offers hands-on interactive training in how to frame work for a general audience, write for the larger public, and deal with the press and media. I will discuss how to become a news source (and when not to be one), how to get quoted, and how to minimize the chances of being misquoted.

Participants will work on identifying what parts of their work will most interest a broader audience (this is often not what interests fellow specialists). We will practice developing clear take-away points and constructing a clear narrative frame. We will also discuss how to find broader news hooks for people's research results and how to pitch a story to a journalist.

For this course we will pay particular attention to crafting op ed pieces, which are an excellent way to carry scholarly research into the public arena and establish a scholar or researcher as a news source. But we will also examine the differing needs and constraints of print media, radio shows, and television, and explore strategies for staying on message in each venue. I will offer tips on how to pass the secret audition lurking behind every pre-interview, how to answer questions effectively, and the importance of body language (even over the phone). I will also pose questions to course participants, record their answers, and ask the group as a whole to help each member figure out how to answer them more persuasively.

Sub Unit

• Courses

Session Organizer

• Stephanie Coontz, Evergreen State College

Leader

• Stephanie Coontz, Evergreen State College