Engaging the audience is one of the most important ways to make sure that your reporting is read, seen, or heard. It's also, increasingly, the basis for the economic survival of you publication. But many science journalists are struggling to engage with their readers. Too often, they have scientists or their peers in mind when they write about the latest research, and not the general public.
Also, when it comes to contentious issues like vaccination or genetically modified organisms, they tend to write "for the choir" instead of actively and purposefully reaching out to those who are not convinced. In this session, we want to explore why this is and what we could do about it.
We will discuss ways to get to know your audience, to listen better, to engage with them. We will explore different roles that journalists can take in their communities, not just as reporters, but as mediators or facilitators as well. Science journalists are lagging behind in audience engagement, so we will hear from and about people in other fields who are navigating complex and controversial issues together with their readers.