“If you can’t explain it to your
grandmother, you don’t understand it well enough”. Einstein’s quote
immediately sets the tone for this workshop on science journalism.
Twenty-five young genomics researchers have gathered in the Veendam Room
of the Passenger Terminal in Amsterdam to learn the tricks of the trade
from Piet Borst, columnist with ‘NRC Handelsblad’ and former director of
the Netherlands Cancer Institute, and Hans van Maanen, science
journalist for ‘de Volkskrant’.
Explain later
There’s coffee and cake for everyone. While people are finding their seats, Van Maanen explains how researchers should communicate their work: hit first, explain later. And Borst summarizes the fundamental laws of science communication: Know your audience. Use crisp language. Cut out unnecessary detail. Simplify facts, but do not hide uncertainties.
Not
easy
But Borst and van Maanen didn't come here just to lecture. "This is,
after all, a workshop", says Borst. The participants are given
several assignments. They first have to interview each other, and for
seven minutes the 'researchers' are talking and gesturing while the
'reporters' are silently nodding and writing away. And soon enough the
next assignment are up; write a catchy headline for your own research
that captures the attention of your audience. The group quickly learns
how difficult science journalism can be. But: "If it were easy, there
wouldn't be this workshop" Borst explains.
Suggestions and
criticism
Discussion follows: headlines are proposed and analysed. Opening
sentences are put to the test. Borst and Van Maanen visibly enjoy the
play with words. They suggest improvements where they can, but they can
be tough critics as well. "But isn't it the scientist's job to do
the research, and the journalist's job to publish stories in the
newspapers?" one participant objects. Van Maanen: "Journalists are not
megaphones. They are not selling science, but critically follow what is
going on in science." Borst adds that scientist are paid by, and are
therefore accountable to, the public. They have a responsibility to
communicate.
And on that moral note, the workshop comes to an end. Ninety minutes
have simply flown by. It will probably take a lot more time to learn how
to explain your research to your grandmother. But Borst and van Maanen
have shown that it can be done, that it should be done, and that doing
it can even be fun.
[Daan Schuuurbiers, Ph.D. student at the Centre for Society and Genomics, based at Delft University of Technology]
