Communication Training for Scientists
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Communication Training for Scientists: Preparing for Broadcast Interviews
January 14, 2013
University of Rhode Island Memorial Union
Have you ever been put on the spot to explain your research to a reporter, funder, or other non-scientist? Metcalf Institute partnered with the Rhode Island Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (RI EPSCoR) offered a free, one-day workshop for Rhode Island faculty and senior staff on January 14, 2013, designed to provide the skills and practice necessary to give a clear and powerful interview.
9:00-10:30 Preparing for an InterviewView PowerPoint presentation
Participants learned how to respond to an interview request, prepare for an interview, and respond to unexpected questions. This session also provided instruction on what kind of information and sound bites broadcast journalists look for in their interviews, and how to pitch a news story.
10:30-11:30 Panel Discussion: Critiques of Television and Radio Interviews
Guest speakers showed sample news clips to highlight effective and ineffective strategies for clearly communicating your message in an interview setting. This session ended with an interactive exercise to provide guidance on how to respond to a reporters’ questions in a radio or television interview.
11:45-12:30 Lunch
12:30-3:30 Breakout Sessions: Telling Your Story
Participants practiced interviewing and being interviewed for radio and television programming. Following the example provided before lunch and using a script, participants learned how to respond to a reporter’s questions with the potentially intimidating addition of a microphone and camera.
3:30-4:30 Group Discussion
Participants and trainers reconvened as a group to view samples interviews and discuss the lessons learned in the breakout sessions.
