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The Medical Campus welcomed Mariette DiChristina, Dean of BU\u2019s College of Communication, on Tuesday, Nov. 26, for an informative and visual Provost Workshop.<\/p>\nThe Medical Campus welcomed Mariette DiChristina, Dean of BU\u2019s College of Communication, on Tuesday, Nov. 26, for an informative and visual Provost Workshop.<\/p>\n
With 35 years of experience as a journalist, Dean DiChristina is among the nation\u2019s most accomplished science journalists, editors and managers. She has been both editor-in-chief and senior vice president of Scientific American<\/em> (2009-19) and executive vice president, editorial and publishing, magazines, of its parent company Springer Nature (2015-19), overseeing the magazine section of the journal Nature<\/em> and related titles.<\/p>\n Through conversation (and a relevant cartoon on each slide in her deck), Dean DiChristina provided expert insight into what\u2019s happening in the media ecosystem. The intensification of the Internet has turned news into a commodity. Reading behaviors have changed, shifting to digital platforms, but the new media \u2018echo chamber\u2019 is still reliant on old-fashioned reporting.<\/p>\n To explain this, she referenced American writer Stewart Brand, quoting a 1984 speech: \u201cOn the one hand information wants to be expensive, because it’s so valuable. The right information in the right place just changes your life. On the other hand, information wants to be free, because the cost of getting it out is getting lower and lower all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n But there is hope! According to the National Science Board\u2019s Science and Engineering Indicators 2018<\/em>, Americans have high confidence in the scientific community; and this perception has endured over three decades, only second to confidence in the military. People agree that scientists work for the good of humanity, help solve problems and want to make life better for the average person.<\/p>\n \u201cI know you all know this, but perhaps at no time have more of the critical policy questions of the day turned on science. Perhaps at no time have more people been spouting utter nonsense about science. Perhaps at no time have laypeople been consuming more science stories online. It\u2019s our opportunity,\u201d said Dean DiChristina.<\/p>\n She suggested the different ways the scientific community can bring their unique perspective on a variety of platforms\u2014essentially, anywhere they feel comfortable participating:<\/p>\n Dean DiChristina emphasized the importance of good storytelling to reach an audience because \u201cpeople can stop reading at any time,\u201d so she suggested thinking of their needs, not yours:<\/p>\n When you want to share your science with the world, stop for a second. Dean DiChristina broke it down into five easy steps:<\/p>\n \u201cA way scientists can help is to explain not just what you know, but how you know it. Stop trying to make a presentation — just tell us your story,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n BU\u2019s Strategic Communications Series<\/a><\/p>\n The Conversation pitch form<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Scientific American submission instructions<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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