Presentation by Jorge Ribas,

Discovery News Producer

Using Multimedia to Communicate Science and Health News

Introduction

• Jorge Ribas

• Discovery News is online science news channel for Discovery

• Video producer, reporter, editor = PREDITOR!

• Covering technology, space, archaeology, environmental sciences

Case Study

• Collaborated with the Nature Conservancy.

• Most recently, I followed a karst ecologist working in the Ozarks region of Arkansas.

• PIO set up a three-day venture into various caves in the region.

Case Study

• These types of assignments lead to some of the best science reporting – in depth, engaging pieces that don’t feel canned or rushed.

• The key is providing the reporter with time and access.

Challenges We Face

• The reader, or viewer, needs to connect to the science. – How does it apply to their lives?– What’s the small picture? – What’s the big picture?

• You also want your audience to connect to the researchers in the field, the technicians in the lab.

Where YOU come in

• In my opinion, there’s a severe shortage of interesting, in-depth science news.

• Snippets here and there, someone talking about a study for 30 seconds, but that’s it.

• Meanwhile there is fascinating research happening everywhere. Research that you can make known to us.

Pitching Science Stories

• For me, the most successful aspect of science reporting is helping the audience understand the subject.

• To do that, I need to be able to understand what I’m reporting on.

• That’s where you come in:– Why does this research matter?

– Why should I be interested?

Pitching Science Stories

• E-mail pitches are best way to get a tip.

• But get right to the point of what the story is, and what the research means.

• Don’t get bogged down with stats and scientific jargon too soon.

• Multimedia - links, photos, videos.

Think Multimedia

• As a video producer, I want to report on a story that I can show the viewers.

• I’d rather not interview a scientist sitting in her office discussing research.

• Get me on site. Interviewing, taping the researcher in her element.

Think Multimedia

• Pitching to a multimedia reporter requires more than a written press release.

• Visuals are particularly important.

• Photographs, animations, graphics and video create rich content. Think about all of this in advance of the story.

Packaging Materials

• No matter what else you provide, good background and detailed information is always important.

• That includes: press releases and data, statistics, backgrounds on researchers involved, history of subject, etc.

Packaging Materials

• Video b-roll and photos can be a very helpful resource.

• Doesn’t have to be anything fancy, edited or with graphics included.

• There don’t even have to be any interviews – that’s something we can do ourselves.

Packaging Materials

• Researchers, PIOs in the field, as far away as China, have mailed us content, uploaded it to our ftp server.

• That footage can be used by reporters to boost text stories online, create audio slideshows or videos.

Make Science Accessible

• Friday News Feedbag podcast

• Weekly podcast with three hosts. We choose six offbeat, interesting science studies and news and discuss.

• Interviews with researchers.

• Listeners vote on favorite story, send us emails, post comments on our blog and facebook group page.

Case Study: U-Boats

• NOAA research on sunken German U-Boats.

• Press release had links to web site, which had staff blogs, great underwater video, photos.

• This hooked me! I called their PIO, set up the trip, drove to North Carolina to do a few segments from the boat on their next trip out.

Case Study: Ivory-Billed

• Always had a fascination with this bird that was labeled extinct but that people still looked for.

• Research online took me to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which had this web site:

Case Study: Ivory-Billed