unu-merit online comms workshop 2015
TRANSCRIPT
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Paradigm OnlineNew communications strategies for public policy impact
Howard Hudson, April 2015
http://www.merit.unu.edu/about-us/profile/?staff_id=1295http://www.merit.unu.edu/about-us/profile/?staff_id=1295 -
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Framing the problem
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http://bit.ly/1wxLQZV
Effective research communication is a vital element in
ensuring that research makes a difference; without it,
a lot of research effort is wasted.
Why are we here?
Many of the answers to major development
challenges are already known but the informationis inaccessible, unusable, or unavailable.
[For] southern countries communication of
research is a moral imperative, not an option.
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http://bit.ly/1wxLQZV
Researchers are not expected to be expertcommunicators, but they should be encouraged
to work with communication specialists.
What can help?
Support is needed in three areas: 1.to improve
incentivesfor researchers to communicate; 2. to
build skills at personal and institutional levels to
more effectively communicate; 3. to strengthen
capacity for evidence in policy and practice.
Communication should be an integral part of the
research cycle and not an add-on all bilaterally
funded research programmes should allocate a
minimum10% of the budget to communication.
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Why are policymakers hard to reach?
Policymakers find it hard to use research-based evidence because of the 5 Ss:
http://bit.ly/1vl6Qmd
1. Speed: they have to make decisions quickly
2. Superficiality: they cover a wide brief
3. Spin: they have to stick to a decision,
at least for a reasonable period of time
4. Secrecy: many policy discussions have to
be held in secret
5. Scientificignorance: few are scientists
and many dont understand the scientific
concept of testing a hypothesis.
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Survey of >300 UK civil servants (2014)
http://bit.ly/1zen8v8
What sources?Policymakers read briefings(79%), media reports of academic outputs
(61%), and social media / university websites
(51% combined).
What roles?UK policymakers want academics
as knowledge providers (86%), as informal
advisors (67%), and as trainers (63%).
Whats new? Social media and web presence
are increasing in importance.
What do policymakers want #1?
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What do policymakers want #2?
Survey of >200 US policymakers (2014)
http://bit.ly/1rfsnHM
What style?Policymakers find much scholarly
work inaccessible. They want them to write in
plain English Reports >15 pages not useful.
What roles?US policymakers want scholars as
informal advisors (87%), as creators of new
knowledge (72%), and as trainers (54%).
What sources? Policymakers find newspapers
as useful as classified information (both
>60%) Op-eds are influential due to where
they are published and for their short length.
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How to get the message across?
World Bank reports (2008-12)
http://bit.ly/1uevrXs
Never cited: 86%
Dead ends = Jargon-filled PDFs
Downloaded
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United Nations University AR2014
Websites: UNU HQ: 3.31m pageviews
UNU-MERIT: 0.81 million pageviews
highest institutional web traffic after HQ
Video: UNU HQ YouTube: 5.4m views
UNU-MERIT: 65,766 views
highest institutional video channel after HQ
Social: UNU HQ Facebook: 11,100 followers
UNU-MERIT: 4,000 followers
highest institutional social media after HQ
Media articles: Almost 4,580 stories
in 2,130 global online sources
Are we making an impact?
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New trends
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New political landscape
http://bit.ly/1ATuJDX
More than the entire populations
of South Korea, Spain or Kenya
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New political landscape
World leaders on Twitter:2011: 42%
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2013: 100% of Senate, 90% of House
EU lawmakers on Twitter:
2011: 34% of MEPs2014: 68% of MEPs
US lawmakers on Twitter:
2011: 44% of Senate, 38% of House
2013: 80%
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New media landscape
When we go online, each of us is our owneditor, our own gatekeeper. N.Kristof, NYT
Why and how do we open our gates?
We act on (social) recommendationsfrom friends and other trusted sources
But often in a rush, while multi-tasking
We scan about 4 words / second.
Articles hook or miss very quickly
(e.g. because of jargon)
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Two-way mindset
Despite distractions, Web 2.0 big advantage: We remember about 10% of what we
read, 50% of what we read and hear,
and 90% of what we do (i.e. interact with)
Liking, sharing or commenting on our
blogs, infographics or videos gives peoplea virtual stake in our work
Mass micro-engagement (virality) builds a
collective consciousness. This can have
political and social ramifications >
e.g. Obamas 50m followers on Twitter
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New guidelines
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UN guidelines
The extremists are afraid of books and
pens. The power of education frightens
them. Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Laureate
2. BE DIRECT: State facts and ideas directly:
use concrete rather than abstract words
3. BE DYNAMIC: Use verbs instead of nouns
wherever possible. Verbs are dynamic andaction-oriented
4. BE DIGESTIBLE: Favour short words and
sentences. Present one idea per paragraph
5. BE SELECTIVE: Use appropriate language,
adapted to your audience and purpose
1. BE ACTIVE: Use the active voice rather than
the passive voice. This shows who is responsible
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UN(U) guidelines
The Concise Oxford English Dictionary,
11thedition, is the current authority for
spelling in the United Nations. Heres the
latest usage summary of United Nations
University and Maastricht University:
- Basic spelling: analyse, labour, organisation,
programme
http://bit.ly/1EuT2WU
- Basic rules: Our readership is global, so avoid
colloquial words and phrases
- Dont get technical: Explain terms on first
use. Presenting complex academic or scientific
information in plain English means less
confusion for readers.
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Where to start? Flesch Reading Ease Test
- Built into MS Word. For the 2010 version:File > Options > Proofing > Show readability statistics (Tick box).
100: Very easy to read. Average sentence
2 syllables.
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Blogging basics- Online diary for sharing ideas, insights
and observations: What did you learn at
a big event? What MOVED you and why?
- Write as you speak: quite informally and
using the I/we form to be active
- Invite and respond to comments: like an
informal peer review
- Good practice for op-eds, policy briefs
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Structure = inverted Front-load articles: begin with the main
problem or position, add key info, then
essential context: Inverted Pyramid
Present one idea per paragraph
Add chapter headings for chunks of
text: be concrete rather than abstract,
especially for international audiences
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Headlines and block quotes Use a simple and vivid title (3-5 words)
with an explanatory subtitle (10-15 words)
Use block quotes to highlight
major / controversial ideas
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Assignment: Translate
texts into everyday English- Take one of your papers
- Change the title into a journalistic
headline; convert the intro, key data
and conclusion into a 400-word blog
- Tap into a wider audience via topicalissues and universal (UN) problems:
human survival, development, welfare
- Share your personal insights and
observations: this is your take!
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