C2) Beyond the News Release Grind: Connecting with the Public as PIOs
- Time:
- Saturday, October 18th, 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
- Location:
- Bellows EF, Hilton Columbus Downtown
- Speaker(s):
- Katie BaillieScience news officer, University of Pennsylvania
- Melissa Lutz BlouinDirector of news and publications, University of Florida Health
- Josette HammerstoneProduction manager, Philadelphia Science Festival, The Franklin Institute
- Karen KreegerSenior science communications manager, Penn Medicine
- Matt ShipmanScience writer & public information officer, North Carolina State University
- Moderator(s):
- Katie BaillieScience news officer, University of Pennsylvania
- Karen KreegerSenior science communications manager, Penn Medicine
- Organizer(s):
- Katie BaillieScience news officer, University of Pennsylvania
- Karen KreegerSenior science communications manager, Penn Medicine
- Evan LernerScience news officer, University of Pennsylvania
Many PIOs may find themselves internally balking at the spray-and-pray mentality and the formulaic aspects that writing and pitching news releases can sometimes bring. We will offer concrete examples and discussion about branching out from the routine to engage the public and media in such other ways as science cafes, science festivals, and working with local science education institutions. Participation in these kinds of outreach activities can refresh a PIO on both a professional and personal level, as well as offer a valuable way of educating the public about an institution's research that sidesteps traditional media relations.
