In the dying months of last year, as Britain was approaching the season’s finale of the long running Brexit saga the FT’s Economics Editor Chris Giles intervened in an online debate on the perceived failure of economic experts (who largely agreed on the likely adverse effects of Brexit) to make much of an impact on the public debate.
“The real reason academic economists do not get much of a play in the (UK) debate, Giles wrote on Twitter, “is that they can’t be bothered and won’t adapt their writing style for the audience. It is supreme arrogance.”
Giles, it seems to me, was making a crucial point, one that no doubt resonated with many communications professionals working with experts in any discipline. The push-back essentially always is: why, oh why can't the media be different?
Wail of pain N.1
Why won't journalists bother to read my forty page report with lots of equations?
There's a 24 hour news cycle to feed and reporters are busy and rushed, in understaffed and under resourced outlets. Also, not all have a PhD in economics, astrophysics or molecular biology.
Wail of pain N.2
Why won't papers publish the 40 page report I've cunningly shrunk into an osmium-dense 800 word 'comment' piece?
Readers are ordinary people (however clever and engaged), not experts. Join the conversation with a timely, well crafted, relevant piece of writing. Most of all, have a point and get to it, sharpish. If you are gonna comment, comment.
Wail of pain N.3
But my research is self-evidently important/urgent/game-changing.
Reader, it isn't... It is your job to ensure it's understood enough to be seen as relevant. Even if you are lucky enough to work for a large organisation with a strong communications team, they will need your help and availability to make sense of your research and craft material for dissemination.
Wail of pain N.4
Why is X always on TV talking about Y when they don't know anything? I'm available in the next 90 minutes/next Wednesday at 2pm....
As for broadcast media, the hurdles are even higher. If you want to be a regular expert on TV or radio you must resign yourself to the fact that you will be booked at a time of their liking and then stood down, often at the last minute, a lot. This is because the pressures of 24 hour news, the under-staffing and the lack of expertise are even more endemic in broadcast media.
If you can live with it you will eventually go on radio and TV sometimes. But please be aware the charlatans in your field who are selling non-evidence based baloney won't mind going through the booking/standing down broadcast mangle. They will always be available to go on, at short notice, and peddle their unicorns. Unfair but sadly true.
Yes, you are clever and you may well be right but the media still doesn’t work for you.
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