SCIENCETALK.ORG
  • Conferences
    • SCIENCE TALK '21 >
      • Event Page '21
      • Registration '21
      • Agenda '21
      • Speakers '21
      • FAQ '21
    • SCIENCE TALK '20 >
      • EVENT DETAILS (2020)
      • FAQ (2020)
      • Schedule (2020)
      • Posters and Artwork (2020)
      • Registration (2020)
    • SCIENCE TALK '19 >
      • Schedule (2019)
      • Presentations (2019)
      • Panels (2019)
      • Workshops (2019)
      • Photos (2019)
    • SCIENCE TALK '18 >
      • Schedule (2018)
      • Keynotes (2018)
      • Photos (2018)
    • SCIENCE TALK '17 >
      • Schedule (2017)
      • Speakers (2017)
      • Photos (2017)
      • Videos (2017)
  • Community
    • Volunteer Openings
    • Forum
    • Blog >
      • Pitching Guide
      • Blog Contributor Style Guide
    • Ethics Policy
  • Resources
    • Communication Resources
    • Training & Courses
    • Meet the Community
    • "A Science Blog"
  • Partners
    • Partnership Opportunities
    • Advisory Panel
    • Sponsors and Partners
  • About
    • Membership
    • Our Mission
    • Our History
    • Executive Board
    • Volunteers
    • Contact
Picture

This section will not be visible in live published website. Below are your current settings (click inside this section to edit the settings):


Current Number Of Columns are = 3

Expand Posts Area = 1

Gap/Space Between Posts = 10px

Blog Post Style = card

Use of custom card colors instead of default colors =

Blog Post Card Background Color = current color

Blog Post Card Shadow Color = current color

Blog Post Card Border Color = current color

Publish the website and visit your blog page to see the results

Creating SciComm Media in the Time of Coronavirus

5/26/2020

0 Comments

 
By Shira D. Gordon, PhD; @SheRockScience
Edited by Christina M. Marvin
When a crisis happens, we all react differently. My way of bringing hope was to help spread useful and accurate information. I created an educational video for lay audiences, from the perspective of understanding the science behind the virus.
​ 

As misinformation continues to spread, more professional scientists are eager to flood news and media outlets with reputable information that will keep people safe. Check out my video below and keep reading for some tips on how I did it successfully!

​Reacting to the Growing Pandemic

We probably all have different moments of realization when the pandemic situation really started to sink in. The news started to mention it when it was overseas, in China and Europe, but not the United States. It hit the United States, but what did that mean? In early March, many people realized it was soon approaching the status pandemic, but few were  prepared for what would follow. 
Introducing the science of Coronavirus
How I introduced coronavirus science. Coronavirus video screenshot courtesy of Shira D. Gordon, PhD.
As a scientist with a PhD in biology, people asked my advice. Initially, I struggled with what I should tell them. I think about things from a scientific perspective and understanding the virus helped me understand the social situation. Furthermore, understanding how scientists are researching ways to fight this pandemic kept me at more ease.

Ultimately I wanted to help people stay calm about the situation. I decided to create a video that was unique in content, not the quick fix of social distancing & hand washing videos that were already circulating, but a video that helped explain why this was necessary.  

An Insider’s Perspective

I had a secret weapon: a good friend doing the frontline research, Dr Andrea Pruijssers, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. I learned about her lab getting virus samples in early February, one of five or so BSL3 labs in the United States allowed to work with any CoV virus at the time. Just before coronavirus became officially a pandemic on March 11, 2020, she and I discussed creating a video to help explain what was occurring. 

During our weekly catch up calls, I would ask her a few coronavirus questions that I had been thinking about. She would clarify the virus, the research, and the pandemic for me—helping with my curiosity and putting my concerns in perspective. 

I asked her for references so that I could learn more about the topic.  She referred me to a site with good information (which is likely outdated by now with how fast things change), one page for live coronavirus updates, and a technical talk by her boss, Dr Mark Denison, an expert about the virus conducting research. I learned a lot from these few resources. 

Formulating the Video

While I had some understanding of viruses, I re-learned a large amount of basic information during my video research process. I realized that my audience may be others with little to no experience thinking about viruses, who likely did not have the same basic knowledge. I wanted to translate this basic virus information so that the general public could be a part of the conversation about what was happening around us.
​

I planned a script and rough images of what I wanted to use. I knew I wanted to illustrate the virus, giving key ideas for people to digest and not feel overwhelmed. Cartoons do a great job at highlighting certain elements of information. I used Adobe Photoshop and a Wacom Intuos drawing pad to create my images. The layers feature enables an easy way to change one small element of an image, or to create seeming movement—in a basic animation style.
Adobe Photoshop and Wacom Intuos drawing pad were used to create easy to follow illustrations of infections
Several still shots of how the layers were slightly manipulated to simulate movement in the cartoon, like a flipbook. Courtesy of Shira D. Gordon, PhD.
On Sunday, March 15, 2020, I sent Dr Pruijssers my script to proof and got to work on the illustrations.  Monday morning, the Community Media Access Collaborative (CMAC), where I edit videos, announced they were closing to the public by the end of the day Tuesday. 

​
CMAC is a nonprofit organization and cable channel that helps communities with Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) issues, funded in part by cable companies as part of the Federal Cable Act. You can find similar stations throughout the country. Through CMAC, I could  check out equipment, editing studios, and take workshops to learn how to produce videos and podcasts.

​Working around the clock, I finished all of the drawings by Tuesday morning. I recorded my script in the sound booth with a high-quality microphone and sound proofing walls and set the voiceover to the images using Adobe Premiere.  
​
Then, I sent the preview version to my friend as well as another scientist who works at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on policy and program, planning, and analysis.

Feedback, Vital Feedback

Feedback came in the form of several edits to the script. Frustrated as I now could not go back in to re-record, I tried to make only a few changes where I could cut and paste previously recorded words. It was a small band-aid, I needed sutures. ​
Removing jargon and insuring the rigorous terminology is important to establish credibilityCourtesy of Shira D. Gordon, PhD.
For instance, my initial understanding was that CoVid19 was the overall name, synonymous with the virus and the disease. I was wrong: CoVid19 is the disease, Sars-CoV-2 is the virus. In another example, I said “duplication” when the correct term was “replication”. While they seemingly mean the same thing, Dr Pruijssers explained that common terminology in virology uses replication—not duplication.  For science communicators, these details are important.

My next set of corrections came from the NIH reviewer. From his perspective, my tone was off and my message was not complete. I tried to justify that I had a previous version, with different text that justified my smiling coronavirus. He helped me realize that the people who are learning about coronavirus may be experiencing tragedy, such as sick friends and relatives, and who would not take smiling well. 

For a good science communicator, both types of changes are vital. The science needs to be meticulously correct. Also, the message needs to reach the audience and their current mental state.
​
I re-recorded some text with my not-as-nice microphone and in my bedroom, to reduce noise reverberations. I created more images to fit the text better. I used a free video editing program, Lightworks, to piece it together. ​

The Afterglow

Released on Sunday, March 22, 2020, I received positive public feedback. In the first 24 hours I had almost 300 views and in less than two weeks I had over 1K views (which is a lot for me). Scientists complimented it. Non-scientists told me how much they learned. Friends told me they indeed feel better about the situation knowing what scientists are doing to try to fight the pandemic. I consider the video an overall success.

Take Home Message for Video Creators

What are your best practices for creating an informative video project?Photo credit: PublicDomainPictures.net
If you want to create a video on a topic, think about your unique perspective. What can you contribute to the topic?  Creating the video can be done with a variety of programs, I find Adobe Premiere to be the easiest for me to use, alongside the sister Adobe programs of Photoshop and Audition. Be sure to get feedback.  Making changes may seem like a chore--but do not bandaid something when it requires a more severe fix.  Ultimately your video will be out there and you want to be proud of it, so have fun creating!


Shira D. Gordon, PhD, aka SheRockScience, is a science communicator after years of conducting her own research.  She works with scientists, organizations, and individuals to create written, illustration, and video content to explain nuances of science to wider audiences. To learn more, please visit her website https://SheRockScience.com/ and follow her on YouTube and other social media @SheRockScience.  Feel free contact her if you would like to discuss working together on any projects.
Tweet
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Discussion
    Diversity Equity & Inclusion
    From The President's Desk
    Multimedia
    Personal Narratives
    Profiles
    SciComm
    Science Talk News
    Speaking
    Writing

    Pitch & Contribute

    Do you have something to say about science communication and looking for a good forum?

    ​Email blog@sciencetalk.org with your pitch and we'll discuss the details.

    A Science Blog
    Co-editors

    Picture
    Christina M. Swords (she/her)
    @cmarvin67
    ​​
    Picture
    Amy R Nippert
    (she/her)
    @nipper_r

    Contact us at blog@sciencetalk.org

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017

Picture
​Science Talk is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. We are a volunteer-run organization and depend entirely on donors and sponsors for operational support. If you value science communication and would like to make sure decisions are made based on the value of science, please consider donating today.
© Copyright 2016. All Rights Reserved.
  • Conferences
    • SCIENCE TALK '21 >
      • Event Page '21
      • Registration '21
      • Agenda '21
      • Speakers '21
      • FAQ '21
    • SCIENCE TALK '20 >
      • EVENT DETAILS (2020)
      • FAQ (2020)
      • Schedule (2020)
      • Posters and Artwork (2020)
      • Registration (2020)
    • SCIENCE TALK '19 >
      • Schedule (2019)
      • Presentations (2019)
      • Panels (2019)
      • Workshops (2019)
      • Photos (2019)
    • SCIENCE TALK '18 >
      • Schedule (2018)
      • Keynotes (2018)
      • Photos (2018)
    • SCIENCE TALK '17 >
      • Schedule (2017)
      • Speakers (2017)
      • Photos (2017)
      • Videos (2017)
  • Community
    • Volunteer Openings
    • Forum
    • Blog >
      • Pitching Guide
      • Blog Contributor Style Guide
    • Ethics Policy
  • Resources
    • Communication Resources
    • Training & Courses
    • Meet the Community
    • "A Science Blog"
  • Partners
    • Partnership Opportunities
    • Advisory Panel
    • Sponsors and Partners
  • About
    • Membership
    • Our Mission
    • Our History
    • Executive Board
    • Volunteers
    • Contact