Jane Lubchenko's Stance on Speaking Out for Science
Most scientists think that if they speak to the media, they are likely to be misrepresented, hyped, and that their message will lose all their caveats. The average scientist is loath to talk with members of the press. The average science reporter or science writer has generally come from a background in some other field, not science. Jane Lubchenko, the woman appointed chief of NOAA by President Obama, and the first female head of NOAA, advocates for the opposite. She believes that it is important for each scientist to speak out about her or his scientific insights. In an article on Jane in the March 24, 2009 New York Times, Cornelia Dean interviewed other scientists about Lubchenko. Jeremy Jackson of Scripps Oceanographic Institution said, about her term as President of the Ecological Society, "she got them to reconize that there was a big bad world out there and that Ecology had not contributed to the dialogue." She took a similar position when she was President of the Ameican Association for the Advancement of Sciences in 1997, calling for scientists to make a new civic contract and not to stand by and watch poor scientific decisions be made without giving any input.
I recall that when Rita Colwell became the first woman head of the National Science Foundation, she also spoke out with a very convincing voice and presence in Congress and at many events with news coverage. But I can't think of many women scientists who were eager to explain science to the public, although I've heard women scientists advocate for science for public service often.
What do you think,
A Women in science are less likely than men to speak out to clarify science for the public
B Women in science are similar to men in their advocacy for science to the public
C I don't have a clear sense of how much women are willing to speak out, compared to men in science.
D I think neither one is willing enough to talk to the public about science
Has anyone out there used groups like Toastmaster in their communities to help them learn to speak in public? My college doesn't have any courses to help us talk with the press, but I kind of think Lubchenky has a point.
Yes, Helen, I know resources are tight. But it never hurts to stockpile good ideas in case we suddenly have some extra funding. And this other course you mentioned also sounds important and useful. So many scientists are pursuing careers in America and write well but still struggle with public speaking in English. This class is pretty pricey, but it sounds like lots of individualized attention is included. I'd take it if I needed it.
cheers,
Laura
It's like my contractor says, "Anything is possible given enough time and money." Of course when your contractor says that, it's rather scary, but his point is a good one. If someone can get the funding to support such training, it is available. But in lean times like these for university endowments, even women's centers and minority studies are being cut to the bone, much less a 5K+ class on how to present on TV:) So yes, with enough time and money, you could make this available to anyone. At my company we even have a program (7K per student) to support presentation skills for those individuals for whom English is a second language. It's an intensive class with 1.1 feedback through Skype/taping and review over 10 weeks (1.5 hr/week). It's another great program that is making even our quietest associates blossom!
You bet it's not a standard part. A lot of PhD programs don't even have ways for people to practice talking a la scientific meeting or class presentation, although some do now. Back in the day when I went to graduate school, people seemed to think talking in public was a born-in skill that there was no need to even mention. I really like this idea of a workshop about talking with the press. I wonder if it could be done more generally?
cheers,
Laura
Everyone at JPL has to take the class as they know it's not an intuitive part of a scientist or engineer's skill set to work in front on a camera. And those guys often present whenever there is a launch or mission review, so it's important that they learn how to do it well.
What a great idea! Training for women who need and/or want to speak to reporters about their work! I agree that it would be super to have this type of course available to more women. I assume it's not just for women at JPL, but I assume it would work either way with enough individual practice and feedback.
cheers,
Laura
I would want to feel more prepared than I am now. A friend of mine works at JPL, and they have to go through an intensive training and then test class in front of real cameras (seated and in the lab) with a review of their performance afterwards before they can talk to reporters. She says it changed everything about how she speaks now. I wish a class like that was available to more women to get the skills we need to get out there!
But it seems to have worked very well for Jane Lubchenko and for Rita Colwell, who was head of an institute at University of Maryland when she was tapped to head the NSF. Is it more dangerous for some women than for others? Or does it seem more dangerous to speak out than it really is?
cheers,
Laura
A I think women have more to lose than men in talking with press. The readers are more likely to jump to the conclusion that the female scientist is a ditz rather than that the reporter misquoted her. Women in science don't always have to feel threatened, but looking foolish in public is not a good road to success. Let the men do it.
FBP
