1 / 44

Making a broader impact with Web-based outreach

Making a broader impact with Web-based outreach. Sonya Senkowsky AlaskaWriter LLC & Alaska Science Outreach. My background …. http://www.alaskawriter.com. What do you think of when you think of science outreach ?. One of the many faces of outreach. More outreach ….

makoto
Download Presentation

Making a broader impact with Web-based outreach

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Making a broader impact with Web-based outreach Sonya Senkowsky AlaskaWriter LLC &Alaska Science Outreach

  2. My background …

  3. http://www.alaskawriter.com

  4. What do you think of when you think of science outreach?

  5. One of the many faces of outreach

  6. More outreach …

  7. This is outreach, too …

  8. Also outreach …

  9. And yet more outreach …

  10. Some other pictures from outreach today How will your site stand out?

  11. The institutional science news site • Delivery of feature stories• Multiple entry points • Multimedia gallery• Specialized tools

  12. The research-based site • Individuals or collaborations• FAQ for public • Provides 24-hour access • Primarily static info, but can also be responsive

  13. The event-based site • Journal entries or similar• Uses trip as excuse to introduce context • Often aimed at K-12 (but adults like them too!)

  14. My secret weapon New model:www.alaskascienceoutreach.com • Noninstitutional portal site - to help people find all those other sites• A resource for science teams• Science through storytelling• Interactive features/Q&A

  15. Case study: Coral cruise coverage http://www.alaskascienceoutreach.com/coralsite

  16. Case study: Coral cruise coverage http://www.alaskascienceoutreach.com/coralsite • Goals: • • Establish researchers as experts on Alaska corals • • Provide a neutral alternative to advocacy sites • Create transparency about fieldwork techniques • • Get local media coverage of JASON visit • • Create a resource that can be used again

  17. Case study: Coral cruise coverage http://www.alaskascienceoutreach.com/coralsite • Audience: Alaska media/general public, K-12. • Resources: • • Outreach funding • • Video/still images and samples from JASON • • Multimedia journalist

  18. Case study: Coral cruise coverage http://www.alaskascienceoutreach.com/coralsite

  19. Using video to help tell the story http://www.alaskascienceoutreach.com/coralsite NOAA Research

  20. Using audio to help tell the story http://www.alaskascienceoutreach.com/coralsite

  21. Case study: Coral cruise coverage http://www.alaskascienceoutreach.com/coralsite • Results: • • More than 7,000 individual visits during July and August • • APRN Radio story (produced onboard) • • Illustrated feature story in Fairbanks newspaper • • Tie-in with local NOAA site & national site • • Frequent mentions in local media (including “Site of the week”) • • The site provided a hook for local coverage and announcements in papers, etc.

  22. Promoting the site/research Link to coral site Feature story

  23. Bringing people to the site …

  24. Case study: Edge of the Arctic Shelfhttp://www.whoi.edu/arcticedge

  25. Edge sample page

  26. Case study: Edge of the Arctic Shelfhttp://www.whoi.edu/arcticedge

  27. Case study: Edge of the Arctic Shelfhttp://www.whoi.edu/arcticedge

  28. Case study: Climate blog http://www.realclimate.org

  29. Case study: Climate blog http://www.realclimate.org

  30. Case study: Climate blog http://www.realclimate.org “The site came from my personal frustration trying to engage. I would always find myself arguing about the same things. It was like playing Whack-a-Mole.” –Gavin Schmidt

  31. Case study: Climate blog http://www.realclimate.org • Audience: Lay people/adults interested in climate change. Journalists. • Resources: Willingness to volunteer time, 9 colleagues willing to blog. • Benefits: More than a quarter of a million visits; FAQ page has saved time • Drawbacks: Some hate mail, “virtual fisticuffs” (but it’s easy to block someone from posting)

  32. Case study: Climate blog http://www.realclimate.org • Why does it work? • “ Blogging demonstrates a willingness to talk at a level that normal people do... Journalists like to talk to people who are willing to make an effort to talk at their level.” • Bonuses: FEEDBACK from the public, fan mail and encouragement, reporter contacts.

  33. How broad an impact? Consider NASA … • Case study: http://www.nasa.gov • • After 1997 landing of the Mars Pathfinder rover, NASA unveiled a newspaper-style home page. • • In January 2003, NASA debuted its Web portal, with more multimedia and audience-based organization.

  34. NASA.gov daily page views in 2004: 4.6 million (up from 210,000 in 2002) NYT.com (New York Times) average daily page views: 1.6 million. How broad an impact? Thanks to:Jane Ellen Stevens, Multimedia journalist Teaching Fellow, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism

  35. What has changed since 1999-2000? • • More awareness of the value of outreach (“broader impact” requirements). • • Steady climb in US Internet use; increase in residential broadband use (the latter doubled from 2000-2001) Sources: US Census and US Dept. of Commerce • •Web logs (blogs)make their mark. • • Fewer dedicated newspaper science sections/reporters (Most recent casualty: Dallas Morning News)

  36. Fill in the blank: If my outreach could accomplish this one thing: ____________, I would be thrilled. (If it could accomplish ____________, I would be satisfied.) Know your goals “Broader Impact” outreach: The focused approach

  37. The audience in the best position to respond/help me reach my goals has the following characteristics: Know your goals Know your audience “Broader Impact” outreach: The focused approach

  38. Example:I have these resources: • $5,000 dedicated funding • grad student with photography interest/ability• newsworthy and visually interesting fieldwork coming up… They are found in the following places: Know your goals Know your audience Assess all resources “Broader Impact” outreach: The focused approach

  39. More multimedia More entertainment Media-ready packaging Portals Increased role for independent communicators Future of web outreach

  40. Future directions: • Partnerships • Related print/traditional media products (syndicated column, adventure stories book)• Guest bloggers (or submit a story now)• Al-aska-a-Scientist spin-off publications• Video/record interviews with scientists passing through Anchorage - use on site and in museum displays

More Related