A group of communications professionals from iSchools across the country led a session Friday morning for faculty and doctoral students at the iConference 2008 and provided sevearl tips on how to improve their presentational, writing, and media relations skills. Here's a quick summary of their presentation.
Charlie DuBois, communications manager at the iSchool at Penn State, discussed iSchools' identity development--the merging of several disciplines computer science, library science, information, telecommunications, and many others in the common study of the intersection of people, information, and technology--and the iCaucus communications plan.
He pointed to the iCaucus web site--ischools.org--as a resource for all people to learn who we are and what we do. He presented the iCaucus' new logo, which all 19 member schools have begun adopting and using on their web sites and in their recruitment/promotional materials. We are building a common nomenclature--iPro and iField. "It's time we get ourselves on people's mental maps," he said.
Ron Dietal from UCLA's National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) offered some presentation tips on the design, delivery, and environment of content.
Design Tips
Tip 1--Don't overwhelm listeners with too much information, especially in a visual format. Focus your content.
Tip 2--Charts and graphs don't necessarily help audience members. Keep them simple. Audience members don't listen well when they're reading or studying a complex slide.
Tip 3--Follow the 666 rule. 6 bullets with 6 or fewer words per bullet, 6 or fewer information points in a graphic.
Delivery Tips
Tip 1--Practice makes perfect.
Tip 2--Learn from effective presenters.
Tip 3--Use eye contact and gestures.
Tip 4--Keep track of time.
Tip 5--Hold the handouts until the end.
Environment Tips
Tip 1--Arrive early to check sound, lighting, technology, furniture layout and temperature.
Kelly Shaffer, director for external relations at the iSchool at University of Pittsburgh, offered guidelines for academic professionals in their presentations and writing.
Writing Tips for Academics
1. Carefully define your question/argument. What is it and why is it important? Then develop thesis statement.
2. Consider your audience, and assess the knowledge level of audience. Journal, conference, grant, student, media. Then use the correct tone and language.
3. Draft an outline and write to it. Know or write your ending first.
4. Proofread your work 24 hours later and/or find someone else to do it.
Marlo Welshons, an assistant dean at the iSchool at University of Illinois, provided general guidelines for handling media relations and responding to media inquiries.
Media Relations Tips
1. Identify your areas of expertise--not necessarily your research interests.
2. Give your communications person a heads up early on research grants or results, upcoming event, or news story.
3. Identify specialized publications in your field. NYTimes will only pick up very few stories. Suggest where the story can be pitched.
4. Justify the newsworthiness of your story. Why should we care or a reporter want to write about it? How is it unusual? Who will benefit and how?
5. Respond promptly to media requests. Ask about their deadlines.
--type of story
--context in which you might be quoted
--reporter's and publication's background
6. Write out your answers/points in advance. You can help direct the interview in this way. Email questions in advance.
7. Assume everything you say will be quoted. Avoid saying "no comment"--don't speak beyond your expertise, but do offer other sources with info for the reporter.
8. Use plain language and use metaphors when helpful.
9. Let your communications person know who interviewed and when the story is scheduled to run.
Charlie DuBois, communications manager at the iSchool at Penn State, discussed iSchools' identity development--the merging of several disciplines computer science, library science, information, telecommunications, and many others in the common study of the intersection of people, information, and technology--and the iCaucus communications plan.
He pointed to the iCaucus web site--ischools.org--as a resource for all people to learn who we are and what we do. He presented the iCaucus' new logo, which all 19 member schools have begun adopting and using on their web sites and in their recruitment/promotional materials. We are building a common nomenclature--iPro and iField. "It's time we get ourselves on people's mental maps," he said.
Ron Dietal from UCLA's National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) offered some presentation tips on the design, delivery, and environment of content.
Design Tips
Tip 1--Don't overwhelm listeners with too much information, especially in a visual format. Focus your content.
Tip 2--Charts and graphs don't necessarily help audience members. Keep them simple. Audience members don't listen well when they're reading or studying a complex slide.
Tip 3--Follow the 666 rule. 6 bullets with 6 or fewer words per bullet, 6 or fewer information points in a graphic.
Delivery Tips
Tip 1--Practice makes perfect.
Tip 2--Learn from effective presenters.
Tip 3--Use eye contact and gestures.
Tip 4--Keep track of time.
Tip 5--Hold the handouts until the end.
Environment Tips
Tip 1--Arrive early to check sound, lighting, technology, furniture layout and temperature.
Kelly Shaffer, director for external relations at the iSchool at University of Pittsburgh, offered guidelines for academic professionals in their presentations and writing.
Writing Tips for Academics
1. Carefully define your question/argument. What is it and why is it important? Then develop thesis statement.
2. Consider your audience, and assess the knowledge level of audience. Journal, conference, grant, student, media. Then use the correct tone and language.
3. Draft an outline and write to it. Know or write your ending first.
4. Proofread your work 24 hours later and/or find someone else to do it.
Marlo Welshons, an assistant dean at the iSchool at University of Illinois, provided general guidelines for handling media relations and responding to media inquiries.
Media Relations Tips
1. Identify your areas of expertise--not necessarily your research interests.
2. Give your communications person a heads up early on research grants or results, upcoming event, or news story.
3. Identify specialized publications in your field. NYTimes will only pick up very few stories. Suggest where the story can be pitched.
4. Justify the newsworthiness of your story. Why should we care or a reporter want to write about it? How is it unusual? Who will benefit and how?
5. Respond promptly to media requests. Ask about their deadlines.
--type of story
--context in which you might be quoted
--reporter's and publication's background
6. Write out your answers/points in advance. You can help direct the interview in this way. Email questions in advance.
7. Assume everything you say will be quoted. Avoid saying "no comment"--don't speak beyond your expertise, but do offer other sources with info for the reporter.
8. Use plain language and use metaphors when helpful.
9. Let your communications person know who interviewed and when the story is scheduled to run.
1 comment:
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