Communication Tutorial: Storytelling

Complex stories in science come with communication challenges. Words mean different things across disciplines. Stakeholders have distinct communication needs. Storytelling can help translate some of the main concepts you are trying to get across. In this video, Lisa Palmer shares what she's learned over two decades of working in journalism by discussing what story is and why it matters.  In this video, she'll share the five key elements of a story and tips for translating your research into stories.

  • About the Presenters
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    Lisa Palmer

    Senior Fellow

    Lisa Palmer is the National Geographic Professor of Science Communication at George Washington University (GW) in Washington, D.C. Lisa is an award-winning author and science journalist who has covered a wide range of stories on the environment, biodiversity, climate change, synthetic biology, conservation, food security, and sustainability in the United States and around the world—including drought and climate change in India, civil conflict and science research in Colombia, and environmental degradation and conservation technology in Peru. For over 20 years, she has written and produced...

    Image

    Lisa Palmer

    Senior Fellow

    Lisa Palmer is the National Geographic Professor of Science Communication at George Washington University (GW) in Washington, D.C. Lisa is an award-winning author and science journalist who has covered a wide range of stories on the environment, biodiversity, climate change, synthetic biology, conservation, food security, and sustainability in the United States and around the world—including drought and climate change in India, civil conflict and science research in Colombia, and environmental degradation and conservation technology in Peru. For over 20 years, she has written and produced stories that engage and inform national and international audiences. Her book, HOT, HUNGRY PLANET: The Fight to Stop a Global Food Crisis in the Face of Climate Change (St. Martin’s Press 2017) chronicles her travels around the world and the urgent innovations needed to feed a growing population. Lisa’s feature articles have been published by outlets like Nature, Yale Environment 360, The Guardian, Nautilus, The New York Times, The New Republic, Ensia, Slate, and many others. She participates actively in the national and international discourse on science and environmental issues by writing and publishing, speaking publicly, developing and leading seminars, and offering analysis and science communication strategy to researchers. She was previously a senior fellow at SESYNC and a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., where she conducted research on global food security, resilience, and policies related to sustainable agriculture. In her role as the National Geographic Professor of Science Communication, Lisa teaches science communication and science reporting at GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs at the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. She also leads the education program Planet Forward, GW’s innovative, collegiate sustainability media platform that provides publishing opportunities and seminars that seek to improve scientific storytelling.

    External Links:
    https://http://lisa-palmer.com/wp/
    https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lisa-Palmer-3
    https://smpa.gwu.edu/lisa-palmer

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