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Regards


Peter Green
Director Development
Email: [log in to unmask]
Phone: +44 (0) 7866 727141


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On 26 Oct 2006, at 09:44, Mary wrote:

> Doesn’t the Science Media Centre do this already, for free?  And  
> they will put journalists in touch with scientists who are good at  
> communicating and really know their stuff, whereas this service  
> would seem rather to encourage people who want personal  
> publicity.   I can’t see many journalists using it, to be honest.
>
> Mary
>
>
>
> From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:PSCI- 
> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jonathan Osborne
> Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2006 10:30 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [PSCI-COM] Expert Sources
>
>
>
> I have had the following message from this organisation after a  
> brief appearance on TV complaining about the failure of scientists  
> to understand the media and how scientists need to present what  
> they do to make their work interesting to journalists.  I said that  
> I would pass it onto people on this list and you may wish to pass  
> it on to scientists you know. The caveat, of course, is that it  
> costs to register with them.  I am passing it on because he has a  
> more general point beyond advertising the service.
>
> Jonathan Osborne
> King’s College London
>
>
> Expertsources is an online directory of UK Experts (in all  
> subjects) available to the media. Our site is widely used by more  
> than 2,000 journalists to find specialist comment on news, current  
> affairs and news features.
>
> There are a number of science experts registered with us. We want  
> to attract many more:
> * to give science experts more opportunities to raise awareness of  
> themselves, their organisations & their subjects; and to broadcast  
> their opinions
> * to provide journalists with expert comment and ideas for  
> different angles on stories/features.
>
> Unlike other specialist areas such as health, transport, politics  
> etc - scientists willing to be available to the media are proiving  
> difficult to recruit. Many complain science is being ignored and  
> yet are very reluctant to help 'sell' it to the public in any way.
>
> Many of the scientists registered with Expertsources use  
> complicated jargon as their keyword expertise (those words &  
> phrases journalists use to find them). For most, the keywords  
> chosen will never be searched.
>
> In its simplest form - journalists who want someone to comment on  
> stories involving baldness or hair loss do not, generally, search  
> for an expert in tricology (although that's what they usually get)!
>
> To stem the decline in the number of science students/teachers, you  
> are right to argue that all branches of science should make  
> themselves more relevant to life in the 21st Century. If that means  
> making science 'sexy', then so be it.
>
> There is a terrific opportunity, via sites such as Expertsources,  
> for specialists in Chemistry, Physics and Biology to promote  
> themselves to journalists working for newspapers, magazines, radio  
> & television in a far more 'attractive' manner.
>
> With many years' experience of working within the media, we would  
> be willing to talk to any science-based organisation to explain how  
> to promote and market themselves and their members far more  
> effectively.
>
> This approach may be frowned upon in some academic circles. But  
> probably there is little alternative if the decline in enthusiasm  
> and interest in science is to be reversed. We're nearing the time  
> when the only reason to invite a science expert onto a television  
> programme is to talk about the lack of interest in their subject!
>
> We would be grateful if, as you suggested, you would pass on the  
> details of www.expertsources.co.uk <http:// 
> www.expertsources.co.uk>  to any science organisations or  
> associations which you think would benefit by adopting a more pro- 
> active attitude to their PR.
>
> ********************************************************************** 
>  1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for  
> example, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the  
> following message: set psci-com nomail 2. To resume email from the  
> list, send the following message: set psci-com mail 3. To leave  
> psci-com, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the  
> message: leave psci-com 4. Further information about the psci-com  
> discussion list, including list archive, can be found at the list  
> web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html 5. The psci- 
> com gateway to internet resources on science communication and  
> science and society can be found at http://psci-com.ac.uk  
> **********************************************************************
> ********************************************************************** 
>  1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for  
> example, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the  
> following message: set psci-com nomail 2. To resume email from the  
> list, send the following message: set psci-com mail 3. To leave  
> psci-com, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the  
> message: leave psci-com 4. Further information about the psci-com  
> discussion list, including list archive, can be found at the list  
> web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html 5. The psci- 
> com gateway to internet resources on science communication and  
> science and society can be found at http://psci-com.ac.uk  
> **********************************************************************
>
>

**********************************************************************
1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for example,
send an email to [log in to unmask] with the following message:
set psci-com nomail
2. To resume email from the list, send the following message:
set psci-com mail
3. To leave psci-com, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the message:
leave psci-com
4. Further information about the psci-com discussion list, including list archive,
can be found at the list web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html
5. The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science communication and science
and society can be found at http://psci-com.ac.uk
**********************************************************************