Ainsley Newson discovers how the media works

Ever wondered what it’s like to be a journalist, reporting the latest developments in science? Questioned why stem cell research is such a ‘sexy’ subject yet theoretical physics is seemingly ignored?  So did I. Last year, I was given the chance to find out – as a BA Media Fellow.

The BA Media Fellowships scheme aims to create a greater understanding of the workings of the media among academics like me. Ten of us were placed with national press organisations, including the BBC and the Times (where I worked with Science Editor Mark Henderson). For around four weeks we were immersed in this strange world and treated like journalists –suggesting and writing our own pieces and meeting deadlines that would make most academics recoil in fear.

But why did I want to give up my summer for this? Like many academics, despite good intentions and hours of training, previous forays into the media hadn’t been entirely successful. I’d been misunderstood, mis-quoted and embarrassed. So my usual reaction whenever a big story broke in my field, medical ethics, was to go into hiding until it was all over.

Yet it was clear I was missing out on something. I wanted my voice to be heard in debates over genetic testing, IVF and cloning. I wanted to learn what my colleagues were doing right that I wasn’t. Could it be possible that engaging with the media could be… enjoyable? And useful?

Working at the Times

On my first day at the Times, I entered a vast, open-plan newsroom humming with ringing phones and TV sets spouting the latest headlines. I browsed the papers, checked newsfeeds, and followed Mark to the news desk for a grilling from the news editors about possible stories before the morning news conference. The morning was spent researching and writing, with most stories taking shape in time for the afternoon news conference. Final copy was filed by 6pm.

Most of my days at the Times went like this, although I soon began to write my own pieces. My first piece explored ethics and paternity testing. I had two hours to write 400 authoritative words that thousands of people would read the next day – scary, but it certainly focuses the mind!

The next morning, the impact of those words became clear. It seemed everyone wanted to speak to me: BBC News, Sky News, LBC London Radio… A surreal day on which I overcame my fear of becoming tongue-tied whilst the nation watched. But news is transient: the next day everyone had moved on to the next story. This cycle of writing, publishing and starting again continued for the next four weeks.

Controlling journalists

And what did Fellows learn? ‘I am now much more confident to market my own science to a wider audience,’ said Dr Vikki Burns, a 2005 Fellow. Dr Alison Ross, another 2005 Fellow, agrees: ‘It was a great opportunity to do something entirely out of my comfort zone and the best way to understand the constraints under which journalists work.’

As for me, I now appreciate that journalists love short crisp quotes and don’t like being bugged on a Friday afternoon. I realise that ‘we are their research’ – they want simple facts, without nuances or qualifications. I know how to write ‘back to front’ stories (the conclusion goes at the beginning) and explain difficult scientific concepts using simple language.

The Fellowship also de-mystifies the media, and with this knowledge comes control. ‘I now understand how to “handle” journalists, so that they get a good story, and we get accurate, informative coverage of our research,’ Vikki said.

Transferable skills

My admiration for journalists has also increased: they display incredible skill in quickly coming to terms with complex issues and distinguishing core facts. But news is also a huge juggling act, in which compromises have to be made and sometimes hard-toiled science gives way to the ‘sexy story’.

And the skills you’ll gain will have benefits across your work: ‘The experience has certainly improved my communication skills, recently helping me write a clearer, more concise research proposal to try and acquire my own funding for the first time,’ Alison said.

So if you are interested in finding out more about how the media works, then a BA Media Fellowship to see how two very different worlds collide is a fantastic opportunity. Vikki sums it up: ‘The media fellowship is one of the best things I have done as an academic.’

Dr Ainsley Newson is at the Centre for Ethics in Medicine at the University of Bristol