How to share the latest astronomy results with the public
9:00-12:30, July 7, 2017
Venue: Room 201 F, Taipei International Convention Center
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In recent years, research facilities for Astronomy have become increasingly larger, and so have the responsibilities of Education and Public Outreach (EPOs), Information Officers (PIOs) and scientists in promoting Astronomy on a large scale. In parallel, as the channels and tools we use for communicating science have diversified, the skills these professional communicators require to be more efficient in their reach have expanded as well.
With most research activities being supported at public expense it is paramount to engage this eclectic variety of stakeholders—the general public—in raising awareness of the relevance of astronomy, and contributing to the public’s clearer understanding of science itself. But with such a diverse target group, there are also numerous ways to appropriately reach out.
One of the most direct ways to address these issues is through sharing ideas and experiences—networking with peers is essential in the rapidly and ever-changing field of science communication. With its dedicated sessions for Astronomy Education, Public Outreach, and Diversity, APRIM 2017 offers the ideal conditions by gathering EPOs, PIOs, and professional astronomers in one place. To maximise this unique opportunity to bring the community together, the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO) and Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) have teamed up. On July 7, six invited speakers from world-leading Asian Pacific groups, institutions and media will be coming together, both professional astronomers and communicators, to exchange ideas focusing on "How to Share the Latest Astronomy Results with the Public" addressing the most recent research results, and discuss how to maximise their reach and accessibility.
Aims
- To share ideas, issues, and experiences of EPOs, PIOs, and scientists
- To understand the various stakeholders' perspectives through discussions with both selected speakers and audiences
Potential participants are:
- Education and Public Outreach people (EPOs)
- Public Information Officers (PIOs)
- Scientists
- People who are interested in related topics
Key topics
- How to share the latest astronomy results with the public
- How to approach different audiences and different media in a variety of situations and ways (web, publication, events, conference, press release, etc.)
- How to increase public awareness of institutions
- How to develop public/media communication skills of EPOs, PIOs, and scientists
- How to build relationships with domestic and international media
- How to use social media and new media
- How best to visualize research data and scientific concepts
Program outline
9:00 – 10:30 1st session
Talks:
- Introduction of the session: how to reach the public and NAOJ/Japan efforts (12 min) / Hitoshi Yamaoka (NAOJ)
- Perspectives from journalists (30 min) / Guo-Wei Zeng (Chief Editor of PanSci), Claire Su (Producer of Eastern Broadcasting Co., Ltd)
- How to establish and improve the relation with media company: experience of ASIAA (12 min) / Chi-Hung Yan (ASIAA)
- How to make an impressive press release: Case study of ALMA (12 min) / Masaaki Hiramatsu (NAOJ)
- Finding an effective ways to engage with micromedia audience (12 min) / Avivah Yamani (langitselatan)
- When astronomers meet the public: NARIT star party (12 min) / Sirams Komonjinda (Chiang Mai University)
10:30 – 11:00 Coffee Break
11:00 – 12:30 2nd session
- Group discussion (press release, media relations, social & new media, visualization, etc.)
- Summary and closure
For more information, feel free to contact Ms. Yukiko Shibata, IAU OAO International Outreach Officer at shibata.yukiko(at)nao.ac.jp
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