Developing partnerships to inform media

Researchers have been learning the media game in recent weeks, with CRC researchers Dr Katharine Haynes and Dr Josh Whittaker working alongside Fairfax science reporter Liam Mannix as part of a ‘scientist in residence’ program. 

The professional development opportunity through the Australian Science Media Centre saw both Dr Haynes and Dr Whittaker spend a week in The Age office in Melbourne, co-writing several articles. One article even made the front page, with Fairfax publication The Sydney Morning Herald running an article on the flash flooding danger in Parramatta that was co-authored by Dr Haynes.  

Dr Haynes said that she enjoyed her time working at The Age, and how she learnt to alter her writing style from a more academic-focused to newspaper-friendly.   

“It is all about those first few lines and the key quotes to really grab the reader. It is very different to my usual writing style in an academic journal, where we have to slowly build the case and describe the methods before getting to the juicy bits. 

“I also found the tight deadlines very motivating. In a couple of the articles we had to move quickly, getting interviews with key people and writing it up in a few hours. This is very different to the pace of academic work,” she said.   

Dr Haynes had several other articles published covering a wide array of topics – how weather presenters educate their audience on climate change, emergency management and the science behind social awkwardness. 

In the lead up to the tenth anniversary of Black Saturday, The Age published an article on bushfire warning research by Dr Whittaker, Dr Haynes and Liam Mannix, highlighting that while the message may have changed since Black Saturday, people are still choosing to stay even when they are advised to leave. 

Dr Haynes says that the time spent at The Age has strengthened her communication skills and helped develop her writing techniques.   

“The atmosphere in the office is very exciting, with political and criminal news breaking and journalists quickly trying to stay ahead and get their stories out.   

“Overall it was a great experience and I leant many new skills that I can apply to my writing going forward,” Dr Hayes said.