Writing for the Public: A Graduate Seminar in Science Communication.

Public trust in research and scientific advances appears to be deteriorating. It behooves us, as researchers and educators, to take more responsibility for improving our communication strategies to reach the public and explain the value and relevance of our work to their lives. To address this need, the Training Program in Population Neuroscience of Aging at the University of Pittsburgh piloted a seminar on writing for the media, focusing on the local Western Pennsylvania audience. Six graduate and postdoctoral trainees in public health attended the seminar. Instructors besides public health faculty included local newspaper editors and science communication specialists working at the National Institutes of Health, at an advocacy organization, and at our university's own communications program. In weekly seminar sessions, instructors discussed audiences, motivations, and formats for science writing. Trainees pitched story ideas, shared proposed outlines, and obtained ongoing feedback from instructors and fellow trainees. Over the course of several weeks, trainees prepared op-ed style articles for potential newspaper publication. Four of the six trainees succeeded in publishing articles in the local newspaper. A course to learn how to write for the public is both feasible and needed in academic settings.