Section outline

  • Lectures/Sessions:

    Being Newsworthy: Sharing Your Study Results with the Lay Press
    and
    Public Medical Writing: Communicating about Research with the Public, Policy Makers, and Funders

    Faculty:  Margot Kushel, MD and Louise Aronson, MD

    This module will include a live Zoom session (led by Dr. Margot Kushel) that will focus on strategies for disseminating study results in the lay press, including working with university media officers to prepare concise but engaging press releases, summarizing study results in a way that is both scientifically appropriate and easy for lay audiences to digest, and addressing subsequent questions, interview requests, and comments from reporters, media outlets, and the public.  Dr. Kushel will discuss how to decide whether a study is "newsworthy", when to start preparing a press release for a study, and how to respond to time-sensitive media inquiries about their research.

    This module also includes a pre-recorded session (led by Dr. Louise Aronson) that focuses on preparing articles for "public" audiences. Researchers who have the greatest impact on healthcare, patient lives, and the medical system often write both for professional colleagues and for the public, policy makers, potential funders, and health system leaders. Opinion and story-based articles are among the most effective ways to reach wider audiences and have significant, real-world impact. This session introduces the four main types of public articles-- thought pieces, perspectives, narratives, and op-eds. Dr. Aronson dissects sample articles of each type to identify keys to their success and discuss how to determine the right article type, audience, and approach for your research goals.

    • Session Slides:

    • Lecture slides-- Being Newsworthy File
      Not available unless: You belong to Registered Students Only
    • Lecture slides--Public Writing File
      Not available unless: You belong to Registered Students Only

    • "Live" Session Recording (Access restricted to registered students):

    • Interactive session with Dr. Margot Kushel and Laura Kurtzman, UCSF Senior Public Information Representative-- get guidance on
      preparing a press released about your own research  on Tuesday, June 2, at 3:00 pm by Zoom
    • Instructions for interactive Zoom session, "Being Newsworthy" File
      Not available unless: You belong to Registered Students Only

    • Pre-Recorded Lecture (Access restricted to registered students):

    • Required Reading:

      Browner WS. Publishing and Presenting Clinical Research, 3rd Ed, Chapter 8

    • Optional Reading:

    • Aronson - Story as evidence, evidence as story File
      Not available unless: Your ID number contains 02
    • Dahlstron Using narratives and storytelling to communicate science File
      Not available unless: Your ID number contains 02
    • Meisel and Karlawish- Narrative vs Evidence-Based Medicine File
      Not available unless: Your ID number contains 02
    • Steinner Use of Stories in Clinical Research File
      Not available unless: Your ID number contains 02
    • Kwok R. Communication: Two minutes to impress, Nature, 494, 137-138 (2013) doi:10.1038/nj7435-137a URL
      Not available unless: Your ID number contains 02

    • Optional Assignment #4:  Draft a thought piece, perspective, narrative, or op-ed article related to your research - please e-mail to Louise Aronson at Louise.Aronson@ucsf.edu.