Thread by @jljcolorado

1/ Live Tweeting @linseymarr's talk at #AAAR2020 on Science Communication during a Global Pandemic

As part of a panel with @ProfPeteD and yours truly

2/ Linsey recounts her experience during the pandemic.

Early on it was clear to her that SARS-COV-2 was airborne. Previous studies w/ the flu, the speed of spread, and pics of Chinese health care workers (w/ full airborne prot.) were clues

But @nytimes spreading misinformation

3/ Lots of work with lots of ppl. Lots of papers, hundreds of interviews....

Thanks her late postdoc advisor and Nobel Laureate Mario Molina, and Prof. @kprather88

Advice to focus of big picture to comm. w/ public

4/ First lesson: Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS)

- At a level that kids can understand.

- Only 3 interviews out of 500 where she got into deep details

- 3 points to get across in a interview. Make sure they come across to reporter

- Avoid jargon

5/ More lessons:

- Use analogies. Help ppl imagine something they can't see

- Focus on big picture and why it matters

- Speak in short sentences

- Stay in your lane. E.g. answer to policy question: "IF we choose to do this, these are the implications"

6/ - Review yourself. Been Make sure colleagues would agree with what you say, it can be backed up by evidence.

- Communicate the 80%, not get lost into details

7/ Concluding Remarks

- Make ppl care
- More info not always better
- Don't be afry to say I don't know
- Relate to things ppl know
- Communicate your love of science