Local Science Engagement Network Community

• "Don't Look Up" draws from climate scientists' experience
• Hollywood Can Take On Science Denial: Don't Look Up Is a Great Example
• I'm a climate scientist. Don't Look Up captures the madness I see every day

Thank you for making this post, Wendy.

I'm overjoyed to see the popularity of this movie. While the film can feel a bit cartoonish with the characters and media situations lacking precise reality of what typically happens, the satire really comes across. I actually think this could represent a major moment for helping the mainstream public understand the challenges we face in science communication. Upon meeting some new people this past weekend and mentioning what I do, the first question was, "Oh, have you seen Don't Look Up?"

Are there ways to communicate more effectively? Yes! The signature scene in the film has the astronomers, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, on the talk show "The Rip". This scene was hilariously familiar to me. After years of being a TV news broadcaster, meteorologist, and morning show host, I'm now a media trainer, preparing individuals for these kinds of appearances. 

The upshot of the scene is that the media appearance failed. It failed to communicate the gravity of the situation and it failed to connect with the average viewer. How did this happen?

#1: The scientists didn't paint the picture of the key message people should remember in the first 10 seconds.

A television news audience is a "passive audience", typically doing chores, making lunches for their kids, etc., while only looking up every once in a while. I work with my clients to boil down their key message into a soundbite: a 5-8 second sentence that encapsulates the big idea they want viewers to remember if they remember nothing else. DiCaprio and Lawrence initially spend about a minute explaining the process that went into making their discovery without mentioning what the bottom line is and what it means for the viewer. DiCaprio's initial description of the comet is that it's about 5 to 9 kilometers across. Later on in the movie, in moments of frustration, Lawrence exclaims, "a comet the size of a mountain is about to hit Earth!", and in another moment DiCaprio exclaims, "a giant comet the size of Mount Everest is hurtling toward the planet!" Presented in a dignified tone, these soundbites are much, much better. 

A better strategy might have been this:
Transition away from anchors: "Well, unfortunately, we have a really serious situation on our hands."
Soundbite: "We've discovered a giant comet the size of a mountain hurtling toward Earth, that will wipe out everyone on the planet if we don't take action."

#2: Lawrence loses her connection with the audience with a negative, doomsday tone.

"Maybe it's supposed to be terrifying. And unsettling. And you should stay up, all night, every night, crying, when we're all for sure, 100% are gonna f- die!" This results in her being mocked as a caricature on social media. It's a sad truth, but most Americans will repel from people and ideas they consider to be "debbie downers". So how do we communicate an issue like climate change when indeed this is a "debbie downer" situation? Climate change is tough because we humans are the "bad guy" in the story, and people would prefer to think of themselves differently. I think if we approach climate change with a tone of optimism, proud purpose, and that this is a crisis where we can be "the hero" in the story, it might be something people grasp hold of. Give people hope. Let them feel like we're all on a team together. 

This is a segment I did for my FOX/NBC audience in Lafayette, Louisiana, where climate denial is particularly high. I tried a different tone:

https://vimeo.com/524465355

#3: The scientists were unfamiliar with TV appearances, and the TV anchors and viewers were unfamiliar with scientists.

We can change this. TV viewers shouldn't be introduced to scientists when there's a crisis. They should already have a familiarity with them in "peaceful times". I'm currently working on a project to establish familiarity between scientists, TV anchors, and TV news viewers. Americans need to see scientists as their neighbors, normal friendly folks, and people with whom they share common interests, identities, and passions outside of science. 

Feel free to check out my coaching website: 

https://publicspeakingla.com/

• "Don't Look Up" draws from climate scientists' experience
• Hollywood Can Take On Science Denial: Don't Look Up Is a Great Example
• I'm a climate scientist. Don't Look Up captures the madness I see every day

Thank you for making this post, Wendy.

I'm overjoyed to see the popularity of this movie. While the film can feel a bit cartoonish with the characters and media situations lacking precise reality of what typically happens, the satire really comes across. I actually think this could represent a major moment for helping the mainstream public understand the challenges we face in science communication. Upon meeting some new people this past weekend and mentioning what I do, the first question was, "Oh, have you seen Don't Look Up?"

Are there ways to communicate more effectively? Yes! The signature scene in the film has the astronomers, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, on the talk show "The Rip". This scene was hilariously familiar to me. After years of being a TV news broadcaster, meteorologist, and morning show host, I'm now a media trainer, preparing individuals for these kinds of appearances. 

The upshot of the scene is that the media appearance failed. It failed to communicate the gravity of the situation and it failed to connect with the average viewer. How did this happen?

#1: The scientists didn't paint the picture of the key message people should remember in the first 10 seconds.

A television news audience is a "passive audience", typically doing chores, making lunches for their kids, etc., while only looking up every once in a while. I work with my clients to boil down their key message into a soundbite: a 5-8 second sentence that encapsulates the big idea they want viewers to remember if they remember nothing else. DiCaprio and Lawrence initially spend about a minute explaining the process that went into making their discovery without mentioning what the bottom line is and what it means for the viewer. DiCaprio's initial description of the comet is that it's about 5 to 9 kilometers across. Later on in the movie, in moments of frustration, Lawrence exclaims, "a comet the size of a mountain is about to hit Earth!", and in another moment DiCaprio exclaims, "a giant comet the size of Mount Everest is hurtling toward the planet!" Presented in a dignified tone, these soundbites are much, much better. 

A better strategy might have been this:
Transition away from anchors: "Well, unfortunately, we have a really serious situation on our hands."
Soundbite: "We've discovered a giant comet the size of a mountain hurtling toward Earth, that will wipe out everyone on the planet if we don't take action."

#2: Lawrence loses her connection with the audience with a negative, doomsday tone.

"Maybe it's supposed to be terrifying. And unsettling. And you should stay up, all night, every night, crying, when we're all for sure, 100% are gonna f- die!" This results in her being mocked as a caricature on social media. It's a sad truth, but most Americans will repel from people and ideas they consider to be "debbie downers". So how do we communicate an issue like climate change when indeed this is a "debbie downer" situation? Climate change is tough because we humans are the "bad guy" in the story, and people would prefer to think of themselves differently. I think if we approach climate change with a tone of optimism, proud purpose, and that this is a crisis where we can be "the hero" in the story, it might be something people grasp hold of. Give people hope. Let them feel like we're all on a team together. 

This is a segment I did for my FOX/NBC audience in Lafayette, Louisiana, where climate denial is particularly high. I tried a different tone:

https://vimeo.com/524465355

#3: The scientists were unfamiliar with TV appearances, and the TV anchors and viewers were unfamiliar with scientists.

We can change this. TV viewers shouldn't be introduced to scientists when there's a crisis. They should already have a familiarity with them in "peaceful times". I'm currently working on a project to establish familiarity between scientists, TV anchors, and TV news viewers. Americans need to see scientists as their neighbors, normal friendly folks, and people with whom they share common interests, identities, and passions outside of science. 

Feel free to check out my coaching website: 

https://publicspeakingla.com/

• "Don't Look Up" draws from climate scientists' experience
• Hollywood Can Take On Science Denial: Don't Look Up Is a Great Example
• I'm a climate scientist. Don't Look Up captures the madness I see every day