Ezra Klein, founder of Vox.com and Wonkblog, went to the World Bank to tell them when and how to popularize research. I learned about modern media lot by watching. I recommend it for that reason alone.
For researchers, there’s an obvious point, which is “don’t write badly”. This is not a helpful comment for most academics, since they are not going to become great writers overnight.
Fortunately I heard a few ways to change style and get better at writing for a wider audience right away.
- Building suspense does not work. Like many academics, I back load the big insight. I give background and context and try to build interest and suspense. I get to the big finding at the end. That might be a good idea for a journal article, but it’s a terrible idea for every other form of communication in the universe. Klein’s advice: Tell people what’s new and surprising right away, and tell them immediately what they should walk away thinking.
- In fact, start telling people why they should read in the title. I was interested to hear Klein say he actually liked clickbait titles. That they were better than what we usually do, which is generic statements of the topic or (worse) titles that are inside jokes. This might fine for the journal article, where the aim is to show the 20 people who will read it just how smart we are. It does not work for everyone else.
- Find the hook to what people care about. Sometimes what makes the issue important to you will make it important to others, and that is enough. I buy Klein’s philosophy: that the public and policymakers are actually intelligent and curious, and the main reason no one reads research is that it’s communicated terribly. But it helps to link your work to the broader issues that people care about. A gazillion people shared my foreign aid post this past week partly because they love cool maps. But they also shared it because a lot of people care about foreign aid and poverty, and how US politics warps our help. So what’s the big issue you tap into?
- People like and share things that help them establish or reinforce an identity. Why did I share an article last week about a Chick-fil-a franchise owner who defies his company by supporting an LGBT event? Because I get to polish my own self-image as an LGBT supporter. Why read and share this technical article? Because it makes me feel smart. This is the most revealing point Klein made about social media: that we burnish our self-image by what we like or retweet. I personally don’t want to cater to this baser part of our nature, but it’s really helpful to understand that’s how it works.
I recommend the full talk.
96 Responses
RT @ProfDurbin: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/rPksdKKdLq
Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/rPksdKKdLq
RT @wb_research: Must read! @cblattman on our recent #WBLive event w @ezraklein: how can researchers communicate better? https://t.co/43D6V…
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein on how to popularize your research intelligently: https://t.co/1hA6hrhjNd
Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/i4vzibjlO8
RT @geraldinewarren: “The main reason no one reads research is that it’s communicated terribly” https://t.co/iOKKqQl2AI Harsh but Fair? Ezr…
RT @wb_research: Must read! @cblattman on our recent #WBLive event w @ezraklein: how can researchers communicate better? https://t.co/43D6V…
RT @TonysAngle: “we burnish our self-image by what we like or retweet” @cblatts reflects on @ezraklein on communicating research https://t.…
Chris,
Goto:
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/simonpj/papers/giving-a-talk/giving-a-talk.htm
Then download the PPT for “How to Write a Great Research Paper”. Distribute same to all students. Everything will be better.
.@cblatts over steengoede lezing van @ezraklein bij de Wereldbank. https://t.co/XcDTYEKUIl
Ik schreef er ook over: https://t.co/gKTprL1EtS
RT @orapmagon: Cómo difundir mejor el resultado de nuestras investigaciones. Charla y resumen:
https://t.co/MiO2YIh14T
Cómo difundir mejor el resultado de nuestras investigaciones. Charla y resumen:
https://t.co/MiO2YIh14T
Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/lpnGbV8u64
Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better: Ezra Klein, founder of Vox… https://t.co/LmsgcDgZnd
Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better – Chris Blattman https://t.co/dqpKig27As #globaldev
RT @wb_research: Must read! @cblattman on our recent #WBLive event w @ezraklein: how can researchers communicate better? https://t.co/43D6V…
RT @EconCalgary: “Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better” #economics #takeecon https://t.co/uN…
“Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better” #economics #takeecon https://t.co/uNTh4uYlOy
RT @owenbarder: Researchers who wonder why nobody reads their research might want to read this (via @cblatts) https://t.co/jHzy4HdlYG
RT @wb_research: Must read! @cblattman on our recent #WBLive event w @ezraklein: how can researchers communicate better? https://t.co/43D6V…
RT @wb_research: Must read! @cblattman on our recent #WBLive event w @ezraklein: how can researchers communicate better? https://t.co/43D6V…
RT @wb_research: Must read! @cblattman on our recent #WBLive event w @ezraklein: how can researchers communicate better? https://t.co/43D6V…
RT @wb_research: Must read! @cblattman on our recent #WBLive event w @ezraklein: how can researchers communicate better? https://t.co/43D6V…
RT @wb_research: Must read! @cblattman on our recent #WBLive event w @ezraklein: how can researchers communicate better? https://t.co/43D6V…
RT @wb_research: Must read! @cblattman on our recent #WBLive event w @ezraklein: how can researchers communicate better? https://t.co/43D6V…
https://t.co/OYeu9iLhd6
RT @wb_research: Must read! @cblattman on our recent #WBLive event w @ezraklein: how can researchers communicate better? https://t.co/43D6V…
Must read! @cblattman on our recent #WBLive event w @ezraklein: how can researchers communicate better? https://t.co/43D6VyDP6g
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein on how to popularize your research intelligently: https://t.co/1hA6hrhjNd
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein on how to popularize your research intelligently: https://t.co/1hA6hrhjNd
RT @owenbarder: Researchers who wonder why nobody reads their research might want to read this (via @cblatts) https://t.co/jHzy4HdlYG
Vox’s Ezra Klein breaks down how to communicate research; people share stuff to reinforce priors h/t @cblatts https://t.co/xkjFZXJEbC
Ezra+Klein:+How+researchers+are+terrible+communicators,+and+how+they+can+do+better https://t.co/O5yqNd6thZ
“Tell people what’s new and surprising right away, and tell them immediately what they should walk away thinking” https://t.co/2YVQWuy8ZL
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein on how to popularize your research intelligently: https://t.co/1hA6hrhjNd
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein on how to popularize your research intelligently: https://t.co/1hA6hrhjNd
“The main reason no one reads research is that it’s communicated terribly” https://t.co/iOKKqQl2AI Harsh but Fair? Ezra Klein (via @CBlatts)
Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/jxqfg1Nc9C
Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/WaddKmFssm
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein on how to popularize your research intelligently: https://t.co/1hA6hrhjNd
Ezra+Klein:+How+researchers+are+terrible+communicators,+and+how+they+can+do+better https://t.co/rJX3WIOZVG
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
Good Ezra Klein talk on academic knowledge dissemination https://t.co/0OAtoOxtMO
Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better – Chris Blattman https://t.co/G7gth73Zy2
I need to work on this : How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/WESCXCASHZ
RT @franciscome: If you want to be heard, read + watch
If you don´t , just click.
I guarantee its time well spent.
https://t.co/cE1PtPPAEm
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein on how to popularize your research intelligently: https://t.co/1hA6hrhjNd
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein on how to popularize your research intelligently: https://t.co/1hA6hrhjNd
Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/fqVGwtHJrz
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein on how to popularize your research intelligently: https://t.co/1hA6hrhjNd
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein on how to popularize your research intelligently: https://t.co/1hA6hrhjNd
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein on how to popularize your research intelligently: https://t.co/1hA6hrhjNd
“Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better” https://t.co/77g4Plaj1z
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein on how to popularize your research intelligently: https://t.co/1hA6hrhjNd
Ezra Klein talking to the World Bank about how to communicate research to a wider audience-worth an hour if you care https://t.co/wCvKRuX6QA
RT @conradhackett: “We burnish our self-image by what we like or retweet”
https://t.co/6Vwl5b5pLf @cblatts
Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/VQq7IvqqMj #ChrisBlattman #Ezraklein
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein on how to popularize your research intelligently: https://t.co/1hA6hrhjNd
RT @conradhackett: “We burnish our self-image by what we like or retweet”
https://t.co/6Vwl5b5pLf @cblatts
@conradhackett @cblatts – consider mine henceforth tarnished
RT @conradhackett: “We burnish our self-image by what we like or retweet”
https://t.co/6Vwl5b5pLf @cblatts
Will watch this later: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/v7hw8eMRaU
“Tell people what’s new and surprising right away, and tell them immediately what they should walk away thinking.” https://t.co/rabL0rOlvi
RT @conradhackett: “We burnish our self-image by what we like or retweet”
https://t.co/6Vwl5b5pLf @cblatts
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
Interesting! “@conradhackett: “We burnish our self-image by what we like or retweet”
https://t.co/7RmOpa8QYa @cblatts”
How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better. Advice from @ezraklein: https://t.co/9k6LWCo2Cs via @cblatts
@conradhackett @cblatts no, by what we “heart” or retweet
RT @conradhackett: “We burnish our self-image by what we like or retweet”
https://t.co/6Vwl5b5pLf @cblatts
“We burnish our self-image by what we like or retweet”
https://t.co/6Vwl5b5pLf @cblatts
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein on how to popularize your research intelligently: https://t.co/1hA6hrhjNd
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
Another interesting article! Ezra Klein: How #researchers are terrible #communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/F3E7lvyeFz
Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better – Chris Blattman https://t.co/sIf1muhiC5
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/FSAnGdLMkE via @cblatts
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
@cblatts E.g., “I learned about modern media lot by watching” :-)
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv
RT @cblatts: Ezra Klein: How researchers are terrible communicators, and how they can do better https://t.co/znjkNd5HPv