Communicating Research Findings to the Media and Lay Audiences

1 unit

An important step in the dissemination of health research is effectively communicating key findings and messages to the media and lay audiences. And such skills are becoming increasingly critical in health and medicine in the face of competing narratives from influencers and others in social media, podcasts, and more traditional channels. This course will help students develop the experience, techniques and confidence to distill complex information into engaging and accessible messages that resonate with audiences across multiple media. Guest lecturers from throughout the medical school will also share their unique insight and experiences on topics from podcast production and storytelling to community engagement and successful interviewing. Evaluation will center on students demonstrating – in class discussions, assignments and the final video/audio projects – the communication concepts learned throughout the week.