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Communicating animal science effectively
Having spent the past 25 years of my career helping companies and organizations communicate during crises ranging from Alar in apples to Pink Slime in ground beef, I have learned a number of lessons about what works and does not work in communicating science effectively. The first lesson is to not lead with science! People react to issues that could impact their family’s health and well-being with emotion. Responding with facts and figures is unlikely to calm their fears. So the first step in communicating effectively is to acknowledge their concerns, whether you believe they are rational or not. By acknowledging that their concerns are legitimate you open the door to sharing factual information. I have a formula for responding effectively I call the “Two Cs.” We care and we’re capable. We care about the same things they do: the safety of our food, the care of animals, the future of our planet and the health and well-being of our families. Once you have established that common ground, you can focus on addressing differing viewpoints on the “facts” of the matter. In this panel discussion I will share real-life examples of how this technique has been used to communicate animal science effectively.
Keywords: TBD