Communications Breakdown: What Works (and Doesn't) in Health and Science Communication

"You Cannot Use These Graphics:" A Story About Audience Expertise

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2452091/fan_mail/new] In this episode, we’re sharing a recording of a conference talk where Tracy tells the story behind a firearm safer storage campaign. Her message: subject matter expertise is not the same as audience expertise, and effective health messaging needs both.  You’ll hear how bringing in a reviewer who understood the audience context changed the campaign materials, strengthened trust, and helped the message reach people who might otherwise tune out. Tracy also digs into the communication skills that actually move behavior: listening, humility, and inviting communities to shape solutions from the beginning, not just react at the end. Listen to us break down this talk in Episode 15 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2452091/episodes/19211024]. Graphics: https://www.t4cip.org/safer-storage [https://www.t4cip.org/safer-storage] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This podcast is a project of the Center for Injury Research Translation and Communication (CIRTC). Connect with CIRTC: www.cirtc.org [http://www.cirtc.org/] Find CIRTC on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-injury-research-translation-communication-cirtc/], Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/cirtc.bsky.social], and YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@cirtc_]. Note: all thoughts and opinions shared in this podcast are personal and not representative of any organization.

All Great Presentations Start With This

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2452091/fan_mail/new] Anyone working in health and science communication faces a familiar challenge: how to deliver presentations that actually land. Whether you are giving a webinar, a conference talk, or a TED-style lightning talk, strong presentation skills start long before you open PowerPoint.  Tracy walks through a TED-style lightning talk built around a failure story and a counterintuitive choice: no slides at all. Katrina shares a moment from a recorded webinar where a story about language and audience targeting landed the opposite way it was meant to. We talk about why “perfect” is a trap in public health communication, how being human can actually build trust, and why now is the time to be brave when you speak. And finally, we share a practical social media tip you can use today to expand your reach. Tracy's talk (Episode 16): https://www.buzzsprout.com/2452091/episodes/19211516 [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2452091/episodes/19211516]  Graphics: https://www.t4cip.org/safer-storage [https://www.t4cip.org/safer-storage] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This podcast is a project of the Center for Injury Research Translation and Communication (CIRTC). Connect with CIRTC: www.cirtc.org [http://www.cirtc.org/] Find CIRTC on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-injury-research-translation-communication-cirtc/], Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/cirtc.bsky.social], and YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@cirtc_]. Note: all thoughts and opinions shared in this podcast are personal and not representative of any organization.

Messaging, Media, and Motherhood: An Interview with Laura Dattner

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2452091/fan_mail/new] Katrina talks with research writer Laura Dattner about how a health communication career grows from press releases into national injury prevention campaigns and hands-on training for future pediatricians. They break down how to tailor the same research for parents, clinicians, policymakers, and industry while staying clear, useful, and evidence-based.   • Her path into health communication through public health campaigns and mentorship  • What it’s like being the default communications lead inside health departments  • How child injury prevention research becomes press releases, interviews, and web content  • Choosing the right channel and voice for parents vs clinicians vs researchers  • Writing actionable safety guidance that goes beyond describing the problem  • Working well with marketing teams, editors, and journalists through timelines and trust  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This podcast is a project of the Center for Injury Research Translation and Communication (CIRTC). Connect with CIRTC: www.cirtc.org [http://www.cirtc.org/] Find CIRTC on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-injury-research-translation-communication-cirtc/], Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/cirtc.bsky.social], and YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@cirtc_]. Note: all thoughts and opinions shared in this podcast are personal and not representative of any organization.

Fight Misinformation with Framing, Trust, and Empathy: An Interview with Brian Southwell, PhD

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2452091/fan_mail/new] We sit down with health communication researcher and podcaster Brian Southwell to explore why misinformation spreads, what trust really means, how to talk about uncertainty, and where AI helps without replacing humans. We share concrete steps to bridge research and practice and lessons from podcasting that make messages feel human and useful. Dr. Brian Southwell is Distinguished Fellow at RTI International [https://www.rti.org/expert/brian-g-southwell] where he oversees research on mental models of scientific concepts and public trust in science and scientists. He also Chairs the Fellows Program at RTI, is adjunct professor of Internal Medicine with Duke University [https://medicine.duke.edu/profile/brian-glen-southwell], adjunct associate professor with UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health [https://sph.unc.edu/adv_profile/brian-southwell-phd/], and adjunct faculty member with the University of Delaware [https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/cas/units/departments/communication/our-people/brian-southwell/], and hosts the public radio show, The Measure of Everyday Life [https://measureradio.libsyn.com/]. ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brian-Southwell [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brian-Southwell] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This podcast is a project of the Center for Injury Research Translation and Communication (CIRTC). Connect with CIRTC: www.cirtc.org [http://www.cirtc.org/] Find CIRTC on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-injury-research-translation-communication-cirtc/], Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/cirtc.bsky.social], and YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@cirtc_]. Note: all thoughts and opinions shared in this podcast are personal and not representative of any organization.

The Calendar That Prevents Chaos: Taming the Social Media Beast

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2452091/fan_mail/new] We break down how we plan six months of social content while staying nimble for real‑time events, and we debate a counterintuitive framing tactic that might raise engagement but risks exclusion in public health. We close with a nod to Miss Frizzle and Bill Nye as models for authentic, audience‑first science communication. • how a two‑level calendar keeps us on track • tailoring topics to local audience cues • reading the room and crisis pause protocols • the “not for you” framing: upsides and risks • authentic voice inspired by Ms. Frizzle and Bill Nye Links: Prevent Child Injury: Join Us [https://www.preventchildinjury.org/join-us] Center for Health Communication Newsletter [https://t.e2ma.net/message/by182j/jkgp9ksc] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This podcast is a project of the Center for Injury Research Translation and Communication (CIRTC). Connect with CIRTC: www.cirtc.org [http://www.cirtc.org/] Find CIRTC on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-injury-research-translation-communication-cirtc/], Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/cirtc.bsky.social], and YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@cirtc_]. Note: all thoughts and opinions shared in this podcast are personal and not representative of any organization.