Transcript Quality Framework

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Statistical Division
Communication with the Media:
Improving Accessibility
in a Changing World
Steven Vale and Jessica Gardner, UNECE Statistical Division
Contents
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The importance of accessibility
“Communicating with the Media:
A Guide for Statistical Organizations”
Recent trends
Looking forward
21 July 2015
Steven Vale - UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 2
The importance of accessibility
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“The ease and the conditions with which
statistical information can be obtained”
(Source: Metadata Common Vocabulary)
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Not just about data availability
Bringing data to users
Conveying messages
Opening a dialogue
Ensuring information needs are met
Steven Vale - UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 3
Accessibility includes:
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Communicating
Marketing
Interpreting
“Story-telling”
Informing
Educating
Steven Vale - UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 4
• Published in 2004
• 6 Chapters, 74 pages
• Paper / web versions
http://www.unece.org/stats/d
ocuments/media/guide/
• Based on good practice
and experiences of
national dissemination
experts
Steven Vale - UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 5
Chapters
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Principles, objectives and management
issues in data dissemination
Organizational aspects of dissemination
Methods and tools
Impact of the Internet on information
dissemination
Learning in each other’s classrooms
Handling media crises
Steven Vale - UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 6
Key points
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Journalists are uncomfortable with numbers
– most find data boring
... but data contain stories
Statisticians need to help journalists to
extract those stories
If done well, this allows statistical agencies
to communicate more effectively with the
public and inform society
Steven Vale - UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 7
Allies or enemies?
Steven Vale - UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 8
Common ground?
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Statisticians and journalists both collect
and process information on society
Different theoretical foundations and
culture, neither of which is false or true
Both are useful to society
We should strive for co-operation and
possibly synthesis
Steven Vale - UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 9
A symbiotic relationship?
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Statisticians need good publicity
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To have a positive public profile
• To gain the trust of data providers and users
• To inform public debate
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Journalists need good statistics
•
To support analyses of social and economic
phenomena
• To give legitimacy to their observations
Steven Vale - UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 10
Recent trends
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Improving statistical literacy amongst the
media
Improving media awareness amongst
statisticians
New tools for data presentation
New approaches to communication
Increased media speed
Steven Vale - UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 11
Educating the media
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Reluctant students!
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Simpler reference metadata - plain language
explanations of complex concepts
On-line tutorials?
Pre-release embargoes?
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Steven Vale - UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 12
Improving media awareness
amongst statisticians
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Published in 2005
“A practical tool to help
.... to bring statistics to
life using effective
writing techniques”
English and Russian
Steven Vale - UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 13
New tools
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Graphic visualizations
Hyperlinks
Data communities
(Swivel, Many Eyes ..)
Steven Vale - UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 14
New approaches
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More interaction
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Discussion forums
• Blogs
• Wikis
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Pro-active dissemination
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Alerts / RSS feeds
• Targeted marketing
• Customer relationship management
Steven Vale - UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 15
Looking forwards
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Rapidly evolving media communication
tools and methods
Accessibility (and quality) will suffer if we
don’t respond to this evolution
More flexible content and style according
to the mode and audience
New style guide
Update “Communication with the Media”!
Steven Vale - UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 16
Thank-you for listening!
Comments and Questions?
[email protected]
[email protected]
Steven Vale - UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 17