Field Notes

The Media Just Missed the Target

DISCLAIMER:  I am grateful to the Free Lance Star for taking an interest in the International Year of Astronomy.  I am writing this because I believe it is the job of the media to keep all sorts of entities accountable, to report the facts, to show the other side of the story, and most of all to inform and educate the public.  However, the most important element of this is accuracy.  I must also write this because I am not a narcissistic headliner who wants his 5 minutes of fame.

For anyone who has read my blog, you know I LOVE astronomy and I love Education and Public Outreach (EPO) for astronomy.  So, throwing myself into the IYA point of contact for my astronomy club seemed like a natural progression.  So to help “get the word out” about the International Year of Astronomy, I turned to my local newspaper.  I started with a simple email to the community editor telling about the many wonderful things the IYA has up for the year, about the two major astronomy clubs in the area, and about two sentences about me, to give some credibility to my knowledge base.

After some help from one of the other club members who had a connection at the paper I received a call from one of the reports.  To say I was ecstatic is an understatement.  I met with the reporter about two weeks ago.  He asked a lot of questions about me, to which I kept reminding him that the article’s focus really should be the IYA.  He nodded and continued.  I told him about the 100 Hours of Astronomy, The Galileoscope Project, the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast, and the traveling exhibit From Earth to the Universe.  Despite his continued desire to learn about me, I kept trying to bring him back to IYA.  The following day I responded to an email from the reporter about my career path.  Yet again I empahsized that the article really should focus on IYA.

So this morning, 02/10/2009, the article was published.  Does anyone want to take a guess as to what the main subject was?  Was it:

a)  The International Year of Astronomy

b)  Me

c)  Galileo

d)  Saturn

e)  The economy

If you guessed b,c, & d you are correct.   Now please read this:  I am GRATEFUL to the paper for taking an interest in the IYA and amateur astronomy.  But I am not worthy of the attention.  The IYA is.

Back to our rant.  Now,  did he mention the IYA?  Sure, in two sentences within 8-10 inches of article.  (That’s A LOT of space in a newspaper for those who may not be familiar with the newspaper industry)  I know the media has this chip on its shoulder that they pick the angle.  But hell, when someone hands you a GREAT subject to write about that makes good copy, RUN WITH IT.  I am probably the most boring person you could meet.  Well maybe not THE most boring and certainly not after a few Harps or Scotch and coke but certainly not as interesting as the grander subject of astronomy.  Now, I know the IYA is about Galileo’s 400 anniversary of using the telescope for astronomy; however, that isn’t the only point.  And where did the whole Saturn thing come from?  Yes, it was a pivotal moment for me in developing my interest in astronomy.  Yes, it is beautiful.  But it isn’t enough of a focus for a entire highlight box in the article.

Not once did the reporter mention the upcoming events for IYA.  Not once did the reporter mention the individual elements of the IYA.  The reporter did not even provide the IYA web address in the little pop out box.  What other errors were in the article?

It was Franklin & Marshall College where I first saw Saturn, not Marshall College. (-5 points)

My wife and I did not meet in Florida.  Although we did live in Florida for a time.  ( only -2 - partial credit)

The aperture of the telescope IS NOT THE EYEPIECE!  After more than a decade of amateur astronomy, I got this one down.  (-10 for lack of attention to detail)

To call binoculars “Two telescopes side by side” is a bit misleading but you can argue this a bit.  (no point loss but a bad analogy)

He spelled my wife’s name wrong.  ( not a major issue you say? It is if you live with her. -10 points)

So fellow amateur astronomers where does this leave us?  If you want to promote the IYA to the local media, use a press release.  Write it, get Dr. Pamela Gay from the New Media Comittee to approve and submit it.  For the love of God don’t tell them anything about yourself.

I guess I should just be glad it all came out astronomy and not astrology.