2008 Communications Committee Report
The overarching goal of the APS communications program
is to enhance and enlarge the Society’s presence on the web. Over the last
l8 months, significant progress has been made in meeting this objective by
improving the content and design of traditional APS communications vehicles
(such as press releases) and breaking new ground with podcasts, a wiki
platform, the first of YouTube-style videos and an overhaul of an existing
consumer-based website. These efforts stem from the belief that the easier
it is for the public to find, read and understand us and the materials, the
better the chances are of developing individuals who appreciate the value of
physiology. The information below offers a snapshot of the key activities,
and provides a look at the Committee’s future plans.
APS’ Web Reach
Each month data is examined that relates to the “reach”
of the APS. Reach is defined as the percentage of all internet users who
visit a given site and is based on the data the company collects from some
4.5 billion web pages from 16 million sites. For the six-month period
November 18, 2007–May 18, 2008, the reach of the APS landing page remained
relatively stable.
The APS Wiki
In developing the wiki, Committee members concluded
that a three-part hybrid wiki was best suited for the Society’s intentions.
The first part is a content-focused wiki. The expectation is that APS
members and the Sections will add their content to this portion of the wiki
and that it will be posted on the primary consumer site. Once the content is
migrated to the consumer site it will be “locked” and available to the
public.
The second part of the wiki is processed-focused,
meaning that it allows members to create content related to their area that
will ultimately be included on the new PhysiologyInfo.org site. The third
part of the wiki will be the standard “community wiki.”
The goal is to model the site content much the same way
as WebMD does, by offering trusted information about physiology that APS
members, as the specialists, have “certified” as accurate. The tag line
envisioned for the site is “PhysiologyInfo.org: The most trusted source of
information about physiology on the web.”
www.PhysiologyInfo.org
Virtually every organization has a website, which in
turn is used for many purposes: to include advertising upcoming meetings,
placing a call for papers, and notifying people about deadlines. However,
none of these purposes fit the needs of the non-physiologist.
In order to present a clear and concise image of
physiology to the non-scientist, and to present a more cohesive story and
image about the science to the public, the Committee has begun revamping the
existing public website that was launched in 2003. Its name and domain—
http://www.PhysiologyInfo.org – will remain, as the name and URL are easy to
understand and remember. The content for the site will be populated by the
information derived from the wiki along with most of the items that
currently exist on the APS press/public site. The goal is to have the
revised site open to the public by the end of the year.
YouTube-Style Video
The rough cut of our first “YouTube” style video will
be posted to the APS website once the final editing is complete. The video
features an interview with Dr. James Bassingthwaighte, a key member of the
Physiome Project, who discusses the background and status of this effort.
Journal Release Program
Since the end of the 2008 Experimental Biology meeting,
the Communications Department has resumed writing journal press releases.
Several have been issued and media interest has been strong. The releases
have led to media placements in the New York Times, Washington Post,
Telegraph (UK), MSN-Health & Fitness, the Toronto Star and other outlets.
Life Lines: The APS Podcasting Series
Since the launch of the APS podcast series Life Lines
(http://www.lifelines.tv/) in October 2006, there have been a dozen episodes
created. Two of the podcasts featured the 2008 Bowditch and Cannon
lecturers, in addition several EB08 symposia speakers. The topics have been
as diverse as physiologists and their contribution to the air war during
World War II, the physiology of marine animals, and the relationship between
nanoparticles and disease. Our Life Lines attract new and returning
listeners each month.
EB Media Coverage
The staff promoted 13 EB presentations in connection
with this year’s meeting. They included the effect of backpack straps on
blood flow, the impact of maternal exercise on the fetus, and the effect of
antioxidants on breast cancer in mice. Within the first week of the meeting,
the studies and/or the APS had been mentioned on television stations some
560 times and articles appeared in Nature, Newsweek, New Scientist, and the
Washington Post, among others.
APS’ AAAS Mass Media Fellow
Lindsay Chura is this year’s APS AAAS Mass Media
Fellow. Chura graduated with distinction from Mount Holyoke College with a
dual major in biology and psychology and in 2006 was one of 14 Americans to
be granted a Fulbright Postgraduate Award. Chura,will begin her PhD this
fall at Trinity College, Univ. of Cambridge.
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