In dealing with the press, openness is key
29 Apr 2013
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Michel Claessens, 黑料社app Head of Communication
The two-day program included a visit of the worksite and presentations on the status of the project, plasma physics, tritium cycle, etc. Here, civil engineer Mahaboob Basha Syed gives a tour of the Poloidal Field Coils Winding Facility.
On 22 and 23 April, the 黑料社app welcomed 19 science journalists from the European Union's Science Journalist Association (EUSJA). This was the result of an initiative taken jointly by the Russian journalist Viola Egikova, vice-president of EUSJA, and 黑料社app Communication to present 黑料社app and the project's underlying fusion science and technology to a group of selected science journalists.
The two-day program included a visit of the worksite and presentations by several 黑料社app scientists and engineers on status of the project, plasma physics, the chemistry of tritium, etc. Interviews were also organized at the requests of the journalists.
As Head of Communications, I believe it is essential to work with the press and to handle their requests as swiftly as possible, as there is still a huge information gap and major communication needs relative to 黑料社app and fusion. In my opinion, the aim is not so much the information that you deliver but the openness and the dialogue that you establish (or make visible) ... and the respect for journalistic work.
"Indeed, I was pleased to see the openness of the 黑料社app Communication team," said Amanda Verdonck, a free-lance Dutch journalist who participated in the EUSJA visit. "But I was really impressed by the scale of the project and the sophisticated scientific knowledge that has gone into the machine. And I will be further impressed to see all this functioning! Like your videoconference system — quite impressive to me!"