Cebu biology students learn to create popular science content

BIOLOGY students from various institutions of higher education in Cebu City now have ideas on how to prepare stories and content for their research projects suitable for various platforms such as print, online news sites, and social media channels.

The Department of Science and Technology-Science and Technology Information Institute (DOST-STII) expanded its “Science Journo Ako” advocacy program to 40 biology students from six colleges and universities in Cebu City.

This event was held in partnership with Cebu Biology Students Association (CABS) Incorporated and DOST Region 7.

Students from six member schools of the Cebu Biological Society have the opportunity to learn tips and tricks on writing science news and feature stories, mobile photojournalism, and creating science content for social media at the Golden Prince Hotel in Cebu City. DOST-STII PHOTO

Krixia Zhienelle Subingsubing, a former science correspondent for a British newspaper, gave a lecture on science journalism.

He discussed how to write informative stories about relevant findings, how to consult expert scientists and researchers, and how to convey information in ways that non-expert audiences can understand.

According to him, a good science story should have three basic characteristics: it should be accessible, it should be interesting, and its facts should be verified.

Subingsubing also emphasized the importance of sharing science stories with Filipinos.

He said these stories can increase awareness and appreciation for science, inspire more Filipinos to study science, and inform the public about events that affect their lives.

“When crafting a science story, it needs to be about a discovery, a breakthrough, research, a problem, or a new finding in the scientific field. These stories should also include interviews or quotes from expert sources such as scientists,” concluded Subingsubing.

The next session focused on Basic Photography and Photojournalism, led by Rosemarie Señora, science research specialist at DOST-STII. He emphasized the necessary elements of the exposure triangle to enhance photos: aperture, ISO and shutter speed.

Señora suggested that photojournalists should look for drama, action, expression, and unusual subjects to capture compelling photos.

He also reminded the student participants about some ethical issues when taking photographs.

“Altering photos is a crime. Photos should not be edited for publication because people believe the photos,” Señora said. he added.

In the second part of his talk, he discussed photojournalism and the proper way to write captions. Captions should be written in full sentences, using the present tense and active voice to give the image a sense of immediacy, he said.

He added that most captions are one or two short, declarative sentences, but some can extend to a third sentence if complex contextual information is needed to fully describe the image.

The last topic of the session was content production for social media.

DOST-STII social media manager and information officer 3 Allan Mauro Marfal moderated the discussion, emphasizing the importance of communicating science to raise public awareness.

He said that when creating content, the creator must first define his target audience and understand their preferences. He also suggested that content should be based on the interests of the target audience.

He also suggested that participants research their topics thoroughly and make sure their content is based on facts and verified sources.

He added that outlining the content before writing is also a useful strategy.

Similar to writing science news and articles, Marfal encouraged participants to keep their content short and simple to make it more appealing to the audience.

Marfal also shared some tips on captioning social media content.

He suggested using a specific format as well as keeping subtitles short and simple. First, add a call to attention, such as “watch,” “read,” “look,” or “take a look at this.”

Creators can also include a brief description of the content, links to resources, hashtags, and calls to action such as “share,” “like,” or “click.”

“Planning the timing of posts in content creation and social media management is also very important. Posting at least three times a week is ideal for keeping the social media account active. Content creators should also base their posts on the data provided by social media platforms. Marfal maximizes interaction. “He publishes the hours when his followers are online to get information out,” he said.

In conclusion, he advised participants to always cite their sources as a matter of etiquette and emphasized the importance of connecting with the audience by responding to comments.

Following the lecture, DOST-STII and its partners held a simultaneous press conference titled “With Kwentuhan Cebuano Science Diaries” at the Mosquito Research and Microbiology Laboratories and Medical Group.

Participants were tasked with acting as reporters, conducting interviews and writing science stories based on the forum.

After approximately three hours of content production, resource speakers gave feedback on the outputs created by the participants.

This training workshop is part of the “Science Journo Ako” advocacy program launched by DOST-STII in 2015.

The program collaborates with academic institutions, public universities, and organizations committed to improving science communication and cultivating the culture of science among students, faculty, researchers, and industry practitioners.

To date, “Science Journo Ako” has organized more than 72 seminars/webinars, imparting valuable knowledge and skills to more than 7,000 students, researchers and science communication enthusiasts.