Halophiles in the Public Media

Abstract

This is simply a lagniappe chapter but few scientific books (and certainly few if any academic programs) actually deal with this rather arcane but none-the-less important aspect of a scientific career. Most of what is stated here comes from my own experience with media interviews of all types . This is really not a chapter about halophiles (although there is a section on them) this is more a chapter about communicating about halophiles to the general public. It is also being written because it is kind of fun to consider. Many traditional scientists feel that being the subject of an interview by a journalist, writer or heaven forbid television personality ranks somewhere behind having appendicitis or a root canal without anesthesia. Truthfully this is simply wrong and is, in the long term, bad for science. In this short chapter I will present some of the reasons why scientists should consent to interviews, perhaps even actively soliciting those opportunities. I will also try to provide some hints about how to handle them when they occur, what to be prepared for and a bit about how to dress. Finally I will try to provide some information on how to be sure your interview is satisfying and what you can do to be certain your information is correctly represented since you will not always be able to “proof read” the quotations before they appear.