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Gordon Day |
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Gordon Day |
How do you explain opto-electronics to a journalist?
“Gordon Day eyeballs the strand of optical fiber in his hand and marvels that something so fundamentally skinny—it’s about the diameter of a dog hair or Calista Flockhart’s arm, take your pick—can carry 50 million telephone calls at the same time.”
That was the lead from an article in the Denver Post a year or so ago, after one of their reporters visited our laboratories. It pretty much summarizes my experience in dealing with journalists. A little information conveyed and understood at the risk of mild embarrassment. I swear that I didn’t make those dimensional comparisons!
So why talk to journalists? For me, it’s part of my job to describe our work to journalists, politicians, government officials and others who want and deserve to know how we are spending public funds. Generally I find that “optoelectronics” and “photonics” are new words to them. (Though some may disagree, I use the words interchangeably.) Most use telephones, the Internet, laser printers, fax machines, compact discs, and retail checkout systems regularly without recognizing that these and other high-tech products and services wouldn’t be possible without optoelectronic components. Few know that lasers are used in factories to cut and weld materials and define the lines on the most advanced computer chips, or that lasers and other optical and optoelectronic components enable exciting new medical diagnostic and treatment procedures.
More generally, why do we care if the public doesn’t know about, or understand, our field? Try these reasons:
The need is not unrecognized—
Listen to William A. Wulf, President of the National Academy of Engineering, speaking at an IEEE Conference on Technological Literacy: “. . . many people are, for the most part, ignorant of how technologies work— even though major policy decisions are made every day that are either affected by or affect technology. That’s a dangerous combination.”
Or even Newt Gingrich, writing a few months ago in the Boston Globe. “The fate of our country may depend on whether or not scientists recognize that they have real responsibilities as citizens. Do your duty and educate your fellow countrymen about the exciting world that awaits…”
So how do we best explain optoelectronics to a reporter? ….a politician, an investment analyst, or our neighbors and family?
I tell them that optoelectronics is the marriage of optics and electronics, technologies that seem better known and understood. It’s usually an adequate definition, descriptive and not distractingly precise. I try to explain in general terms how some of the products mentioned above actually work, and how optoelectronic components are what make them possible. I try to turn specifications into something more intuitive—50 million telephone conversations on a single optical fiber. I try to convey economic and market information: a $50 billion annual market for optoelectronic components and many times that in products enabled; a quarter of a billion lasers sold each year; enough optical fiber to go around the world more than twice every day; enough compact discs and CD-ROMs for every man, woman, and child in the world to have at least one new one each year. (I’d be happy to share some of the free ones I get.) I try to remember that the journalist wants to explain and educate without boring the reader, and that’s a good approach for talking to others, as well.
I collect source material wherever I can find it. The COSE report from the National Research Council was designed, in part, to describe optics and optoelectronics to the layman, and has good examples and illustrations. Market studies (or just the advertisements for them) are another good source, as are articles in trade magazines, and plenary talks at conferences.
Sometimes I think I succeed in getting the story across, sometimes not. Almost always, I have fun trying.
If you think that you don’t have opportunities to spread the word, make some. Explain your work to your friends and family, then branch out. Local business and service clubs are always looking for speakers on general topics. Most would love to hear about the work of organizations in their area; volunteer. If you work for a large company, talk with your publicity or communications department and make yourself available. Become active in your local LEOS Chapter. Issue some press releases about chapter activities, awards to members, important events in local companies and universities. Look in the IEEE Publicity Guide, available from IEEE Corporate Communications (email: corporate.communications@ieee.org) for more ideas. Check your local library for how-to books. One is “Bullet Proof News Releases,” by Kay Borden, published by Franklin-Sarrett Publishers.
Please give it a try. Be fearless; most of the embarrassments will be small. Encourage others and share your best approaches with your colleagues. Consider the potential effect of 7000 LEOS members telling the exciting story of optoelectronics.