Category Archives: Social Networking

NASA includes Social Media with Traditional Media for Budget Briefing

There we sat. Twitter users. No special badges saying we were “tweeps,” No special seating gallery. No instructions to just “observe” the “real” media.

The New Media Corp

NASA decided that this time, from the get-to of the FY2013 budget briefing at NASA HQ (2/13/2012), everyone in the room was media and was important. From the podium, Bob Jacobs (@bnjacobs), NASA’s deputy associate administrator for Communications and the moderator for the event, explained:

This year we’re trying something a little different, as well as traditional media representatives, for the first time we have invited members of the social media community to be a part of today’s presentation and we’ll be taking questions via Twitter using the hashtag #askNASA.

Bob Jacobs (@bnjacobs), NASA's deputy associate administrator for Communications tweets a pic of the Media Corp at beginning of the Budget Briefing.

NASA acknowledged that social media is a valid means of media communication and should be included in briefings alongside the AP, Nature, Orlando Sentinel, and the other traditional media outlets represented. We were allowed to ask questions, to talk to Administrator Charles Bolden, Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth Robinson, and the other NASA officials just like anyone else in the room. In short: no second-class citizens in the media corp.

It was a very special time–not just for those of us in the room–but for the army of social media journalists who have waited for recognition and validation of their status as “real” media.

Lindsey Mastis recorded Bob Jacobs’ thoughts on the relationship between NASA and social media. You can read her report of the briefing here.

I am a Scientific American (Guest Blogger)!

I am very excited to have been asked to do a post on the Scientific American Guest Blog about my recent participation in the #GRAIL #NASATweetup. It went live yesterday (9/21/2011). Click on the screen capture below to go to the original location to read the entire post!

Coming to my town

Gotta show the home town pride. Major props for the following two events being hosted in the Triangle.

First up, ScienceOnline2010, January 14-17th, 2010 at Sigma Xi in the Research Triangle Park. This is officially an “unconference.” More about conversation than lecture. Here’s a list of who’s coming. And here’s the program. But don’t worry, even if you can’t attend, you can participate. Follow the Twitter account for the conference (@scio10) or the hashtag #scio10.

From the conference website:

This is a conference to explore new ways in communicating scientific exploration. Our goal is to bring together scientists, physicians, patients, educators, students, publishers, editors, bloggers, journalists, writers, web developers, programmers and others to discuss, demonstrate and debate online strategies and tools for doing science, publishing science, teaching science, and promoting the public understanding of science. Our conference addresses a variety of issues and perspectives on science communication, including science literacy, the popularization of science, science in classrooms and in homes, debunking pseudoscience, using blogs as tools for presenting scientific research, writing about science, and health and medicine. In addition to being an internationally known hub of scientific and biomedical research and education, North Carolina has numerous science blogs written by a wide variety of people – see this listing of Science bloggers located in North Carolina here.

I would love to go, but can’t. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be keeping up with the fun.

So, what could follow such a super science spectacular? Why our very own TEDx event!

Yes, TEDxTriangleNC is coming March 6th! If you are not familiar with TED yet, click on over to their site and be prepared to be invigorated and inspired by the short TED talks (videos) you will find there. Riveting. Then mark your calendar for March 6th and plan to attend (in person or online) for the best ideas coming out of the Triangle.