Cebu Biology Students Learn to Create Popularized Science Content

Cebu City- Biology students from various tertiary institutions in Cebu City now have ideas on how to craft stories and content for their research projects that are 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) extended its advocacy program, ‘Science Journo Ako,’ to 40 Biology students from six colleges and universities in Cebu City. This activity was conducted in partnership with the Cebu Association of Biology Students (CABS) Incorporated and DOST Region VII.

Ms. Krixia Zhienelle A. Subingsubing, a former science beat reporter from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, lectured on science journalism. She discussed how to write informative stories about relevant findings, consult with expert scientists and researchers, and convey the information in ways that non-specialist audiences can understand.

According to her, a good science story should have three key characteristics: it should be accessible, engaging, and fact-checked.

Ms. Subingsubing also highlighted the importance of sharing science stories with Filipinos. She said that these stories could increase awareness and appreciation of science, inspire more Filipinos to study science, and inform the public about phenomena that affect their lives.

“In crafting a science story, it must be about a discovery, an advancement, research, an issue, or a new finding in the scientific field. These stories must also include interviews or quotes from expert sources like scientists,” Ms. Subingsubing concluded.

The next session focused on Basic Photography and Photojournalism, led by Ms. Rosemarie C. Señora, a Science Research Specialist at DOST-STII. She highlighted the elements of the exposure triangle necessary to enhance photos: aperture, ISO, and shutter speed.

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

She also reminded the student participants of some ethical considerations when taking photos.

“It is a crime to manipulate photos. Photos for publication must not be edited, as people believe in photos,” Ms. Señora added.

In the second part of her lecture, Ms. Señora discussed photojournalism and the proper way to write captions. She said that captions should be written in complete sentences, using the present tense and active voice to give the image a sense of immediacy.

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

The final topic of the session was content creation for social media. Mr. Allan Mauro V. Marfal, DOST-STII social media manager and Information Officer III, led the discussion, emphasizing the importance of communicating science to raise public awareness.

Mr. Marfal said that, when creating content, the creator should first identify their audience and understand their preferences. He also suggested that content should be based on the target audience’s interests.

He further recommended that participants research their topic thoroughly and ensure that their content is based on facts and verified sources. Outlining the content before writing is also a helpful strategy.

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

Mr. Marfal also shared some tips for writing captions for social media content. In addition to keeping captions short and simple, he suggested using a specific format. First, include a call to attention, such as “watch,” “read,” “look,” or “check this out.” Creators can also include a short description of the content, links to sources, hashtags, and calls to action like “share,” “like,” or “click.”

“In content creation and social media management, planning the schedule of posts is also crucial. Posting at least three times a week is ideal for maintaining an active social media account. Using the data provided by social media platforms, content creators should also base their posting times on when their followers are online to maximize engagement,” Mr. Marfal stated.

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

Following the lecture, DOST-STII and its partners facilitated a simultaneous press conference titled “Kwentuhan with Cebuano Science Journos” at the Mosquito Research and Microbiology Laboratories and Medical Group. The participants were tasked with acting as reporters, conducting interviews, and writing science stories based on the forum.

After nearly three hours of producing content, the resource speakers provided feedback on the outputs created by the participants. The biology students successfully popularized scientific concepts and simplified technical knowledge from research publications, preparing them for future roles as experts in their respective fields.

This training workshop is part of the Science Journo Ako Advocacy program, which was launched by DOST-STII in 2015. The program collaborates with academic institutions, state universities, and organizations committed to enhancing science communication and fostering a culture of science among students, faculty, researchers, and industry practitioners.

To date, Science Journo Ako has conducted more than 72 seminars/webinars, equipping over 7,000 students, researchers, and science communication enthusiasts with valuable knowledge and skills. (By Ryan Spencer P. Secadron, DOST-STII)