Are you interested in bringing your sociological expertise to a public audience and policymakers? The following are some resources to support these important efforts.
Be an ASA Media Resource
ASA maintains a database of sociologists interested in communicating with the media. We use this when reporters request interviews with experts for their stories and to proactively offer names of experts on timely topics to journalists. If you are interested in serving as a media resource, please contact the Communications Department at [email protected] or (202) 247-9873.
Communicate with Policymakers
Are you interested in bringing your scholarly expertise to policy discussions? ASA has an active policy advocacy agenda that is developed and implemented in part through our memberships in organizations such as the Consortium of Social Science Associations and the National Humanities Alliance. These organizations offer a variety of resources to help ASA members develop capacity for individual and collective action. Review their websites for information on working with your on-campus government relations staff office, contacting your Members of Congress, scheduling and planning for meetings with your Members of Congress, participating in policy-related webinars, attending policy-oriented conferences, participating in annual advocacy days in Washington, DC, and more.
Take Advantage of Congressional Recess in August! The U.S. Congress takes several breaks throughout the year, the most prominent of which is the August Recess. During the congressional recess period, representatives and senators return to their home districts and states. This break creates an excellent opportunity for their constituents (that is, you!) to schedule face-to-face meetings with them! Congresspeople may host office hours, attend community gatherings, schedule town hall meetings, or appear at other local events where they can gather with the people who elected them. Their local staff are also available to arrange meetings or phone calls. The August recess is when you’re most likely to get quality time with your representatives or their senior staff. The month of August is the ideal time to engage in meaningful dialogue about the issues that matter most to you and the future of our discipline. Make the most of it!
Don’t miss this opportunity to make your voice heard! You have the chance to influence your representatives’ priorities and positions before key votes. Issues you raise in August can shape their agenda when they return to Washington, DC, in September. In addition, with Congress not in session, there’s less media noise and fewer competing priorities vying for your representatives’ attention. Your voice and concerns are more likely to be heard clearly without the distraction of daily legislative business.
Build a relationship with your reps! The more relaxed pace of the late summer recess allows for relationship-building rather than just issue advocacy. You can establish ongoing communication channels that will serve you throughout the year when time-sensitive issues arise. Show your representatives firsthand how national-level legislation impacts your community. Discuss how federal policies affect the work of sociologists in your neighborhood, educational institutions, and local organizations.
Prepare to meet your representatives and senators.
- Visit your representatives’ websites and note their schedules.
- Prepare talking points and share personal stories that illustrate your concerns.
- Use data or visual aids that support your position.
- Send a thank-you note.
- If you can, attend multiple events to reinforce your message.
Write a Letter to the Editor or an Op-ed
Did you recently read an article to which you have a response based on your sociological expertise? Consider writing a letter to the editor. Make one clear argument criticizing or supporting the points in the article. Cite the article in your letter and stick to the word count limit indicated in the publication’s instructions.
Do you have a sociologically-based opinion about a current policy issue? Consider writing an op-ed. You can find detailed tips on writing and submitting op-eds here. If you have questions, send an email to [email protected].
Do a Media Interview
Has a member of the media contacted you for an interview? Watch this 5-part ASA video on how to work with the media, messaging, audience, and rules of media (member log-in required). You will find information on ways to share your research with the media and learn strategies to effectively communicate your work and ideas to non-academic audiences through the media. Watch this webinar to learn how to effectively promote your research to the public, including writing op-eds, handling journalists’ inquiries, utilizing social media strategically, and communicating with the public more broadly (member log-in required).
Use Social Media
Interested in building your professional social media presence? Use the resources in this Promoting Sociological Research Toolkit (PDF) developed by the ASA Task Force on Social Media. It offers information on publicly engaged sociologists, best practices, and practical advice for using social media and dealing with public attacks. The JustPublics@365 Social Media Toolkit: A Social Media Guide for Academics provides guidance on utilizing social media to make research and scholarship more accessible, including recommendations on data visualization tools. You can also access these handy tips from SAGE Publishing on ways to use social media tools to help promote your article. Click here for other useful tips from SAGE.
Work with your Public Information Office
Each college and university has its own Public Information Office (PIO), also known as the Press Office, Media Relations Office, or Communications Office, which serves as a liaison between researchers and reporters. Public Information Officers identify newsworthy research done by people in the college or university community and write and distribute press releases and media advisories on this research. They also respond to inquiries from journalists, connect reporters with subject matter experts, and provide communications training and resources to scholars at the college or university. Set up a meeting with your PIO today.
Let ASA Know About Your Media Coverage
Have you been quoted in a recent news article? Were you recently interviewed on TV about your scholarship? Did a newspaper recently publish your letter to the editor or op-ed? Please send your media coverage to [email protected] so we can highlight it for ASA members.
Evaluating Public Communication for Tenure and Promotion
Increasingly, sociologists are using multiple forms of communication to engage broader audiences with their research and contribute to solutions for the pressing problems of our time. Researchers have interacted with technologies, including social media, in various ways and have received calls from universities to demonstrate evidence of public engagement. These changes impact teaching, service, and research, but have a particular effect on the latter. Increasingly, researchers can extend their work beyond journals and libraries into the public realm, where they can contribute to both public and disciplinary conversations. How might tenure and promotion committees consider researchers’ involvement in public communication and social media?
Read the ASA report: “What Counts? Evaluating Public Communication in Tenure and Promotion.”