By David Poulson
St. Francis of Assisi is often depicted as a figurine – a gentle man with birds on his shoulders and rabbits at his feet.
I like the irony that the pope who took his name was once a barroom bouncer.
That isn’t to imply Pope Francis favors physical force for resolving conflict. Good bouncers convince unruly patrons to behave – or leave – without lifting a finger.
The best make them think it’s their idea.
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Author Archives: Dave Poulson
Knight Center faculty, grad students present environmental research

Some participants at the 13th biennial Conference on Communication and Environment toured the Space Weather Prediction Center operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder, Colorado. Image: Eric Freedman
Faculty and doctoral students affiliated with the Knight Center played an active role as presenters and panelists at the International Environmental Communication Association’s 2015 Conference on Communication and the Environment.
The theme of the June 11-14 gathering at the University of Colorado in Boulder was “Bridging Divides: Spaces of Scholarship and Practice in Environmental Communications.”
As part of an effort to increase the organization’s engagement with environmental journalism teachers and researchers, Knight Center research director Bruno Takahashi organized and moderated a panel called “Bridging Environmental Journalism and Practice, Research and Education: Current State and Mapping Future Directions.”
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Hey you researchers, learn to tell your story
Straight from the horse’s mouth may sound like the best way to get information, but not if you don’t understand the whinnies and neighs.
Likewise, scientists and researchers may have the best understanding of their own work but can’t explain it if they lack translational skills. That is a part of the scientist-to-public interaction I’ve been working on with the development of a free online workshop called “Plan, Produce, Share: Telling your Research Story.”
The next one is June 15. Enroll here.
The workshop targets researchers, but it benefits anyone interested in engaging the public, decision makers and others with information that is technical or otherwise unfamiliar to the audience.
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Knight Center researchers publish study on Twitter and typhoon
By: Christine Carmichael
The latest issue of Computers in Human Behavior features an article by Knight Center research director Bruno Takahashi and graduate student staff member Christine Carmichael, along with co-author Edson Tandoc Jr. of the Philippines.
The article, “Communicating on Twitter during a disaster: An analysis of tweets during Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines,” describes results from a content analysis of 1,000 tweets published by Twitter users before, during and after the deadly typhoon in the Philippines in November 2013. In light of the two recent and devastating earthquakes in Nepal, there is a growing need to understand the current and potential uses of social media services to assist those affected.
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