The Importance of Stories for Health Communicators

This talk summarizes the relationship between science and storytelling, focusing on health and medical information. Viewing science communication as a form of storytelling, this talk provides theoretical understanding of the role of stories in how people think and communicate and practical insights for applying storytelling strategies to engage people in health and medical information. Emma Frances Bloomfield is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is a rhetorician interested in science communication, controversies, and the interactions of identity, ideologies, and storytelling. One of her primary areas of research addresses the obstacles to and opportunities for productive science conversations. She is the founder and co-director of Greenspun College's Public Communication Initiative, which conducts original research and hosts workshops on communication strategies. She teaches classes on rhetoric and persuasion and is an advocate of inclusive pedagogy. She has authored three books including Science v Story: Narrative Strategies for Science Communicators and her newest titled, Mothers as Science Storytellers. This webinar session is for educational and informational purposes in alignment with NNLM goals and does not offer medical advice. By registering for this class, you are agreeing to the NNLM Code of Conduct.