The overarching goal of the APS communications program is to enhance and enlarge the Society's presence on the web. Over the last l8 months, significant progress has been made in meeting this objective by improving the content and design of traditional APS communications vehicles (such as press releases) and breaking new ground with podcasts, a wiki platform, the first of YouTube-style videos and an overhaul of an existing consumer-based website. These efforts stem from the belief that the easier it is for the public to find, read and understand us and the materials, the better the chances are of developing individuals who appreciate the value of physiology. The information below offers a snapshot of the key activities, and provides a look at the Committee's future plans.
APS' Web Reach
Each month data is examined that relates to the "reach" of the APS. Reach is defined as the percentage of all internet users who visit a given site and is based on the data the company collects from some 4.5 billion web pages from 16 million sites. For the six-month period November 18, 2007-May 18, 2008, the reach of the APS landing page remained relatively stable.
The APS Wiki
In developing the wiki, Committee members concluded that a three-part hybrid wiki was best suited for the Society's intentions. The first part is a content-focused wiki. The expectation is that APS members and the Sections will add their content to this portion of the wiki and that it will be posted on the primary consumer site. Once the content is migrated to the consumer site it will be "locked" and available to the public.
The second part of the wiki is processed-focused, meaning that it allows members to create content related to their area that will ultimately be included on the new PhysiologyInfo.org site. The third part of the wiki will be the standard "community wiki."
The goal is to model the site content much the same way as WebMD does, by offering trusted information about physiology that APS members, as the specialists, have "certified" as accurate. The tag line envisioned for the site is "PhysiologyInfo.org: The most trusted source of information about physiology on the web."
www.PhysiologyInfo.org
Virtually every organization has a website, which in turn is used for many purposes: to include advertising upcoming meetings, placing a call for papers, and notifying people about deadlines. However, none of these purposes fit the needs of the non-physiologist.
In order to present a clear and concise image of physiology to the non-scientist, and to present a more cohesive story and image about the science to the public, the Committee has begun revamping the existing public website that was launched in 2003. Its name and domain http://www.PhysiologyInfo.org will remain, as the name and URL are easy to understand and remember. The content for the site will be populated by the information derived from the wiki along with most of the items that currently exist on the APS press/public site. The goal is to have the revised site open to the public by the end of the year.
YouTube-Style Video
The rough cut of our first "YouTube" style video will be posted to the APS website once the final editing is complete. The video features an interview with Dr. James Bassingthwaighte, a key member of the Physiome Project, who discusses the background and status of this effort.
Journal Release Program
Since the end of the 2008 Experimental Biology meeting, the Communications Department has resumed writing journal press releases. Several have been issued and media interest has been strong. The releases have led to media placements in the New York Times, Washington Post, Telegraph (UK), MSN-Health & Fitness, the Toronto Star and other outlets.
Life Lines: The APS Podcasting Series
Since the launch of the APS podcast series Life Lines (http://www.lifelines.tv/) in October 2006, there have been a dozen episodes created. Two of the podcasts featured the 2008 Bowditch and Cannon lecturers, in addition several EB08 symposia speakers. The topics have been as diverse as physiologists and their contribution to the air war during World War II, the physiology of marine animals, and the relationship between nanoparticles and disease. Our Life Lines attract new and returning listeners each month.
EB Media Coverage
The staff promoted 13 EB presentations in connection with this year's meeting. They included the effect of backpack straps on blood flow, the impact of maternal exercise on the fetus, and the effect of antioxidants on breast cancer in mice. Within the first week of the meeting, the studies and/or the APS had been mentioned on television stations some 560 times and articles appeared in Nature, Newsweek, New Scientist, and the Washington Post, among others.
APS' AAAS Mass Media Fellow
Lindsay Chura is this year's APS AAAS Mass Media Fellow. Chura graduated with distinction from Mount Holyoke College with a dual major in biology and psychology and in 2006 was one of 14 Americans to be granted a Fulbright Postgraduate Award. Chura,will begin her PhD this fall at Trinity College, Univ. of Cambridge.