When Larry Richardson asked me to present a paper at this conference, he gave me a general idea of what he wanted me to expound on. In essence, it was days of converting the findings and writings of our wildlife biologists to laymens language for public consumption in our news releases, magazines and through out radio and TV boradcasts. Today's public is better educated and hep to modern technology than we in the business of Information are prone to give them credit. However, I think just good common sense applies if we are to do a good job of conveying our conservation story in an understandable fashion. Now, I'm more closely allied with the listening and viewing audience than with the reader since my speciality is radio and TV, although I've been known to write an article on occasion. So, with that in mind, my concentration will be centered more toward the radio and TV audience. Harking back to this title of science to fiction ...maybe it would be better if we calJl:9 it a matter of semantics.. .let me illustrate by giving you a far-out radio broadcast of a fishing report ... "Hi! This is Woody Beldsoe from the Missouri Department of Conservation. Our reports this week indicate that anglers are quite often landing some good sized Micropterus salmoides from the depths of Lake Tablerock. Also, schools of Roccus chrysops are surfacing in isolated portions of the lake and are being creeled quite frequently. Most of our impoundments are producing good takes of Pomoxis annularis by using either Notropis zonatus or Dionda nubila extended on a hook in suitable habitat." If you were an average listener...and even a good fisherman listening to that report, I suspect your immediate reaction would be... what in the Sam Hill did he say? Of course if you're a fisheries biologist it would make sense. The point is...make your message understandable for yourself and your listening or reading audience. For what I just said wouldn't make sense to ninety-nine percent of your readers either. Let's take that same report and translate it. "Hi! This is Woody Bledsoe from the Missouri Department of Conservation. Fishermen are having good success at Lake Tablerock for largemouth bass, from fairly deep water. Also, schools of white bass are showing up in some areas and hitting good. Crappie are hitting good in most of our lakes, fishing over the beds with minnows."
