HSC professor uses newspaper writing to advocate for public health
What can an ocean spill of millions of LEGOs teach us about cooperation?
Dr. Scott Walters, a regents professor in the College of Public Health at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, has found a way to make public health messages more relatable and accessible to the general public.
One of Walters’ recent articles, “Like Legos, We are Better Together,” appeared in the Dallas Morning Newsopinion section. The article tells the story of nearly five million LEGO pieces that were accidentally dumped into the ocean in 1997 when a container ship was struck by a wave off the coast of England.
Since then, the LEGOs have been traveling the seas, with a piece finally washing up on a beach in Galveston, Texas, in 2015. Walters draws a parallel between LEGOs and human connections, describing both as “designed to snap together.” The article encourages readers to approach New Year’s resolutions by involving others, highlighting the power of collaboration and cooperation.
In the last two years, Walters has published several opinion articles, or “op-eds,” in media outlets like the Dallas Morning News and Austin American-Statesman. The articles have covered topics ranging from drug overdose and suicide to social media and voter polarization. While he writes from the perspective of a private citizen rather than as an HSC employee, his views are shaped by his professional experience and passion for public health.
“My favorite thing is to use pop culture to explain public health topics. People may not immediately connect LEGOs with health goals, but most can remember playing with LEGOs as kids. It’s a great story hook. And the story about the ‘Great LEGO Spill’ was irresistible. I wrote the first paragraph a year before I ever used it,” Walters said.
Walters focuses on storytelling to engage readers. In one op-ed he used Western movies to explain political messaging (“How the West Wins Elections”). In another, he used movie villains to challenge people to learn from others’ experience (“What if We’re the Real Villains?”). On July 4, he published an op-ed showing how Ben Franklin used newspaper writing to galvanize public opinion for the American Revolution (“Ben Franklin Knew the Value of Wit and Satire”).
Compared to scientific articles, op-eds tend to be shorter, use personal stories and make direct recommendations.
“The writing style is different. Newspaper readers want something that is newsworthy and interesting to read. You also have a lot fewer words to work with,” Walters said. “But the upside is that newspaper articles can reach a much larger group of people than scientific journal articles.”
While Walters values publishing in academic journals, he recognizes their limitations.
“Professionally, it’s important to be publishing journal articles,” Walters said. “But it also feels like you’re speaking to the same group of people again and again. These people might steer science, but maybe not public opinion.”
Opinion articles, which are published by many newspapers, are a relatively accessible way for people to share their views with the public. However, the submission process can be competitive. The Dallas Morning News website says they receive as many as 300 submissions each day, but publish just a few.
Walters notes that even among published articles, readership can vary greatly.
“There’s about a tenfold difference between the most- and least-read op-eds. So, you’re not only competing to get your article in a newspaper, but also to get people’s attention,” Walters said.
In the last year, Walters has shared his insights with several professional groups. He encourages people to focus on things they are passionate about and to use stories to make their point.
“Newspapers want fresh perspectives on current events,” Walters said. “You should be able to make a clear recommendation about what should be done. If your suggestion is to do more research, it’s not going to work for an op-ed.”
For those seeking other ways to share their perspectives, Walters also recommends letters to the editor.
“It’s an easy way to spark a conversation about something you care about.”
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