Covering the Future Beat: Managing Futureshock when Writing for a Mass Audience

Most futurists who write do so for a relatively small audience, the majority of whom are both familiar with and fairly receptive to seemingly radical futuristic ideas. When writing for an audience who has virtually no frame of reference for these ideas, however, reactions tend to enter into the realm of Futureshock — which tend to be characterized by outright dismissal or flat-out condemnation. This talk will address the challenges of writing for a mass audience and offer advice on how to present the material in an accessible and relevant way. Ultimately, the goal for writers covering the future beat should not be persuasion, but rather the matter-of-fact dissemination of all relevant information, accompanied by supplementary analysis and interpretation from the experts.
Of special significance is the theme ‘Writing the Future’. The aim is to encourage refined communication about the future in creative ways, and thereby promote serious attention to the opportunities and risks we are facing.

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