IN THE MEDIA
A Note to our Media Colleagues
Most people learn about the wonder of totality from the media. However, media coverage too often focuses on sensational stories about traffic chaos and inflated economic impacts. Most fail to report on the totality experience.
Sharing Excitement with Live Broadcasts
On eclipse day, media outlets are always keen to capture the on-the-ground excitement and convey it to a global audience. For over a decade, Dr. Kate Russo contributed to these live broadcasts, sharing her unique experience worldwide. She typically limits her participation to ten live interviews per eclipse.
For the most recent total eclipse on April 8, 2024, Kate did back-to-back live interviews with major broadcasters starting at 5am, and well into the evening to facilitate global media partners especially in the UK and Australia. The following is a small sample of these live interviews:
ABC Australia (DC), Today Show (Australia), BBC World Service, CBS Evening News, Sunrise on 7 (Australia), NBC News Now, ABC News, BBC News London, NBC (Universal), Slooh.
One of her favorite live eclipse-day broadcasts is from the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse visible from the narrow path across the US. This short featured video clip with the BBC was recorded live just 20 minutes before totality, with Kate on location in Grand Teton National Park as the Moon’s shadow approached. Interviewer Clive Myrie, award-winning BBC News presenter, beautifully captured the atmosphere and Kate’s infectious enthusiasm.
Dr. Kate Russo’s Featured Media
Dr. Kate Russo’s work has been featured extensively across global media for over a decade, and she is in-demand as a Total Eclipse Subject Matter Expert. While a complete archive will be collated in the future, her contributions include numerous documentaries, podcasts, interviews, and presentations from around the world.
For the most recent total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, Kate’s interviews and work were featured by the following media outlets:
USA Today, National Geographic, Washington Post, CNBC News, Scientific American, The Planetary Society, Space.com, New York Times Daily, Sky & Telescope Magazine, Sky & Telescope Blog, Vice, Forbes, The Weather Channel, CNN Business, Columbus Monthly, CBC National News, CBN News, CBS News, CNY Central, CGTN, San Antonio Living, Austin Chronicle, Science Friday, Atlas Obscura, Times Radio London, BBC World Service, Channel 5 News, BBC News (multiple), ABC News (Multiple), Milwaukee Journal, and many more.
Kate also led numerous workshops, delivered keynote presentations, and undertook interviews as part of her national leadership role in the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Solar Eclipse Task Force. See the AAS Eclipse Website for recordings and resources.
A Selection of Online Articles
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: Some people have extreme psychological reactions to totality. Here’s why.
MEDIUM – STARTS WITH A BANG: Ring of Light
ATLAS OBSCURA: Total Eclipse of the Heart: A Look Into The World of Umbraphiles
ABC NEWS: Psychologist turned eclipse chaser combines work with passion and lives the dream
QUARTZ: The Thrill of an eclipse is so overwhelming that its turned hundreds of people into addicts
VOX: Total solar eclipse chasers 2017
VICE: The Eclipse Doctor
MOTHERBOARD: Inside the thriving subculture of eclipse chasers
WIRED: Meet the woman trying to prepare your town for the total solar eclipse
CNN NEWS: Solar eclipse chasers
LA TIMES: These addicts go to great lengths and expense, again and again, to stand in awe of the Heavens
A Selection of Magazines
PLANET JACKSON HOLE: Preparing for darkness
JAKARTA POST 2016: Open | Download
DIMMERLATTEN POST 2015: Open | Download
DISCOVER MAGAZINE: Eclipse 2017: Mind melt
YOGA JOURNAL: Eclipse your fears
SKY & TELESCOPE MAGAZINE: Total Solar Eclipse Special (June-July) (no link)
A Sample of Commissioned Articles
British Airways Magazine
Sky & Telescope Magazine
Australian Western 4W Driver
Contribution to Documentaries
When two Americans venture off to Antarctica to chase an astronomical event that will black out the sun, they uncover madness, obsession and an identity crisis at the heart of the darkness.
Short clip advertising the featured documentary “The Eclipse Chaser” for MetroTV’s 360 Horizon show. The documentary was broadcast in full one week after the total solar eclipse. Credit: MetroTV
Engaging Communities through Radio and Podcasts
Dr. Kate Russo is a strong advocate for engaging local communities in the lead-up to every eclipse, particularly through local radio interviews. She believes this approach is one of the most effective way to generate excitement and share crucial information and resources directly with residents. Her extensive involvement in this capacity includes work in Australia (2012), the Faroe Islands (2015), and numerous states across the US (2017), Australia (2023), and the US and Canada (2024). Kate has found that radio phone-ins are particularly effective in addressing the common “why should I care?” sentiment among locals, helping them understand and embrace the wonder of a total eclipse.
Beyond local radio, Kate also participates in eclipse-related podcasts. These longer-format discussions offered more time to delve into various facets of the eclipse experience. A selection of these insightful podcasts is available here, offering valuable listening for anyone interested in a deeper understanding.
BECOME A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE CHASER
GIMLET PODCAST: RAPTURE CHASERS
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN: BBC WORLD SERVICE
DARK SIDE OF THE SUN FINAL: BBC RADIO 4
LOOKING UP: BBC EARTH
Streamlining Media Engagement
Leading up to every total eclipse, Dr. Kate Russo, like many other eclipse outreach specialists, experience a significant influx of media requests. To efficiently manage these often repetitive inquiries and help all parties meet tight deadlines, on-location media panels have proven to be highly effective. Kate has consistently encouraged this model as a way for communities to ease the burden on individuals dedicated to eclipse outreach in the busy period before each eclipse.
