Tag: Information Digest

Ivonne Couret is a public affairs officer, who oversees the production of the Information Digest

How would you describe your job in three sentences or less?
I’m a public affairs officer in the headquarters office at the NRC, where I handle public and media relations. As the agency has expanded its social media engagement, my focus has turned to visual communication and producing YouTube videos that promote the understanding of who we are and what we do as an agency. I’m also the project manager for the NRC Information Digest, which provides information about the agency and the industries we regulate.

What is the single most important thing that you do at work?

I believe the most important thing I do at the NRC is managing the annual production and distribution of the Information Digest, one of the agency’s most popular publications. It is packed with easy-to read descriptions about the agency and its responsibilities and activities, while providing general information on nuclear-related topics and data. The Digest includes many infographics that help explain the data and information. I organize the approval and review schedule, propose new conceptual approaches that reflect agency mission, activities and goals, and plan its distribution. I also promote it during the annual Regulatory Information Conference and at other public meetings and information venues. The latest Information Digest has just been published and is available here. I’m very proud of this year’s edition.

What is the single biggest challenge you face?

One of the biggest challenges is working with technical and program staff to understand the advantages of visual communication. Today, many organizations are seeing the benefit of using visual techniques to present information. They can be a more effective way to exchange information, and assist in “telling a story.” We achieve a more meaningful information exchange when a reader sees graphs, pictures and diagrams in addition to text. And complex information, data and figures can be more easily presented via graphs, pictures and diagrams.

If you could change one thing at the NRC or within the nuclear industry, what would it be?

I would have the scientific and technical staff (in the industry and at the NRC) learn to explain complex concepts in simpler terms. It would be great if everyone could explain things like Bill Nye, the Science Guy, on how things work using those easy-to-follow techniques. This type of communication would make it much easier for the non-technical public to more fully understand what we do.

What one thing about the NRC do you wish more people knew?

I wish more people understood how committed the NRC Public Affairs Office is to providing information in a format that the public can understand, as well as how hard we work to respond to inquiries in a timely manner. You can stay connected with us on our Blog, Facebook page, follow us on Twitter @NRCgov, watch us on YouTube and find pictures, graphs and maps on Flickr.

Allison Balik
Media Assistant

Today’s Information Digest is filled with infographics and photos, depicting the work of the NRC and its licensees. Anyone who wants to know anything about nuclear security, materials, waste and reactors can open up the Information Digest – in print or online – and find the answer. But, the book hasn’t always been this way. Over time, the Information Digest has evolved to fit the changing needs of the public, the media, the industry and the NRC.

Our journey begins in January 1982 when the Office of the Controller issued the first quarterly Summary Information. Most people knew it as the Brown Book, aptly named for the document’s cover. Unlike the current Information Digest, the Brown Book had white pages covered in black text with no photos or diagrams.

The purpose of the Brown Book was to have a consistent source of industry data for budget justification. NRC staff needed a reliable source of information to which they could quickly refer when needed. There were no descriptions of processes or technology in the Brown Book. It was simply an aggregation of graphs, charts and data.

Despite the differences, there are quite a few similarities between the old and new versions. Like the current Information Digest, the Brown Book had a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Organization Chart, a map of the Agreement States and charts of operating reactors.

The Brown Book evolved into the Information Digest in the late ‘80s. It was still the same size, but blue instead of brown.  This new version was divided into two parts: an overview of the NRC and industry data. NRC staff began carrying copies of the book when briefing Congress and the public or when recruiting employees. Smaller, “pocket editions” of the Information Digest were also produced.

Karen Olive, (now retired), remembers working on the Digest during her time in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. There was a much less formal process of collecting information. She would call around the agency, asking employees if they had any information that needed to be included. Soon, people were contacting her with their own suggestions.

The Information Digest continued expanding its audience during the ‘90s. Instead of being solely focused on data, the Digest became an educational tool for the public. The graphs and charts were now accompanied by text. A glossary was also added to explain terms used in the nuclear industry. Although the book shrank from 11 x 8½in. to 5 x 3in., it grew thicker as more information was added.

After spending several years in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, the Information Digest ended up in the hands of the Office of Public Affairs. There, Beth Hayden, former Deputy Director of the Office of Public Affairs (now retired), helped craft the document into a more user-friendly publication that was easier to read for a wider audience. To make the document even more accessible, Public Affairs started posting printable versions online. All of the maps, infographics, photographs, and data sets became available on the NRC Website.

The 27^th edition of the Information Digest, which came out today, is much like its predecessors – with changes too.  Visual changes include an indigo cover with icons and a new layout. The online Digest is also more user-friendly. Maps are now more visible when printing in black and white, and you can also upload the PDF version to your smartphone.

The Info Digest will continue to evolve as publishing practices and audience preferences change. But no matter what, the publication will remain a quality source of information about the NRC.