The announcement of the discovery of the Higgs boson at CERN marked a groundbreaking achievement in Mode 1 'discovery science'. We combined analyses of CERN strategic documents and organisational structures with ethnographic observations of, and interviews with, communication professionals. Our findings show that promotion of this 'Mode 1' discovery, in combination with the potential for longer-term 'Mode 2' innovation, was a strategic priority for CERN, but highlighted operational challenges for coordination between scientists and journalists. We conclude that CERN communication professionals played an essential boundary spanning role, brokering solutions and maintaining relations across borders and between relevant constituencies.
Date of publication
Oct 21, 2024
Category:
Article
Promoting the Higgs boson as `discovery science' news: exploring the boundary spanner functions of CERN communication professionals'
by
Jamie Dorey
,
Richard Holliman
,
Eileen Scanlon
,
James Gillies
,
Ana Godinho
Volume 23Issue 072024Special Issue: Communicating Discovery Science (Discovery Science)