Filter by keyword: Digital science communication

Mar 10, 2025 Article

Wit meets wisdom: the relationship between satire and anthropomorphic humor on scientists' likability and legitimacy

by Alexandra L. Frank , Michael A. Cacciatore , Sara K. Yeo , Leona Yi-Fan Su

We conducted an experiment examining public response to scientists' use of different types of humor (satire, anthropomorphism, and a combination of the two) to communicate about AI on Twitter/X. We found that humor led to increased perceptions of humor, measured as increased mirth. Specifically, we found that combining anthropomorphism and satire elicited the highest levels of mirth. Further, reported mirth was positively associated with the perceived likability of the scientist who posted the content. Our findings indicate that mirth mediated the effects of the humor types on publics' perceptions that the scientist on social media was communicating information in an appropriate and legitimate way. Overall, this suggests that scientists can elicit mirth by using combining satire and anthropomorphic humor, which can enhance publics' perceptions of scientists. Importantly, publics' responses to harsh satire were not examined. Caution should be exercised when using satire due to potential backfire effects.

Volume 24Issue 012025

Feb 24, 2025 Article

"It's mostly a one-way street, to be honest": the subjective relevance of public engagement in the science communication of professional university communicators

by Kaija Biermann , Lennart Banse , Monika Taddicken

This study explores the subjective relevance and challenges of public engagement (PES) in science communication among professional university communicators based on 29 qualitative interviews in one German federal state. Despite recognizing its value, interviewees reveal significant uncertainties in understanding, objectives, and implementation of PES. They cite barriers such as reliance on scientists and control concerns. Surprisingly, social media is rarely considered for PES, with online engagement seen as difficult. This research highlights the complexities and challenges of PES in practice, emphasizing opportunities for optimized digital science communication strategies and clearer role structures between professionals and researchers to enhance PES.

Volume 24Issue 012025

Feb 17, 2025 Article

Exploring the dynamics of interaction about generative artificial intelligence between experts and the public on social media

by Noriko Hara , Eugene Kim , Shohana Akter , Kunihiro Miyazaki

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) greatly attracts the public's interest; thus, this research investigates discussions between experts and members of the public about this new technology on social media. Using computational and manual analysis of X (formerly Twitter) data, we investigated discussion topics, the roles discussants — including both experts and public — play, and the differences between experts' posts and the public's replies. Moreover, we examined the dynamics between the discussants' roles and social media engagement measures. We found that the public is not only actively contributing to the discussion of GenAI on X, but also becoming knowledge co-producers alongside experts in the sphere.

Volume 24Issue 012025

Dec 16, 2024 Editorial

Public (dis)trust in science in digital media environments

by Anne Reif , Lars Guenther , Hiromi M. Yokoyama

This special issue examines public (dis)trust in science amidst evolving digital media environments, marked by the increasing prevalence of online information sources about scientific topics such as climate change and COVID-19. This editorial summarizes the nine publications that are part of the special issue and shows how they address different aspects of public (dis)trust in science in the context of digital media environments. Furthermore, we reflect on the selection and production process and give an outlook as to where future research could be heading. The papers highlight various perspectives on (dis)trust in science in digital media environments to foster a deeper understanding of the role of digital communication.

Volume 23Issue 092024Special Issue: Public (dis)trust in science in digital media environments (Trust in science)

Dec 16, 2024 Article

How different science communicators use identity strategies to gain public trust: a study on astronomy and climate change issues on a Chinese knowledge sharing platform

by Zheng Yang , Yuanting Huang , Tao Yang , Taoran Yu

Science communication has seen a trend of diverse communicators in recent decades, who adopt different identity strategies to gain audience trust. This study focuses on the strategies used by three different groups of science communicators, including scientists, citizens and institutions, as well as the potential effects that may arise from these different strategies in terms of audience trust through quantitative content analysis. The findings show that communicators have biases towards using different strategies. There are also significant differences in the trust effects generated by different strategies used by different science communicators in different science topics. This indicates that the effect of science communication varies for different groups of science communicators and different science topics, and it is difficult to generate a universally applicable model, which further corresponds to the current trend of ‘diversification’ and ‘contextualization’ in science communication research.

Volume 23Issue 092024Special Issue: Public (dis)trust in science in digital media environments (Trust in science)

Dec 16, 2024 Practice Insight

Harnessing multimodal and multilingual science communication to combat misinformation in a diverse country setting

by Kim Trollip , Michael Gastrow , Shandir Ramlagan , Yolande Shean

This practice insight explores how translation and multimedia formats, such as video and audio, can enhance science communication efforts to combat community-driven misinformation and build trust within communities. Focusing on a national HIV survey, it details strategies for countering misinformation spread via platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, which falsely accused data collectors of criminal activity. The research team’s response included multilingual, multimodal digital communication and community engagement, demonstrating the effectiveness of this blended approach in restoring trust and dispelling misinformation in diverse social and linguistic settings.

Volume 23Issue 092024Special Issue: Public (dis)trust in science in digital media environments (Trust in science)

Dec 16, 2024 Article

Who, if not science, can you trust to guide you through a crisis? The relationship between public trust in science and exposure to established and alternative online sources in times of crisis

by Fabian Zimmermann , Christine Petersen , Matthias Kohring

In light of global crises such as COVID-19, we argue that people’s trust in science drives their media choices in the digital sphere. The results from a German online survey show that individuals who perceive scientists as trustworthy in terms of ability, benevolence, and integrity, confidently expect science to provide accurate knowledge and guide reasonable decision-making in times of crisis. In turn, these positive trusting expectations towards science increase the use of established journalistic and scientific online sources for accessing scientific information. In contrast, people with low or no trust in science tend to resort to the messenger Telegram and ‘alternative’ online media outlets. Interestingly, the individual need for orientation does not amplify this association between trust in science and digital media use in a crisis situation.

Volume 23Issue 092024Special Issue: Public (dis)trust in science in digital media environments (Trust in science)

Dec 16, 2024 Article

The effects of witnessing harassment of scientists on public perceptions of science

by Jana Laura Egelhofer , Christina Seeger , Alice Binder

Scientists are increasingly affected by harassment, especially on social media. While initial research highlights the detrimental consequences for affected scientists, the increased visibility of harassment through social media might also negatively affect public perceptions of scientists. Using a preregistered 2x2 between-subjects experiment (N = 1,246), this study shows that exposure to uncivil comments harassing female or male scientists negatively affects citizens’ trust in the attacked scientists but not trust in scientists in general or scientific information. Furthermore, some of the effects are moderated by gender and science-related populist attitudes.

Volume 23Issue 092024Special Issue: Public (dis)trust in science in digital media environments (Trust in science)

Oct 16, 2024 Essay

Unpacking social media `engagement': a practice theory approach to science on social media

by Sarah R. Davies , Rebecca Wells , Fabiana Zollo , Joseph Roche

Social media engagement is typically associated with actions such as sharing, liking, or commenting, and is often measured as such in quantitative analyses. This essay explores what is being captured through these methods by `unpacking' such engagement, arguing for a practice-oriented approach that takes into account the mundane ways in which non-scientists may encounter and use scientific content. We describe practice theory in the context of media production and use, before illustrating the approach with material from comments on Facebook posts produced by science-related sources. In showing the uses of science content in maintaining social bonds or performing particular identities (for instance), we argue that science communication research needs to study the wider contexts of how and why users encounter science online, and that the notion of social media practices can help us to do so.

Volume 23Issue 062024

Oct 02, 2024 Article

“Giving them the best information I could with whatever I had at hand”. Physicians' online health communication practices in a post-normal science context

by Lucía Céspedes , Alice Fleerackers , Lauren A. Maggio

This study describes US-based physicians' online public communication practices, particularly on the social media platform Twitter/X, during the COVID-19 pandemic. We draw on 28 semi-structured interviews to examine how they responded to the unique COVID-19 context with respect to each of the four features of post-normal science (PNS): facts uncertain, values in dispute, stakes high, and decisions urgent. Our analysis reveals that the pandemic shifted what, why, and how physicians used the platform, and with whom they aimed to communicate. We discuss the implications of these changes in their online communication habits, discourses, and representations around social media as a reaction to the context of PNS brought about by the pandemic.

Volume 23Issue 062024

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