Search

Search results

• Date of publication Dec 19, 2014 Category: Commentary

  From liquid nitrogen to public engagement and city planning: the changing role of science events

  by Jan Riise , Leonardo Alfonsi

  Public understanding of science has been replaced by engagement and participation, and science events, like festivals and science days, have become significant actors by offering direct contacts between scientists, public and policy-makers, as opportunities to engage and participate. After more than 20 years of festivals and events, the need for impact evidence is strong, although it is acknowledged that it will have to be based on complex data and observations. Many science events look for collaboration within the cultural sector. Social inclusion and participation in local and regional development are other important issues for the science events community.

  Volume 13 • Issue 04 • 2014

• Date of publication Dec 01, 2014 Category: Article

  When quotes matter: impact of outside quotes in a science press release on news judgment

  by Paige Brown Jarreau

  Scientists often cite discrepancy between scientific values and news values as a primary factor in poor quality science reporting. The goal of this study was to understand how news values including conflict and controversy affect science communicators’ evaluation of press releases containing quotes from outside expert sources. Results of an online survey experiment suggest science communicators find a climate science press release with an outside expert quote that introduces controversy to be more newsworthy. However, when a science communicator attributes relatively high importance to reliability of facts as a guiding principle in story selection, this preference for controversy is reversed.

  Volume 13 • Issue 04 • 2014

• Date of publication Nov 17, 2014 Category: Article

  The Holy Grail of energy? A content and thematic analysis of the presentation of nuclear fusion on the Internet

  by Christian Oltra , Ana Delicado , Ana Prades , Sergio Pereira , Luisa Schmidt

  The Internet is increasingly considered as a legitimate source of information on scientific and technological topics. Lay individuals are increasingly using Internet sources to find information about new technological developments, but scientific communities might have a limited understanding of the nature of this content. In this paper we examine the nature of the content of information about fusion energy on the Internet. By means of a content and thematic analysis of a sample of English-, Spanish- and Portuguese-language web documents, we analyze the structural characteristics of the webs, characterize the presentation of nuclear fusion, and study the associations to nuclear fission and the main benefits and risks associated to fusion technologies in the Web. Our findings indicate that the information about fusion on the Internet is produced by a variety of actors (including private users via blogs), that almost half of the sample provided relevant technical information about nuclear fusion, that the majority of the web documents provided a positive portrayal of fusion energy (as a clean, safe and powerful energy technology), and that nuclear fusion was generally presented as a potential solution to world energy problems, as a key scientific challenge and as a superior alternative to nuclear fission. We discuss the results in terms of the role of Internet in science communication.

  Volume 13 • Issue 04 • 2014

• Date of publication Sep 22, 2014 Category: Conference Review

  Communicating Science for social inclusion and political engagement: reflections on the PCST Conference, Brazil 2014

  by Astrid Treffry-Goatley

  The 13th International Public Communication of Science and Technology Conference (PCST) conference offered a valuable opportunity for over 500 science communicators to congregate and network with the international community. While the sheer size of the event made fostering debate somewhat of a challenge, the pertinent theme of ‘science communication for social inclusion and political engagement’, inspired some thought-provoking talks. Certainly, it was an appropriate time for this topic to be explored in Brazil, a developing country with a national government actively working towards greater social inclusion and local scientific development.

  Volume 13 • Issue 03 • 2014

• Date of publication Sep 22, 2014 Category: Article

  Is it my responsibility or theirs? Risk communication about antibiotic resistance in the Swedish daily press

  by Gustav Bohlin , Gunnar E. Höst

  Antibiotic resistance is an increasing global threat involving many actors, including the general public. We present findings from a content analysis of the coverage of antibiotic resistance in the Swedish print media with respect to the risk communication factors cause, magnitude and countermeasures. The most commonly reported cause of development and spread of resistance was unnecessary prescription of antibiotics. Risk magnitudes were mostly reported qualitatively rather than using quantitative figures. Risk-reduction measures were analyzed using a framework that distinguishes between personal and societal efficacy. Measures at the societal level were more commonly reported compared to the individual level.

  Volume 13 • Issue 03 • 2014

• Date of publication Sep 22, 2014 Category: Article

  Slovenian social scientists’ understanding of public knowledge and participation in sustainable development: from deficit to mutual learning

  by Pika Zaloznik

  Public participation in decision-making has in the last decades become a common refrain in political and scientific discourse, yet it does not often truly come to fruition. The present study focuses on the underlying issue, that of the construction of the difference between scientific and public knowledge and its consequences. Through discourse analysis of scientific texts on sustainable development three distinct groups of Slovenian social scientists were discerned that differed in their views on the relationship between scientific and public knowledge and consequently the role and nature of public participation in decision-making processes. With a rise in participatory practices the preponderance of the deficit model found in this study remains problematic.

  Volume 13 • Issue 03 • 2014

• Date of publication Sep 22, 2014 Category: Article

  Science blogging: an exploratory study of motives, styles, and audience reactions

  by Merja Mahrt , Cornelius Puschmann

  This paper presents results from three studies on science blogging, the use of blogs for science communication. A survey addresses the views and motives of science bloggers, a first content analysis examines material published in science blogging platforms, while a second content analysis looks at reader responses to controversial issues covered in science blogs. Bloggers determine to a considerable degree which communicative function their blog can realize and how accessible it will be to non-experts Frequently readers are interested in adding their views to a post, a form of involvement which is in turn welcomed by the majority of bloggers.

  Volume 13 • Issue 03 • 2014

• Date of publication Sep 22, 2014 Category: Article

  War, anxiety, optimism and triumph: a study on science in the main Brazilian TV news

  by Yuri Castelfranchi , Luisa Massarani , Marina Ramalho

  We analysed the representations of science and of scientists at Jornal Nacional, the main Brazilian TV news. We carried out content and frames analysis, besides the lexical and semantic analysis of the transcriptions of the science and technology stories. Our results show a narrative that highlights the novelties and the epopee of the scientific advance, mainly in the health field. But to the emotional palette feelings of combat, anxiety and triumph were added. The face of the scientist presented by the TV news is mainly masculine, suggesting a stereotyped role of the male and female scientist: meanwhile men go out to literally explore other worlds, women take care of health and of the body.

  Volume 13 • Issue 03 • 2014

• Date of publication Sep 22, 2014 Category: Commentary

  Public communication from research institutes: is it science communication or public relations?

  by Rebecca B. Carver

  There is growing competition among publicly funded scientific institutes and universities to attract staff, students, funding and research partners. As a result, there has been increased emphasis on science communication activities in research institutes over the past decade. But are institutes communicating science simply for the sake of improving the institute’s image? In this set of commentaries we explore the relationship between science communication and public relations (PR) activities, in an attempt to clarify what research institutes are actually doing. The overall opinion of the authors is that science communication activities are almost always a form of PR. The press release is still the most popular science communication and PR tool. There is however disagreement over the usefulness of the press release and whether or not gaining public attention is actually good for science.

  Press releases — the new trend in science communication

  by Charlotte Autzen

  Research institutions: neither doing science communication nor promoting ‘public’ relations

  by Michel Claessens

  The changing rationale of science communication: a challenge to scientific autonomy

  by Frank Marcinkowski and Matthias Kohring

  Public relations as science communication

  by Matt Shipman

  Volume 13 • Issue 03 • 2014

• Date of publication Sep 22, 2014 Category: Commentary

  Press releases — the new trend in science communication

  by Charlotte Autzen

  Scientific institutions have for a long time known the importance of framing and owning stories about science They also know the effective way of communicating science in a press release This is part of the institution’s public relations. Enhanced competition among research institutions has led to a buildup of communicative competences and professionalization of public relations inside the institutions and the press release has become an integrated part of science communication from these institutions. Changing working conditions in the media, where fewer people have to publish more, have made press releases from trustworthy scientific institutions into free and easily copied content for the editors. In this commentary I investigate and discuss the communicative ecosystem of the university press release. I especially take a close look at the role of the critical and independent science journalist in relation to this corporate controlled communication

  Volume 13 • Issue 03 • 2014