State Science and Technology Policy Advice Issues, Opportunities, and Challenges: Summary of a National Convocation (2008) / Chapter Skim
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5 Communicating Science and Technology Policy Advice Effectively
5 Communicating Science and Technology Policy Advice Effectively
Pages 43-52
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From page 43... ...
As Unger put it, they have a finger in the air testing the wind. Framing the Issues In a recent issue of Science, Matthew Nisbet, an assistant professor of communication at American University in Washington, DC, and writer Chris Mooney published an article that called for a reexamination of the way scientists and engineers communicate information to the public (Nisbet and Mooney, 2007)
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From page 44... ...
But if you sat down to watch TV at six o'clock in 2007, there are almost 300 different cable channels from which to select. If you lack a strong comfort for public affairs and science content, you can very easily pay attention only to ‘infotainment,' entertainment, or, in some cases, the ideologically or religiously preferred views of different channels." Given the failings of the popular science model, how can proponents of science reach the public while remaining true to the science?
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From page 45... ...
The book is about environmental conservation, but Wilson casts the book as a moral message delivered on a personal level to a Southern Baptist minister. "In the process he has introduced popular science about conservation to an audience of religious Americans who might not otherwise pay attention to that problem." Research has shown that particular frames recur in policy debates involving science and technology.
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From page 46... ...
However, the proponents of the proposition sometimes exceeded the bounds of currently available evidence, Nisbet pointed out. When John Edwards was campaigning in 2004 as the vice presidential nominee, he said that stem cell research would enable Christopher Reeve to get up out of his wheelchair and walk.
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From page 47... ...
"A useful project would be to put together resources and apply for grant money to try to target key states, and look across key states in terms of gathering comparative methods on public opinions, state poll reviews, and meaningful ways to inform a broader public debate and communication," Nisbet said. Effective framing also requires that there be "a lot of coordination and discipline in how you apply these messages," said Nisbet.
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From page 48... ...
"Scientists and scientific leaders should be visible as spokespeople at churches, and religious leaders should be invited to speak at universities and research institutions." Documentary films on issues involving science and technology can be excellent communication tools, as evidenced by the success of Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth. "Teaming with filmmakers or film producers to bring films and scenes to the local community -- and staging forums around these films -- is a very important way to not only inform people about science [but]
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From page 49... ...
"They don't pull their punches. They don't need decades of human or animal testing and often base what they're telling the public on the precautionary principle, which is better safe than sorry." In the United States, in contrast, policy makers and scientists usually assume that a particular environmental threat is innocent until proven guilty.
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From page 50... ...
I think that's very important because scientists often talk about the limitations of their research, which is important to get across. But you also have to talk about what you're certain about." A particularly effective tool for communicating scientific assurance is a consensus statement, Cone contended.
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From page 51... ...
They "rotate in and out and are comfortable there." Still, the print media have a disproportionate influence for elected officials because they can access it very quickly. Politicians and their staffs read the newspaper every day, said John McDonald, another member of the convocation's panel on communicating science as well as president and owner of the strategic communications company Stone's Throw.
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From page 52... ...
. The greatest asset you bring to the table is knowledge and expertise." Sharing this expertise in clear, concise, and compassionate terms requires work, money, and commitment.
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