Subject: [SciPol 513] Re: Scientists Must Improve Communication Tactics, Science Article Proclaims

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2007 08:21:04 -0400

This article applies to science writers, not scientists. Scientists publish in technical journals that the public does not read. What the public reads are science magazines like New Scientist written by science writers. The one exception, Scientific American, largely written by scientists with strong review by the Editors, already employs the suggested techniques.

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From: [email-masked]
To: [email-masked]
Sent: Thu, 5 Apr 2007 11:07 PM
Subject: [SciPol 505] Scientists Must Improve Communication Tactics, Science Article Proclaims

Scientists Must Improve Communication Tactics, Science Article
Proclaims
Apr 5 2007
Business Wire
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=15299721

Seed Washington Correspondent Chris Mooney and American University
professor and ScienceBlogs contributor Dr. Matthew Nisbet are co-
authors of a provocative new article in Science entitled "Framing
Science." The article suggests that as the 2008 election approaches,
scientists should adopt new communication techniques, rather than
merely seeking to "get the facts out there." In the April 6 issue of
Science, the official journal of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science (AAAS), the authors propose that as topics such
as global warming, evolution and embryonic stem cell research gain
considerable public attention and become enmeshed in political
controversy, scientists must learn to shape or "frame" knowledge on
these issues to make it personally relevant to diverse segments of the
public.

"In writing this article together, we argue that scientists shouldn't
exclusively blame politicians and journalists for gridlock on issues
like climate change," says Mooney. "Part of the problem is that
scientists carry with them the wrong assumptions about what makes for
effective communication."

The authors point out that when scientists discuss science-related
policy questions in technical language, many members of the public
tune it out. Moreover, even while continuing to employ traditional
modes of communication, scientists themselves have come under
increasing attack for being too atheistic, too self-interested and/or
too liberal. Scientists can improve their communication skills by
applying research on "framing" and other work in the social sciences.
As the article puts it, "Frames organize central ideas in a debate,
defining a controversy so that it will resonate with core values and
assumptions. Frames pare down complex issues by giving some aspects
greater emphasis than others. They allow citizens to rapidly identify
why an issue matters, who might be responsible and what should be
done."

"Our suggestions should not be confused with spin; rather, we are
advocating the conscious adoption of more effective (and thus, more
informative) communication techniques," said Dr. Nisbet. "Already,
influential sectors of the scientific community are beginning to
realize that new public engagement strategies are desperately
needed."

Mooney is a regular columnist for Seed, covering the intersection of
science and politics. His blog, "The Intersection" (http://
www.scienceblogs.com/intersection/), is a part of the ScienceBlogs
network, a Seed Media Group venture. He is the author of two books,
The Republican War on Science and the forthcoming Storm World:
Hurricanes, Politics, and the Battle Over Global Warming (Harcourt,
July 2007).

Dr. Nisbet contributes the "Framing Science" blog (http://
scienceblogs.com/framing-science/) to the ScienceBlogs network. He is
a professor in the School of Communication at American University. His
research focuses on the intersections between science, media and
politics, and he is the author or co-author of more than a dozen peer-
reviewed studies in the area.

Citation:

Nisbet, M.C. & Mooney, C. (2007). Framing Science. Science, 316, 5820,
56.

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