‘Science communication’ or the public engagement with scientific and scholarly work has long been a subject of investigation for researchers in media studies. Similar to contemporary communication studies and the social studies of sciences, scholars in media studies have highlighted the co-creation of scientific and scholarly knowledge by scientists and non-scientists. Compared to other academic traditions, media studies have particularly focused on the mediality, materiality and technicity of artefacts in science communication. For example, scholars have highlighted the crucial relevance of images for the popularization and mediation of scientific issues and investigated the social networks and online debates around science-related topics. We think that media scholars may also be valuable mediators and translators of knowledge themselves and should make their perspectives heard in settings such as interdisciplinary collaboration, at the interface between research and society, media studies and journalism, science and the arts, or science and policy.
The SIG aims to:
- collect related literature and initiatives from the community of media researchers;
- think about media studies perspectives on science communication approaches emanating from other disciplines such as communication studies and Science & Technology Studies. What may be promising roles of media scholars in science communication endeavors?
- provide visibility for media researchers who would like to science communication initiatives, projects and publications; e.g. as consultants or associated researchers.
If you are interested to join our discussions and activities in this field please feel free to contact the SIG members:
Simon David Hirsbrunner, Anna Luise Kiss, Jeroen Sondervan (see contacts)