Being a More Strategic, Evidence-Based Science Communicator
Science communicators who want to have sustained impact need to think carefully about what they want to achieve from the time and money they devote to communication. Clearly describing scientific findings and telling engaging stories is rarely the end goal. Instead, science communicators almost always want to affect behavior, including the likelihood that people will trust science when faced with new challenges. Smart science communicators also create communication opportunities to improve their own thinking and behavior. In this talk, John will share and discuss his recent research on what a more strategic version of science communication might look like and what steps social science research suggests might help us get there.
Dr. Besley is the Ellis N. Brandt Chair of Public Relations at Michigan State. He studies public opinion about science and scientists’ opinions about the public. In recent years, he’s become especially interested in how to help science communicators think about their communication choices in more strategic and evidence-based ways.