New media technologies, changing media consumption behavior, and a shifting economy are impacting efforts to improve science literacy in the United States. The key to creating successful science content in this environment is understanding the nature of technology and the inter-relationship between technology, behavior, and economy. This conference pulls together media professionals, researchers, technology experts, and visionaries—all interested in the quest to improve science literacy—for two days of information and perspective sharing. These interactions will result in a better understanding of how new pathways can be created between research and media communities to facilitate improved science communication to the public.
Conference Goals
• Shed light on new media technologies that are now being used to communicate science, such as virtual worlds, social media, gaming, smartphones, interactive pads, etc. and their impact on the science communication landscape.
• Provide a forum for scientists and media makers to meet and learn from one another about the changing landscapes of their respective disciplines.
• Introduce researchers and media to the views of experts in science literacy as well as visionaries who can paint a picture of the future communications landscape.
• Facilitate an understanding among scientists of the platforms and formats (story-telling, narrative, image-driven, character-driven, etc.) media makers currently use, the financial structure of production and distribution, and other factors that influence content, particularly in a weak economy.
• Explore how new media is impacting the financial model and production model of legacy media.
• Facilitate an understanding among media makers of scientific goals regarding the dissemination of content and public outreach and explore how new media can contribute to these goals.
• Discuss content curation strategies, preservation and access strategies, and shared intellectual property strategies.
• Gauge an understanding of and interest in new media and trans-media engagement and begin to produce more specific data on ways these collaborations are facilitated and hampered.
• Provide media professionals with an understanding of the value of evaluation and impact studies.
ROUND TABLE SESSIONS INCLUDE
The search for informed media consumers
The status of science literacy in the U.S. depends not only on the quality of the content and the modes of delivery of information, but also on the ability of consumers to think critically about the content they are consuming. Science media must be contextualized in the broader landscape of emerging theories of popular culture, new media studies, and trends in American film and media consumption.
Discussion points:
• How is technology impacting informal science learning and which technologies are having the most impact?
• Do audiences perceive media as a trusted source of science information?
• What data are available to evaluate how media sources that disseminate science content rate as trusted sources of science information?
• What can media organizations, governments, and educators do to help erase the digital divide when it come to accessing STEM content?
• How are words such as discovery, theory, and belief used to portray science in popular culture?
• Why are words such as extreme, bizarre, and weird dominating the titling of science media?
• Is there a role for edu-tainment in improving science literacy?
New technology and the communications landscape
New technology is having a dramatic impact on how people receive information which, in turn, is determining how audiences learn about science. What will be the impact of mobile apps and social gaming? Visionary glimpses into the future of technology can provide critical information for those interested in creating high-quality, potentially evergreen science content. What is coming that we’ve heard little about?
Discussion points:
• What new technologies are on the horizon that will impact media and researchers?
• What are prevalent business models for creating and distributing science media content?
• How are scientists using new media technologies to address science literacy?
• How are new technologies changing the landscape of communication between researchers, media professionals, “informal” content producers, and consumers?
• How are science content owners responding to challenges of migrating content to diverse technological platforms?
The future of science reporting
National Science Board (2010) statistics show that American adults get most of their general knowledge of science and technology from television and most of their information on specific scientific issues from the internet. The role of science journalists is changing in response to this new reality. Science reporters may no longer be news-breakers, but will provide editorial oversight and contextualize multiple news threads instead.
Discussion points:
• Which science topics dominate television news and internet searches?
• What are funding models for internet science reporting?
• Are scientists their own best reporters?
• What data are available to evaluate the relationship between research published in flagship journals (such as PNAS, Science, or Nature) and public awareness of a specific scientific issue?
Scientists, media makers, and the story
Partnerships between researchers and media professionals can be productive if they agree on how to create comprehensible and informative content. This requires that collaborating parties engage in discussions about points of reference, experience, and professional goals. Researchers and media professionals can also maximize public impact by planning new media and trans-media approaches together in advance of projects rather than as afterthoughts.
Discussion points:
• How do media makers and scientists define “reaching the public”?
• What makes a good science story?
• Where do media makers look for interesting stories?
• What sectors of science are regularly reported, less reported, or under-reported?
• How can effective new media and trans-media approaches to projects be planned as stories emerge?
Content curation: buzzword or a boon to science literacy?
New technologies can science media into evergreen assets, allow scientists and journalists a chance to remain engaged with content, and facilitate creating derivatives for incorporation in informal and formal education contexts. Creating digital repositories that host content and contain basic information about intellectual property issues, format, etc. is important; however, many media organizations that acquire content from independent producers are unclear on how digital curation can provide a return on an investment or how to interact with third parties, such as educators, journalists, and academics able to act as curators.
Discussion points:
• What are the benefits of content curation in the new science communication landscape?
• What are some successful models currently being used for multi-media content curation?
• What are the technological issues with effective content curation today and how could technologies on the horizon influence content curation?
• How do media organizations, academia, government, and others currently approach legal issues regarding the ownership and re-use of IP assets?
Visualizing science for science literacy
Most scientific data is obtuse and, in raw form, difficult to understand. From space imagery to ancient civilizations, artists are irreplaceable companions for scientists interested in communicating their ideas to the public. How is technology and the changing media landscape impacting this form of communication?
Discussion points:
• What are some examples of effective new media and trans-media use of science visualizations?
• How can we evaluate the impact of art or visualizations on public comprehension of particular science topics?
• Who can afford accuracy in science art and does it pay for artists to specialize in producing scientific artwork?
• Should the cost of producing science artwork be included in research budgets?
• What are common IP rights issues researchers, artists, and media companies face?
New technologies and trans-media communication
A recent Nielsen report comparing consumption of video on television, the internet, and mobile devices shows that Americans are watching more television than ever (an average of almost 170 hours a month), but those who stream video through the internet watch less television and non-adults (ages 12-17) spend a significant amount of time watching video on mobile devices. These finds argue for creating media initiatives that are simultaneously developed on multiple platforms. Such undertakings require extensive planning and co-ordination at the pre-production stage.
Discussion points:
• How is trans-media coordination possible in a media landscape of specialized personnel who work on a project-by-project basis in different media and for different media outlets?
• Are there models that blend for-profit and educational goals in content creation?
• How is content creation being funded on new technology platforms?
• Can scientists play a role in fostering better communication across different platforms while enhancing the broader impact of their work?
• How can scientists and media professionals work together to create and integrate evaluation and impact studies into projects?
For more information contact:
Christina Elson
christina.elson@sciencevisualization.com
