Communicating European science.ppt

7/27/2019 Communicating European science.ppt

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Ricerca scientifica europea

e comunicazione:

linformazione online diAlphaGalileo

Paola Catenaccio

Universit degli Studi di Milano


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Science and society

From Mode 1, characterised by the hegemony oftheoretical, or, at any rate experimental science; byan internally driven taxonomy of disciplines; and bythe autonomy of scientists and their institutions, theuniversities

To Mode 2, socially distributed, application-oriented, trans-disciplinary, and subject to multipleaccountabilities

(Notwotny, Scott & Gibbons 2003: 179)


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The dominant mode of knowledge production in thecontemporary world is the closely contextualizedproduction of scientific knowledge in society(Gibbons at al. 1994; Notwotny / Scott / Gibbons2001)

Key issues: Steering of research priorities

Commercialisation of research

Accountability of science

Notwotny / Scott / Gibbons 2003: 181)


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Interdependence of science and society also

recognised by policy makers:

Science influences policy

Policy influences science (funding, legislation

encouraging or hampering research in certain

fields)


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Science communication

It involves the dissemination of scientific informationto the wider public. adaptation of scientific content to fit the intended

audiences capabilities

exercise in media relations Literature on the topic abounds

(cf. Bucchi 1998, Scanlon et al. 1999, Stocklmayer 2001,Calsamiglia / Ferrero 2003, Gotti 2003; Garzone 2006Lievrow / Carley 1990; Nelkin 1995; Gregory et al. 1998;

Friedman et al.1999; Allan 2002; Lindberg Christensen2007)

Cf. also Carrada 2006. Communicating Science. Ascientists survival kit, European Commission


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European Commissions Science

and Soc iety Act ion Plan(2002)

The aim of the Action Plan is

to support the strategic goal set by theEuropean Union in Lisbon: to become, by

2010, the most competitive and dynamic

knowledge-based economy in the world,

capable of sustainable growth with more andbetter jobs and greater social cohesion.


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Strategy based on three main

points

1. promoting scientific and education culture in

Europe;

2.

bringing science closer to citizens; and3. putting responsible science at the heart of

policy making.


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The first step: creation of a study groupcomprising journalists and representatives ofthe press in order to examine the best way of

ensuring efficient dissemination of scientificinformation at European level

AlphaGalileo (www.alphagalileo.org) ideal observatory for the exploration of science

communication strategies targeted at both thejournalist community and the general public
http://www.alphagalileo.org/http://www.alphagalileo.org/


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Aim

Investigate the Science section of the

AlphaGalileo website

reconnaisance of the information and materials

analysis of webpage organisation (envisaged

readership etc.)

focus on 63 press releases from the Sciencesection


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Method

1. selected research on multimodality (Kress / van

Leeuwen 2006) and on its impact on corporate and

institutional communication (cf. Garzone / Poncini /

Catenaccio 2007);

2. previous genre-based work on press releases

(especially Jacobs 1999; McLaren / Guru 2005;

Catenaccio 2006; Pander Maat 2007), withadditional insights gained from quantitative data

obtained through Wordsmiths Tools 4.0.


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AlphaGalileo

the worlds leading resource for European

research news

www.alphagalileo.org
http://www.alphagalileo.org/http://www.alphagalileo.org/


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Science press releases (ex.3)

Dominant textual genre for communicating to

the media

Studied in terms of typical textual features

(Jacobs 1999; McLaren / Guru 2005;

Catenaccio 2006)

Investigations into press release writing as a

professional practice (Sleurs, Jacobs, vanWaes 2003; Sleurs and Jacobs 2005)


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Most previous research has focused oncorporate press releases

Do science press release differ fromcorporate press releases, and if so, in whatway?

And what does this imply for the pressrelease as a genre?


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Preliminary considerations

European Commissions recommendations

for science communication

Carradas Communicating Science

Insistence on the need for bidirectionality in

science communication

Importance of building consensus

Use of principles from classical rhetoric


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Example 4:

Exordium Narratio

Confirmatio

Refutatio Peroratio

1 Press / News release caption (frame)


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1. Press / News release caption (frame)

2. Headline

3. [Summary of main points]

4. [For immediate release formula]

5. Lead: Announcing newsworthy information

Launch ing a new prod uct /serv ice Annou ncing resul ts and other company- internal informat ion

Descr ib ing other types of company act iv i ty

6. Justifying the product or service or simply the newsworthinessof the information

Ind icat ing the need for the prod uc t/service etc.

Referr ing to the advantages fo r po tent ial benef ic iar ies Qual ify ing the resul t as posi t ive

7. Detailing product/service/company/other event which is theobject of the release

8. Explicit promotional component: attributed to company official,standard user

Emph asis ing posi t ive resul ts Indicat ing rel iabi l i ty of company/prod uct

Independent ly endors ing company resul ts

Independent expert op inion

9. Boilerplate description(s) / establishing credentials

10. Contact details

11. Company logo


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1. Press / News release caption (frame)

2. Headline

3. [Summary of main points]

4. [For immediate release formula]

5. Lead: Announcing newsworthy information Annou ncing a grou ndb reaking discov ery/appl ication

Annou ncing inst i tut ional act iv i t ies (pol icy-related)

Descr ib ing b est pract ices (but also r isk behaviour etc.)

6. Justifying the newsworthiness of the information

Ind icat ing its relevance to soc ial issu es. Referr ing to the advantages fo r po tent ial benef ic iar ies

7. Detailing the event/discovery which is the object of the release

8. Additional persuasive component: attributed to scientist

(occasionally policy maker)

Emph asis ing po tent ia l for future appl icat ions

Descr ib ing the l ikely s ocia l impact of th e discovery

Warning of potent ial r isks etc.

Boilerplate description(s) / establishing credentials

Contact details

Company logo


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Examples 7, 8, 9


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Further considerations

Pseudoquotes occur at several points (no set position)


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There appears to be a fairly consistent use of

certain lexical items to introduce scientific

discoveries: new, followed by important

Frequent use of modalisation (in line with

previous studies of hedging in scientific

discourse)


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Final remarks

While corporate press releases appear to be

widening their participation framework,

science press releases (and the AlphaGalileo

website in particular) appear to insist ongatekeeping;

the promotional aim of corporate press

releases is replaced, in the science pressreleases analysed, by consensus-building

strategies;


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The kind of evaluative language used in science

press releases appears to differ from that used in

corporate press releases (more corpus-based

studies needed) Difficulty to codify the structure of the press release:

Deconstruction of the genre?

all discourses concurrently at play [in hybrid genres] at

one and the same time (Candlin 2006) Shift from textually codified purpose to situation-bound

dynamic intentionality importance of contextual aspects

Communicating European science.ppt

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