Jeremy J. Miller, John W. Geissman Department of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Dallas 10:45 am – 11:00 am, Wednesday, 12 October 2011 T206. STEMming.

Jeremy J. Miller,

John W. Geissman

Department of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Dallas

10:45 am – 11:00 am, Wednesday, 12 October 2011

T206. STEMming the Tide: How Can We Promote Science Literacy?

2011 GSA Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, MN, USA

Solution:Scientists must utilize the power of the Media to inform citizens of real scientific issues and consensus so that policymakers are not torn between competing drivers.

The Human race is a Geologic force that affects the Earth System. The species is a master manipulator of its Environment. Humans thrived in the Pleistocene, through the Holocene, and define the Anthropocene. We and our leaders must choose the best policies to ensure the survival of Humankind. This requires stewardship and the vigorous pursuit of Science.

1. Policymakers must rely on credible expert advice when taking positions.2. In our democracy, they also must rely on their constituency when taking positions.

Situation Report:

Montreal Protocol

• Great example of when collective action goes right.

Kyoto Protocol

• Great example of collective action breakdown.

Geoengineering

• Possibly our last hope of saving the planet for ourselves, but only if the public knows that there is a problem and that we are causing it.

Space Exploration

• Absolutely necessary in the 21st century.

• Inspires young scientists

• Opens up unexplored opportunities

• Technological advances that come from space endeavors

Carbon Neutrality

• Only possible if the public is familiar with the situation

Mineral exploration and extraction

• If you can’t grow it, you have to mine it.

• Public needs to know about the effects of mining and the finite nature of these resources.

Some Current Issues

Intermediary

“No adequate model available to picture the relationships between scientific expertise, public policy-making, and the public.”

1st Function of Media

Decisionist Model:•Ignores two important connections.•Shows only one-way relationship between public and media.

Source: Edwards, Arthur. "Scientific expertise and policy-making: the intermediary role of the public sphere.“ Science and Public Policy (Beech Tree Publishing) 26, no. 3 (June 1999): 163-170.

Both Models:•Forget that government policies affect citizens.•Lump Discursive and Participatory Forums between Experts and Citizens into “Public Sphere” rather than where these arrangements belong.

Pragmatic Model:•Ignores the important connection between Scientists and Policy Makers.•Assumes a dualism between “Lifeworld” and “System”.

Forum for Diverse Views – This function has traditionally backfired on consensus scientific findings• Global Warming:

• Introduced to President Johnson with very little media coverage• 1990s: ramped up into media hit, but botched with “he said, she

said”• Then, no coverage until Kyoto Protocol

• Media ate it up. That’s what got people talking about Global Warming again.

• Intermediate subsequent “he said, she said” again.• Now, scientists are frustrated by news coverage and public

disinformation leading to policy discussions.• Not only for Earth Science issues, but for all sciences

• Does HIV lead to AIDS? Yes, but for a while, a fringe minority of dissenting scientists were given equal coverage in media compared to the vast majority of concurring scientists.

• Anti-vaccination advocates – Does vaccination help prevent infection? Of course, but just ask actress Jenny McCarthy.

2nd Function of Media

Watchdog role – The 4th Estate of government• Check on Legislature and Executive

• Agenda Setting: Media provides a medium for conveyance of issues that affect citizens, and includes them on the public, political agenda.

• Intermediary: Coordination between, technical, political, and societal actors.

3rd Function of Media

1) Hypodermic Effects – Citizens take everything as truth.

• Example: “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast in 1938• Example within an example: The Seduction of the

Innocent, Fredric Wertham, M.D., 1954• Claimed a hypodermic effect by comic books on youth.

• The claim itself was, in turn, a hypodermic effect on the public by a scientist using printed media.

How are citizens affected by the media?

How are citizens affected by the media?

Viewership

3) Subtle Effects – Media frames and sets agenda.• Media (Mis)framing – The following examples show misframing to

diminish the credibility of expert testimony and consultationExample source: Cassola, Robert. "All due respect to scientists and PhDs." Physics Today, September 2011: 8.

• “As a general rule, the media will always refer to a policeman as ‘officer,’ a physician as ‘doctor,’ a soldier as ‘major,’ a cook as ‘chef,’ and the individual in charge of an athletic team as ‘coach.’ The use of ‘Dr.’ for a PhD scientist violates the A.P. naming convention.”

• “Use Dr. only for physicians, dentists, members of the paramedical professions (osteopaths, optometrists, chiropractors, podiatrists etc.) and clergymen who hold earned or honorary doctorates.” – from The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on media law, 2002.

• Framing the value of science as a less worthy endeavor than other professions .

• “If we want more of our brightest and most talented youth to pursue careers in science, there must be an increase in the esteem with which science and scientists are regarded.”• Require that you be introduced as an expert and be addressed as “Dr.” during media interviews.

• “To demand less than [the same level of respect other professions receive] diminishes our science and demeans our profession.”

How are citizens affected by the media?

Data like this:

- Points to an anti-intellectual strand in American character.

- Suggests a major reason for science’s marginalized place in the political arena.

Intermediary

“No adequate model available to picture the relationships between scientific expertise, public policy-making, and the public.”

1st Function of Media

Decisionist Model:•Ignores two important connections.•Shows only one-way relationship between public and media.

Source: Edwards, Arthur. "Scientific expertise and policy-making: the intermediary role of the public sphere.“ Science and Public Policy (Beech Tree Publishing) 26, no. 3 (June 1999): 163-170.

Both Models:•Forget that government policies affect citizens.•Lump Discursive and Participatory Forums between Experts and Citizens into “Public Sphere” rather than where these arrangements belong.

Pragmatic Model:•Ignores the important connection between Scientists and Policy Makers.•Assumes a dualism between “Lifeworld” and “System”.

Potential of a

Participation Model

Potential of a

Participation ModelMedia on Citizenry:1.Hypodermic Effects2.Minimal Effects3.Subtle Effects

Citizenry on Media:•Viewership/Readership•Advertising

Potential of a

Participation ModelScience on Policy:1.Scientists on Congressional Staff2.Effects of Discoveries3.Identify Issues4.Provide Solutions/Advice5.Geo-CVD

Policy on Science:1.Funding2.Political Attention or Need

Potential of a

Participation ModelCitizenry on Policy:1.Voting2.ScienceDebate (via Scientific Expertise and Media)

Policy on Citizenry:•The citizens of a State live under the Laws of that State.

Potential of a

Participation Model

Media on Policy:1.Intermediary functions2.Agenda-Setting (via Citizenry)3.Watchdog Role (via Citizenry)

Policy on Media:1.Partisan Politics2.Minimal Effects

Potential of a

Participation Model

Science on Media:1.Intermediary role2.Commercial Mechanisms3.Provide Solutions/Advice

Media on Science:1.Societal Learning (via Citizenry)2.Forum for diverse views (balance of opinion)

Potential of a

Participation ModelCitizenry on Science:1.Credibility (via Media)2.Compel Familiarity of the Process as well as End Results

Science on Citizenry:1.Participatory Forums2.Societal Learning (via Media)3.Provide Solutions/Advice4.Inspire Youth

Influence of Scientists on Policy through the Channels of Media and Citizenry:the Intermediary path of ScienceDebate

Frame and set the Agenda for Scientific Debate. How?•Increase importance of PR in scientific institutions•“Bureau of Experts”•Need much more scholarly attention on this leg.

Our Agenda will reach the Public•3 Effects of Media on the Public•ScienceDebate as an Opportunity for Citizens and Candidates to explore National Scientific Priorities

Formal Democratic Control via the Electoral Process

ScienceDebate

Steady federal investments in Earth and space science R&D will:• Keep the U.S. competitive in the global marketplace• Provide for jobs and economic growth• Provide for robust energy resources• Help us sustain and maintain the environment• Help supply a skilled geosciences workforce.

20-21 September 2011Washington, DC

“A non-solution to making an over-weight aircraft flight-worthy is to remove an engine.” – Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited

“The immense problems facing the human race can only be solved by a scientifically literate society.”– GSA President Dr. John Geissman

“Our species needs, and deserves, a citizenry with minds wide awake and a basic understanding of how the world works.”– Dr. Carl Sagan