scholarly journals Strategic Science Communication: The “Flatten the Curve” Metaphor in COVID-19 Public Risk Messaging

2021 ◽  
pp. 175-211
Author(s):  
Teresa Ruão ◽  
Sónia Silva
Keyword(s):  
Science Communication ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Strategic Communication ◽  
Strategic Decisions ◽  
Complex Information ◽  
Communication Device ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
Public Risk ◽  
Communication Campaigns ◽  
Communication Approach

This chapter discusses the emergence of the “flatten the curve” metaphor in the context of COVID-19 science communication strategies and its role in public messaging efforts that sought to inform world populations and mitigate the effects of the pandemic. Faced with the unexpected arrival and spread of the new coronavirus, governments worldwide have responded with mitigation policies to contain the dissemination of the disease. Prevention behaviours, such as washing hands frequently and maintaining social distancing, were thoroughly communicated to the public. However, despite the quality of the communication campaigns implemented, it is always hard to change people’s perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours, even more so in the short term, as is required in a global health crisis. In pandemics, the literature on risk and crisis communication suggests that messages sent by authorities should enable the understanding of complex information, avoid misinformation, and promote the adoption of adequate behaviours. This assertion presumes that, ideally, communication campaigns follow a set of strategic decisions on target audiences, communication objectives, key messages, adequate channels and message format. Although the emergence of the “flatten of the curve” metaphor did not follow a classical strategic approach, it seems to have incorporated a set of valuable communicational principles that explain why it has become the defining message of about COVID-19. This well-known chart grew into a science strategic communication device, conveying complex scientific information in an engaging but also clear way to the general public. It is, therefore, a good example to advogate for a strategic science communication approach.

The risk associated with strategic decisions: is it a marketing issue?

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-8
Author(s):  
Davide Settembre-Blundo ◽  
Alfonso Pedro Fernández del Hoyo ◽  
Fernando Enrique García-Muiña
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Strategic Decisions ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marketing Function ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
Management Perspective

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the strategic management of risks in companies from a marketing management perspective and to provide some guidance for management practice. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents the authors’ viewpoint, and it conceptualizes a new approach to risk management. Findings The conceptual discussion has opened up a possible new way for enterprises, especially SMEs, to start taking a strategic approach to risk. Originality/value This paper would like to contribute to the current debate on the role of marketing function in managerial practice beyond the classic four Ps.

Narrative Misdirection? UK Strategic Communication for Afghanistan and Beyond

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-392
Author(s):  
Thomas W. Cawkwell
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
National Security ◽  
Strategic Communication ◽  
The United States ◽  
Security Issue ◽  
Counter Terrorism ◽  
Defence Policy ◽  
The World ◽  
Communication Approach ◽  
The Uk

Britain’s war in Afghanistan – specifically its latter stages, where the UK’s role and casualties sustained in the conflict rose dramatically – coincided with the institutional emergence of Ministry of Defence-led ‘Strategic Communication’. This article examines the circumstances through which domestic strategic communication developed within the UK state and the manner in which the ‘narratives’ supporting Britain’s role in Afghanistan were altered, streamlined and ‘securitised’. I argue that securitising the Afghanistan narrative was undertaken with the intention of misdirecting an increasingly sceptical UK public from the failure of certain aspects of UK counter-insurgency strategy – specifically its counter-narcotics and stabilisation efforts – by focusing on counter-terrorism, and of avoiding difficult questions about the UK’s transnational foreign and defence policy outlook vis-à-vis the United States by asserting that Afghanistan was primarily a ‘national security’ issue. I conclude this article by arguing that the UK’s domestic strategic communication approach of emphasising ‘national security interests’ may have created the conditions for institutionalised confusion by reinforcing a narrow, self-interested narrative of Britain’s role in the world that runs counter to its ongoing, ‘transnationalised’ commitments to collective security through the United States and NATO.

scholarly journals Why Should Scientists be on YouTube? It’s all About Bamboo, Oil and Ice Cream

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric B. Brennan
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Visual Communication ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Ice Cream ◽  
Communication Tools ◽  
The Public ◽  
Communications Skills ◽  
Do It Yourself ◽  
Diverse Groups

Scientific information is a key ingredient needed to tackle global challenges like climate change, but to do this it must be communicated in ways that are accessible to diverse groups, and that go beyond traditional methods (peer-reviewed publications). For decades there have been calls for scientists to improve their communication skills—with each other and the public—but, this problem persists. During this time there have been astonishing changes in the visual communication tools available to scientists. I see video as the next step in this evolution. In this paper I highlight three major changes in the visual communication tools over the past 100 years, and use three memorable items—bamboo, oil and ice cream—and analogies and metaphors to explain why and how Do-it-Yourself (DIY) videos made by scientists, and shared on YouTube, can radically improve science communication and engagement. I also address practical questions for scientists to consider as they learn to make videos, and organize and manage them on YouTube. DIY videos are not a silver bullet that will automatically improve science communication, but they can help scientists to 1) reflect on and improve their communications skills, 2) tell stories about their research with interesting visuals that augment their peer-reviewed papers, 3) efficiently connect with and inspire broad audiences including future scientists, 4) increase scientific literacy, and 5) reduce misinformation. Becoming a scientist videographer or scientist DIY YouTuber can be an enjoyable, creative, worthwhile and fulfilling activity that can enhance many aspects of a scientist’s career.

scholarly journals Credibility of Scientific Information on Social Media: Variation by Platform and Presence of Formal Credibility Cues

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara Boothby ◽  
Dakota Murray ◽  
Anna Polovick Waggy ◽  
Andrew Tsou ◽  
Cassidy R. Sugimoto
Keyword(s):  
Science Communication ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Scientific Article ◽  
Perceived Credibility ◽  
Online Platforms ◽  
Similar Information ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Amazon's Mechanical Turk ◽  
Science Information

Responding to calls to take a more active role in communicating their research findings, scientists are increasingly using open online platforms, such as Twitter, to engage in science communication or to publicize their work. Given the ease at which misinformation spreads on these platforms it is important for scientists to present their findings in a manner that appears credible. To examine the extent to which the online presentation of science information relates to its perceived credibility, we designed and conducted two surveys on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. In the first survey, participants rated the credibility of science information on Twitter compared with the same information other platforms, and in the second, participants rated the credibility of tweets with modified characteristics: presence of an image, text sentiment, and the number of likes/retweets. We find that similar information about scientific findings is perceived as less credible when presented on Twitter compared to other platforms, and that perceived credibility increases when presented with recognizable features of a scientific article. On a platform as widely distrusted as Twitter, use of these features may allow researchers who regularly use Twitter for research-related networking and communication to present their findings in the most credible formats.

scholarly journals THE USE AND INFLUENCE OF SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY MAKING: LESSONS LEARNED FROM NOVA SCOTIA

2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzuette S. Soomai
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Environmental Policy ◽  
Science Policy ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Coastal Policy ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
Science Policy Interface

Governmental organisations produce vast quantities of scientific information on the state of the marine and coastal environment which is often intended to guide policy-making to mitigate or reverse the declining trends in the health of the environment. How scientific information is used and how it influences environmental policy and decision making are however not well understood. The apparent disconnect between the knowledge and information produced by scientists and that used by policy makers is attributed to problems at the science-policy interface. Based on a multi-disciplinary literature review, this paper describes how policy makersseek out and use scientific information within the context of policy design in the 21st century. Best practices for increasing information flows across the science-policy interface are drawn from a study of the awareness, use, and influence of The 2009 State of the Nova Scotia Coast Report in coastal policy making in Nova Scotia.Strategic or rational approaches to policy making can increase the two-way flow of information across the science-policy interface as it facilitates collaboration among multiple actors in information generation, transmis-sion, and use. The production, use, and influence of The 2009 State ofNova Scotia's Coast Report in coastal policy making in Nova Scotia demonstrates the strategic approach to policy making whereby coastal policy is being developed through (i) intergovernmental partnerships, (ii) the use of best available information, (iii) linkages between the policy process and policy output, and (iv) public participation.

scholarly journals A Relational Identity-Based Solution to Group Polarization: Can Priming Parental Identity Reduce the Partisan Gap in Attitudes Toward the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 687-718
Author(s):  
Chen Zeng
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Strategic Communication ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Communication Research ◽  
Relational Identity ◽  
Partisan Polarization ◽  
Identity Based ◽  
Parental Identity ◽  
Beliefs And Attitudes

This study explores the influence of both group identity (e.g., partisan identity) and relational identity (e.g., parental identity) on beliefs and attitudes toward the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Results from a between-subject randomized survey experiment suggest that partisans are motivated to process factual information about COVID-19 through a partisan lens. However, priming parental identity can reduce partisan polarization over risk perceptions, policy support, and precautious behaviors. These findings demonstrate the need to incorporate relational identity into identity-based science communication research and offer a relational identity-based strategic communication solution to partisan gaps in responses to COVID-19.

A Recap

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Hilgard ◽  
Nan Li
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
The Public ◽  
Science Of Science ◽  
Cultural Implications ◽  
Science Media

This synthesis chapter recapitulates the major themes of Part I. The chapter proposes that science communication is challenging because science is complex, because humans interpret evidence in biased ways, and because the science–media landscape is shifting. Consequently, the mere supply of scientific information alone is not likely to guide audiences to science-consistent beliefs. Instead, science communicators must learn to navigate both the cultural implications of their work and the heuristics audiences use when deciding whom to trust. Consideration must be given to scientific knowledge and the audience’s values alike. A science of science communication provides an understanding of these multiple considerations and promotes effective dialogue between scientists and the public.

scholarly journals Communicating Science through Comics: A Method

Publications ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Friesen ◽  
John Van Stan ◽  
Skander Elleuche
Keyword(s):  
General Public ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Scientific Publication ◽  
Plain Language ◽  
Flexible Framework ◽  
Scientific Results

Scientists are trained to tell stories, scientific stories. Training is also needed to comprehend and contextualize these highly nuanced and technical stories because they are designed to explicitly convey scientific results, delineate their limitations, and describe a reproducible “plot” so that any thorough reenactment can achieve a similar conclusion. Although a carefully constructed scientific story may be crystal clear to other scientists in the same discipline, they are often inaccessible to broader audiences. This is problematic as scientists are increasingly expected to communicate their work to broader audiences that range from specialists in other disciplines to the general public. In fact, science communication is of increasing importance to acquire funding and generate effective outreach, as well as introduce, and sometimes even justify, research to society. This paper suggests a simple and flexible framework to translate a complex scientific publication into a broadly-accessible comic format. Examples are given for embedding scientific details into an easy-to-understand storyline. A background story is developed and panels are generated that convey scientific information via plain language coupled with recurring comic elements to maximize comprehension and memorability. This methodology is an attempt to alleviate the inherent limitations of interdisciplinary and public comprehension that result from standard scientific publication and dissemination practices. We also hope that this methodology will help colleagues enter into the field of science comics.

When Scientists Tweet for Social Changes: Dialogic Communication and Collective Mobilization Strategies by Flint Water Study Scientists on Twitter

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mi Rosie Jahng ◽  
Namyeon Lee
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Virginia Tech ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
Collective Actions ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Dialogic Communication ◽  
The Public ◽  
Study Team

Guided by the literature in social media and science activism, this exploratory study examined how scientists from Virginia Tech, known as the Flint Water Study team, utilized Twitter to communicate and mobilize the public in response to the contamination of water with lead in Flint, Michigan. Results from the content analysis indicated that the scientists utilized Twitter mainly to provide scientific information to the public and that public education was their main advocacy tactic. This study offers insights into how this particular group of science activists utilized social media for collective actions and suggests future directions for science communication on social media.

Engaging Audiences - new tools and innovative methods for polar education, engagement and communication

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inga Beck ◽  
Sophie Weeks ◽  
Pia Cassarini ◽  
Julia Dooley ◽  
Betsy Wilkening ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
International Workshop ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Research Process ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Collaborative Group ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Polar Science ◽  
Education And Outreach

<p>PEI is the leading international professional network for polar educators and scientists, formed in 2012 as an outcome of the Education and Outreach activities of the IPY, connecting polar education, research and the global community.  The organisation encourages collaboration, networking and dialogue between teachers and researchers developing science communication and engagement tools and methodologies, integrating and evaluating learning and engagement at all stages of the research process. Three opportunities to be involved in this work are highlighted.   </p><p>  </p><p>International Collaboration</p><p>PEI, collaborating with IASC, SCAR and APECS is working with researchers and polar educators to review and update Polar Science and Global Change - An International Resource for Education and Outreach (IPY2010), a comprehensive book of teaching and communication resources including scientific information, research material, methods and hands-on activities to bring polar research into classrooms and the community. The updated online version will provide existing and new resources, in multiple languages, downloadable as chapters and activities including: </p><p>Current science and future research questions</p><p>Emerging topics - 3rd pole, remote sensing and microplastics</p><p>Activities/Labs for teaching polar science</p><p>Communication techniques for different audiences</p><p>Public outreach initiatives</p><p>Capacity building and careers</p><p>Indigenous knowledge</p><p>Opportunities are available to join the collaborative group of educators and scientists to evaluate the existing resource and contribute to developing a new online resource.</p><p> </p><p>Professional Networking in Bits and Bytes</p><p>PEI members have been connecting, collaborating, and creating in an online environment since 2012. PEI members also get together at the PEI biennial international workshop to share and evaluate current polar education, outreach and science communication initiatives with international peers and experts. In preparation for the 2022 PEI Iceland workshop, members will present a programme of online professional development experiences for polar educators, science communicators and community members beginning in Spring 2021, highlighting strengths and challenges of engaging audiences . These will be shared freely and evaluated through discussion. </p><p> </p><p>Global Dialogue</p><p>PEI welcomes participation in a global cafe, connecting interdisciplinary and diverse communities, encouraging ongoing dialogue about effective polar education and action.</p><p>There are many networks and partnerships who engage in polar education, science communication, community learning and research but there are few opportunities to collect together this experience and expertise on a global scale. The first global conversation - Connecting Education, Indigenous Knowledge & Arctic Research, will contribute material for a report to the Arctic Science Ministerial. It Aims to connect dialogues about polar education and outreach, particularly concerning the Arctic, which is changing faster than any other environment on the planet.This is a unique opportunity for science, education and community partners with an interest in the Arctic to weave networks, lead dialogue and participate in a global conversation.</p>

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