Engaging in Public Conversations by Sem Barendse

As a scientist, one of your responsibilities is to report your findings and communicate them to your desired audience. This is often done through scientific articles published in journals. However, sharing your science with a non-scientific community can be challenging. It requires simplifying your findings, omitting important nuances, and negotiating your position as an expert, which may risk engaging in "false balance" conversations.

The workshop provided valuable tools to address these dilemmas. Initially, we explored various roles of a science communicator. Are you inclined to be a "fact-maker," solely reporting new studies, or would you consider participating in talk shows, podcasts, and engaging in public debates? Subsequently, we identified crucial factors, including uncertainty, values, emotions, framing, and more, essential for delivering your message effectively. Finally, the workshop concluded with a discussion on current opportunities for becoming a science communicator, highlighting the VU's significant efforts in acknowledging science communicators and education.