Courtesy: Sneha Yadla
Communication…
Communication is a process of communicating perceived information in a form reachable to the intended audience. Mass communication gets the connotation of reaching to the larger audience, who are non-specialists and/or public. Journalism and mass communication have a wider role and responsibility in reaching out to the people and result in shaping public opinion and equally influencing the politicians and policymakers.
Communicating Science…
When it comes to Research and Development, communication darns a new dimension, as it must meet the challenge of reflecting the outcome of the research in the right context and to a diverse audience. Communication becomes of considerable importance when it comes to reaching out to people on new and emerging technologies. The public perception is an important factor for any new technology to succeed and have a role in society. By and large, people believe that developments in science and technology lead to providing answers and solutions to the problems being faced by the society.
Role of Science Communication…
There is no aspect of human life that is untouched by science and technology in some form or another. High technology products and services are no longer the luxuries of the rich. Although the public perceivess science as the provider of the solutions to enhance the quality of life, novel technologies are not always welcomed by the layperson and political fraternity (policy makers).
There is a need to focus on arriving at the methodologies of creating awareness among the public. This would enable absorbing the rapidly developing technologies and make informed decisions. The specialist would debate, argue and contemplate about the methods of applying newer technologies for faster and more meaningful applications. However, the discussions should be carried out to emphasize their implications to the user and society in a larger sense.
Such efforts should concentrate on…
- Studying various dimensions of risk perception regarding novel and emerging technologies
- Developing platforms for enhancing interaction between scientists and the public using conventional and nonconventional media of communication
- Outlining strategies based on science and technology communication to manage the public fear of hazards from novel technologies
- Develop a roadmap to strengthen not only the bridge between science and society using effective communication strategies, but also enable informed decision-making in a democratic environment
