HESS Opinions
Science in today's media landscape - Challenges and lessons from hydrologists and journalists
Stefanie R. Lutz (UZF - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research)
Andrea Popp (ETH Zürich)
Tim Van Emmerik (TU Delft - Water Resources, TU Delft - Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions)
Tom Gleeson (University of Victoria)
Liz Kalaugher (Environmentalresearchweb)
Karsten Möbius (Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk)
Tonie Mudde (De Volkskrant)
Brett Walton (Circle of Blue)
Rolf Hut (TU Delft - Water Resources)
Hubert Savenije (TU Delft - Water Resources)
Louise J. Slater (Loughborough University)
Anna Solcerova (TU Delft - Water Resources)
Cathelijne R. Stoof (Wageningen University & Research)
Matthias Zink (European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts, UZF - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research)
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Abstract
Media such as television, newspapers and social media play a key role in the communication between scientists and the general public. Communicating your science via the media can be positive and rewarding by providing the inherent joy of sharing your knowledge with a broader audience, promoting science as a fundamental part of culture and society, impacting decision- and policy-makers, and giving you a greater recognition by institutions, colleagues and funders. However, the interaction between scientists and journalists is not always straightforward. For instance, scientists may not always be able to translate their work into a compelling story, and journalists may sometimes misinterpret scientific output. In this paper, we present insights from hydrologists and journalists discussing the advantages and benefits as well as the potential pitfalls and aftermath of science-media interaction. As we perceive interacting with the media as a rewarding and essential part of our work, we aim to encourage scientists to participate in the diverse and evolving media landscape. With this paper, we call on the scientific community to support scientists who actively contribute to a fruitful science-media relationship..
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