Ricerca scientifica europea e comunicazione: linformazione online di AlphaGalileo

Paola Catenaccio Universit degli Studi di Milano

Science and society

From Mode 1, characterised by the hegemony of theoretical, or, at any rate experimental science; by an internally driven taxonomy of disciplines; and by the autonomy of scientists and their institutions, the universities

To Mode 2, socially distributed, applicationoriented, trans-disciplinary, and subject to multiple accountabilities

(Notwotny, Scott & Gibbons 2003: 179)

The dominant mode of knowledge production in the contemporary world is the closely contextualized production of scientific knowledge in society (Gibbons at al. 1994; Notwotny / Scott / Gibbons 2001)

Key issues:

Steering of research priorities Commercialisation of research Accountability of science

Notwotny / Scott / Gibbons 2003: 181)

Interdependence of science and society also recognised by policy makers:

Science influences policy Policy influences science (funding, legislation encouraging or hampering research in certain fields)

Science communication

It involves the dissemination of scientific information to the wider public.

adaptation of scientific content to fit the intended audiences capabilities exercise in media relations (cf. Bucchi 1998, Scanlon et al. 1999, Stocklmayer 2001, Calsamiglia / Ferrero 2003, Gotti 2003; Garzone 2006 Lievrow / Carley 1990; Nelkin 1995; Gregory et al. 1998; Friedman et al.1999; Allan 2002; Lindberg Christensen 2007)

Literature on the topic abounds

Cf. also Carrada 2006. Communicating Science. A scientists survival kit, European Commission

European Commissions Science and Society Action Plan (2002)

The aim of the Action Plan is to support the strategic goal set by the European Union in Lisbon: to become, by 2010, the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion.

Strategy based on three main points

1.

2. 3.

promoting scientific and education culture in Europe; bringing science closer to citizens; and putting responsible science at the heart of policy making.

The first step: creation of a study group comprising journalists and representatives of the press in order to examine the best way of ensuring efficient dissemination of scientific information at European level AlphaGalileo (www.alphagalileo.org)

ideal observatory for the exploration of science communication strategies targeted at both the journalist community and the general public

Aim

Investigate the Science section of the AlphaGalileo website

reconnaisance of the information and materials analysis of webpage organisation (envisaged readership etc.)

focus on 63 press releases from the Science section

Method
1.

selected research on multimodality (Kress / van Leeuwen 2006) and on its impact on corporate and institutional communication (cf. Garzone / Poncini / Catenaccio 2007); previous genre-based work on press releases (especially Jacobs 1999; McLaren / Guru 2005; Catenaccio 2006; Pander Maat 2007), with additional insights gained from quantitative data obtained through Wordsmiths Tools 4.0.

2.

AlphaGalileo

the worlds leading resource for European research news www.alphagalileo.org

1.

Participation framework (ex. 1)

ratified participants vs onlookers? credibility issue?

2.

Multimodal content (ex. 2)

Broadcast media Possibilty to select multimedia material only

Science press releases (ex.3)

Dominant textual genre for communicating to the media Studied in terms of typical textual features (Jacobs 1999; McLaren / Guru 2005; Catenaccio 2006) Investigations into press release writing as a professional practice (Sleurs, Jacobs, van Waes 2003; Sleurs and Jacobs 2005)

Most previous research has focused on corporate press releases Do science press release differ from corporate press releases, and if so, in what way? And what does this imply for the press release as a genre?

Preliminary considerations

European Commissions recommendations for science communication Carradas Communicating Science

Insistence on the need for bidirectionality in science communication Importance of building consensus Use of principles from classical rhetoric

Example 4: Exordium Narratio Confirmatio Refutatio Peroratio

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Press / News release caption (frame) Headline [Summary of main points] [For immediate release formula] Lead: Announcing newsworthy information
Launching a new product/service Announcing results and other company-internal information Describing other types of company activity

6.

Justifying the product or service or simply the newsworthiness of the information

Indicating the need for the product/service etc. Referring to the advantages for potential beneficiaries Qualifying the result as positive

7.
8.

Detailing product/service/company/other event which is the object of the release Explicit promotional component: attributed to company official, standard user
Emphasising positive results Indicating reliability of company/product Independently endorsing company results Independent expert opinion

9. 10. 11.

Boilerplate description(s) / establishing credentials Contact details Company logo

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Press / News release caption (frame) Headline [Summary of main points] [For immediate release formula] Lead: Announcing newsworthy information

Announcing a groundbreaking discovery/application Announcing institutional activities (policy-related) Describing best practices (but also risk behaviour etc.) Indicating its relevance to social issues. Referring to the advantages for potential beneficiaries

6.

Justifying the newsworthiness of the information

7.
8.

Detailing the event/discovery which is the object of the release Additional persuasive component: attributed to scientist (occasionally policy maker)

Emphasising potential for future applications Describing the likely social impact of the discovery Warning of potential risks etc.

Boilerplate description(s) / establishing credentials Contact details Company logo

Examples 7, 8, 9

Further considerations

Pseudoquotes occur at several points (no set position)

There appears to be a fairly consistent use of certain lexical items to introduce scientific discoveries: new, followed by important Frequent use of modalisation (in line with previous studies of hedging in scientific discourse)

Final remarks

While corporate press releases appear to be widening their participation framework, science press releases (and the AlphaGalileo website in particular) appear to insist on gatekeeping; the promotional aim of corporate press releases is replaced, in the science press releases analysed, by consensus-building strategies;

The kind of evaluative language used in science press releases appears to differ from that used in corporate press releases (more corpus-based studies needed) Difficulty to codify the structure of the press release:

Deconstruction of the genre? all discourses concurrently at play [in hybrid genres] at one and the same time (Candlin 2006) Shift from textually codified purpose to situation-bound dynamic intentionality importance of contextual aspects