Activists as “alternative” science communicators — Exploring the facets of science communication in societal contexts

Abstract

For many decades, NGOs and social movements have acted as “alternative” science communicators. They have made strategic use of science to promote their ideological stances, to influence political and/or economic decision-making and to motivate civic action. To date, however, our understanding of science communication in activism has received little critical attention. This set of commentaries acts as a starting point for further research and reflection. The different cases and perspectives urge readers to consider the impact, democratic legitimacy, and relevance of alternative science communication, and the challenges that alternative science communicators pose for science communication and society.

Exploring the digital media ecology: insights from a study of healthy diets and climate change communication on digital and social media

“…Further research could explore these facets of communication about healthy diets. NGOs are prominent in the climate change communications milieu in all three countries; environmental NGO's have a long history of influencing media agendas [Bakir, 2005] and are beginning to be recognised as alternative science communicators [Fähnrich, Riedlinger and Weitkamp, 2020]. Our findings support calls for further research into the 'impact, democratic legitimacy, and relevance of alternative science communication, and the challenges that alternative science communicators pose for science communication and society' [Fähnrich, Riedlinger and Weitkamp, 2020].…”

Experts, influencers, and amplifiers — Exploring climate movements' hyperlinking practices

“…Seen together with indications that these movements have successfully contributed to strategic narratives aimed at increasing support for policy measures to address climate change [Bevan, Colley and Workman, 2020], this points to a strong role of activists as science communicators as also indicated by a series of comments [Faehnrich, Riedlinger and Weitkamp, 2020;Feldman, 2020;Gregory, 2020;Rödder, 2020;Windfeldt, 2020].…”

“…The heterogeneity of hyperlinks that creates the same visual appearance for links to different formats and sources may contribute to this blurring of boundaries. While XR and FFF might not necessarily consider or name their actions as science communication, they do engage in communicating (climate) science to wider audiences, showcasing how "alternative" [Faehnrich, Riedlinger and Weitkamp, 2020] actors can both make use of and share or amplify existing science communication efforts. At the same time, the movements' highly educated demographics and the engagement of climate scientists in related and supporting movements suggest that some of these activities could also be characterized as alternative outlets for, rather than actors of, science communication.…”

“…These activities are no longer limited to scientists themselves or formal science communication practices within science journalism or science education. While activists' use of science for their own sense-making [Fähnrich, 2018] and their potential role as knowledge-brokers in policy-making processes [Sardo and Weitkamp, 2017] have been explored, their role in public communication of environmental science has only recently come under scrutiny [Faehnrich, Riedlinger and Weitkamp, 2020;Feldman, 2020;Gregory, 2020;Rödder, 2020;Windfeldt, 2020]. NGOs working with environmental issues and environmental action groups can be especially prone to take on a role in communicating scientific information "because empirical claims about the state of the natural environment are core to their message" [Yearley, 2008, pp.…”

A timely update to a classic text

“…Other chapters, covering topics spaces we might consider as traditional sites of science communication (e.g. a chapter on science museums by Bernard Schiele) to those Faehnrich, Riedlinger and Weitkamp [2020] term alternative communicators (e.g. environmentalists, covered in a chapter by Steven Yearley).…”