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

Weitkamp, Emma; Milani, Elena; Ridgway, Andy; Wilkinson, Clare

Abstract

This study explores the types of actors visible in the digital science communication landscape in the Netherlands, Serbia and the UK. Using the Koru model of science communication as a basis, we consider how science communicators craft their messages and which channels they are using to reach audiences. The study took as case studies the topics of climate change and healthy diets to enable comparison across countries, topics and platforms. These findings are compared with the results from a survey of over 200 science communication practitioners based in these countries. We find that although traditional media are challenged by the variety of different new entrants into the digital landscape, our results suggest that the media and journalists remain highly visible. In addition, our survey results suggest that many science communicators may struggle to gain traction in the crowded digital ecology, and in particular, that relatively few scientists and research institutions and universities are achieving a high profile in the public digital media ecology of science communication.

Citation

Weitkamp, E., Milani, E., Ridgway, A., & Wilkinson, C. (2021). Exploring the digital media ecology: Insights from a study of healthy diets and climate change communication on digital and social media. JCOM: Journal of Science Communication, 20(3), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.20030202

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 24, 2021
• Online Publication Date: May 10, 2021
• Publication Date: May 10, 2021
• Deposit Date: Apr 14, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 8, 2021
• Journal: Journal of Science Communication
• Electronic ISSN: 1824-2049
• Publisher: Sissa Medialab
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 1-22
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22323/2.20030202
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/7259817