Transforming tradition: how the iconic Christmas Lectures series is perceived by its audiences

Sardo, Ana Margarida; Little, Hannah; Fogg-Rogers, Laura

Abstract

The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures are a landmark in the history of science communication. With today’s changing media landscape, it is important to know who is currently watching, how they are watching, and how they are perceiving the content. This cross-sectional study evaluated perceptions of live audiences, people watching at home via Twitter, and awareness of the Lectures by science-interested audiences. The Lectures are valued by science-enthusiast audiences for performative identity sharing and valued tradition. However, younger generations are shifting away from traditional television to online videos, and the Lectures must adapt to remain relevant to new audiences.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 25, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Dec 10, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021
• Deposit Date: Dec 6, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 6, 2022
• Journal: International Journal of Science Education, Part B: Communication and Public Engagement
• Print ISSN: 2154-8455
• Electronic ISSN: 2154-8463
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 4
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21548455.2021.2012298
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/8175909