When one’s target audience is made up of investors, policy makers or healthcare providers, it can be safe to assume a degree of scientific literacy not always apparent in society at large. In markets that are more controversial than others, like stem cells, nanotechnology and obesity, public opinion actually factors dramatically into the ultimate success of new innovation. Consider science research policy and the voters behind it, voters who cannot claim the same scientific knowledge as the small group of industry specialists. These individuals continue to operate in the marketplace, but are often left behind when it comes to outreach.
An opinion piece in The Scientist by Elizabeth A. Corley and Dietram A. Scheufele uses the gulf of nanotechnology awareness that has emerged in recent years , between the most educated citizens and the least, to discuss where science communication is failing. In their study regarding nanotechnology exposure, the authors offer this conclusion, “…those respondents with at least a college degree displayed an increase in knowledge levels between 2004 and 2007 while respondents with education levels of less than a high school diploma had a significant decrease in nanotechnology knowledge levels.” One reason for this difference, they argue, is the “limited coverage in mainstream media.”
As science audiences move online, there is the opportunity to engage the audience left behind and to explain important technology and innovation to those who are not naturally exposed to scientific breakthroughs. Like DNA before it, nanotechnology holds promise for those who understand it, while often engendering doubt (and fear) in those who don’t really know what it means. Mainstream media outreach, particularly online, is the next frontier for producing a science educated citizenry. As health care reform and budget talks keep Washington’s attention, it is an advantage to the science communicator to remember the “information poor” and to include them in their outreach strategy.
For lesser known and potentially controversial industries, online mainstream media exposure is an investment in the science literacy of the future.
