SCICOMM

SCICOMM: Raising Our Voice for Science in Public Policy

12 minute video from the Center for Environmental Filmmaking
Director/Producer Larry Kirkman
Editor/Producer Shannon Shikles

“Clear and simple is not enough,” argues Rush Holt, former CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in this new 12-minute video from the Center for Environmental Filmmaking’s SciComm Media Lab at American University. “It has to be meaningful,” he says. “It has to communicate the science in a way that people feel they can take it in, not just understand it but embrace it and care about it, in other words believe that it is relevant. What scientists should be doing is not just simplifying their research, but rather enabling everybody else to think like a scientist, to think on the basis of evidence.”

The March for Science brought more than one million scientists out of their labs, offices and classrooms into the public eye at demonstrations around the world. “Science, Not Silence” was the rallying call for marchers who have seen their work ignored, defunded, misinterpreted, and censored, despite conclusive evidence that the consequences of inaction will be profound and irreversible. It’s being called a “war on science.” The rejection of scientific evidence by politicians and policy makers has created an historical turning point and a crucible for scientists. This video asks scientists to define the challenges of science communication practice, training and strategy.

SCICOMM director, Larry Kirkman, said, “We found an intensity, an urgency, and a desire to communicate the fundamental importance of science to all aspects of our lives. The scientists in this video have made the decision to be more public, to stand up for the need for science to influence policy, to ensure they and their colleagues are not silenced. They represent the new strategic efforts that have been launched to train and equip scientists and science advocates to more effectively communicate the value and values of scientific knowledge.”