By Marilyn Smith There s no question that science and technology play a prominent role in today s society. But two noticeable trends in science communication make it a particularly good time to revisit the notion of who is best equipped to transmit this vital information to the public. Dunwoody introduced the first trend increased involvement from the scientists themselves. In recent years, scientists have come to understand that public visibility offers a kind of legitimacy that you can t get any other way, says Sharon Dunwoody. More and more frequently, scientists not only welcome contact with journalists but even initiate it.
Reluctant scientists are on their way to becoming an endangered species.
But the second trend cut to the crux of the question. Increasingly, organizations and even journalism schools are restricting employment and education opportunities to individuals who have formal education in scientific fields. Paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson is unique among the panelists in that rather than choosing a career in science communication, he more or less tripped into the gig. In 1974, Johanson discovered Lucy, a 3.18 million-year old hominid skeleton, in the Hadar region of Ethiopia. He describes the media frenzy that followed as a pretty stunning experience for which graduate school did nothing to prepare him.