TY - CHAP

T1 - Medialization of science as a prerequisite of its legitimization and political relevance

AU - Peters, Hans Peter

AU - Heinrichs, Harald

AU - Jung, Arlena

AU - Kallfass, Monika

AU - Petersen, Imme

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - Sociologists have diagnosed an increasing ‘medialization’ of science—that is, an orientation towards the mass media, with the consequence that media criteria become relevant within science. The medialization of science is seen in this chapter as a consequence of the medialization of politics. Based on empirical surveys of German researchers, public information officers of science organizations and decision-makers in the political-administrative system, as well as a hermeneutical analysis of German press coverage, the authors analyse the manifestations and political impacts of medialization in the public communication of scientists and science organizations. Two biomedical fields—stem cell research and epidemiology—are used as case studies.Results of the empirical analyses support the hypothesis that the medialization of science, in so far as it guides the public communication strategies of scientific actors, increases the chances of scientific actors being noticed and taken seriously by the political-administrative system. Effects are seen in a contribution to the legitimization of science by reinforcing the perception of its social relevance and in improving the chances of scientific expertise becoming effective in policy-making.

AB - Sociologists have diagnosed an increasing ‘medialization’ of science—that is, an orientation towards the mass media, with the consequence that media criteria become relevant within science. The medialization of science is seen in this chapter as a consequence of the medialization of politics. Based on empirical surveys of German researchers, public information officers of science organizations and decision-makers in the political-administrative system, as well as a hermeneutical analysis of German press coverage, the authors analyse the manifestations and political impacts of medialization in the public communication of scientists and science organizations. Two biomedical fields—stem cell research and epidemiology—are used as case studies.Results of the empirical analyses support the hypothesis that the medialization of science, in so far as it guides the public communication strategies of scientific actors, increases the chances of scientific actors being noticed and taken seriously by the political-administrative system. Effects are seen in a contribution to the legitimization of science by reinforcing the perception of its social relevance and in improving the chances of scientific expertise becoming effective in policy-making.

KW - Sustainability sciences, Communication

KW - Legitimization

KW - media constructs of science

KW - media contacts of scientists

KW - medialization

KW - political impact of science coverage

KW - public relations of science

KW - Politics

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84891449783&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/978-1-4020-8598-7_5

DO - 10.1007/978-1-4020-8598-7_5

M3 - Chapter

SN - 978-1-4020-8597-0

SP - 71

EP - 92

BT - Communicating Science in Social Contexts

A2 - Cheng, Donghong

A2 - Claessens, Michel

A2 - Gascoigne, Toss

A2 - Metcalfe, Jenni

A2 - Schiele, Bernard

A2 - Shi, Shunke

PB - Springer Netherlands

CY - Dodrecht

ER -