Medialization of science as a prerequisite of its legitimization and political relevance
Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Chapter › peer-review
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Communicating Science in Social Contexts: New Models, New Practices. ed. / Donghong Cheng; Michel Claessens; Toss Gascoigne; Jenni Metcalfe; Bernard Schiele; Shunke Shi. Dodrecht: Springer Netherlands, 2008. p. 71-92.
Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Chapter › peer-review
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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 -