2015 AAAS Annual Meeting (12-16 February 2015)

February 12 - 16, 2015

Scientists Engaging with Reporters, the Public, and Social Media: Survey Findings

In January 2015, the Pew Research Center will release major survey findings on AAAS scientists’ and general public attitudes about the state of science in the U.S. and on major science-related public policy issues, including climate change, medical treatments and devices, genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), energy policy, food policy, and vaccinations. During this session, Pew Research will release new findings from a second report and survey data on how scientists interact with reporters covering their work, use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to engage the public about their findings, and leverage other online tools such as blogs to remain updated of developments in their field. These new findings come from a survey of more than 3,000 AAAS members about their media habits, their use of social media, and their sense of how reporters and the public connect to their work. A science communication scholar will comment on the Pew findings and present related research on scientists and public engagement. A scientist active on social media will discuss her experiences.