Guidelines for good science PR
Germany has had bumpy years in the field of science communication. Fewer science journalists, more effective science PR and the rise of social media – things just aren’t the way they used to be only a decade ago. As a consequence several manifesto-like papers have been published. The most recent one is entitled “Guidelines for good science-PR” (Leitlinien zur guten Wissenschafts-PR). It’s in a draft-state and is to be discussed at three mayor German Scicomm conferences (here, here and here). The Guidelines are a joint initiative by Wissenschaft im Dialog (Science in Dialog) and the Bundesverband Hochschulkommunikation (federal association of higher education PR).
For those of you who aren’t fluent in German, I translated and summarized the mayor points:
(1) Enable dialogue between all players of science communication
(2) Work out relevant information for the public, which is not based solely on self interest
(3) Stick to the facts, do not exaggerate, do not conceal information or risks and provide scientific sources where possible
(4) Enable transparency by acknowledging financial sources, limits of the research and its realistic importance for society
(5) Include more than merely facts, instead built relationships between the public and the scientist by telling the scientists’ story and motivations
(6) Speak the language and use the media of your target audience
(7) Be self-reflective and self-critical by analyzing the results of your work
(8) Be open to change and adapt your strategies and be open to cooperation and discourse
