Horizon 2020 project QUEST – QUality and Effectiveness in Science and Technology communication led by the VIU TEN Program investigates science communication in three strands: journalism, social media and museums. The objective is to define and support quality in science communication to the ultimate benefit of offering citizens an effective and reliable communication on scientific topics that generally have a significant impact on their daily lives (such as vaccines and climate change).
The World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ2019 - Lausanne, July 1-5) offered a unique opportunity to present the QUEST project to the international science journalism world and to meet with some outstanding representatives of this crucial sector, in order to discuss with them key aspects of research carried out in the project.
“Which policies and incentives could be developed at national and international level to support science journalism” was the inquiring perspective in the interviews done with the Heads of the numerous Associations of Science Journalism present at the conference. Not an easy task when the most important thing for (science) journalists is to preserve independence, as it was also confirmed in the press release at the conclusion of the event: “WCSJ2019 was a tremendous success,” said President of the Organizing Committee, Olivier Dessibourg. “There are many reasons for that, but we are particularly proud of the fact that our key message that quality independent science journalism in the worldwide media is vital, and that it needs to be supported and nurtured, was made not only by participants, but also by decision-makers, politicians and scientists who were invited to speak at the conference.” The institutional presence at the Lausanne Grand Opening was in fact quite remarkable and significant, also in light of the EU umbrella.
What particularly distinguished QUEST from the numerous initiatives on science communication present at the conference was certainly our “QuestYourself” booth. Located in the Start-up Street Market, QuestYourself is a game based on an on-line quiz that aims to improve journalists’ strategies, objectivity and effectiveness. The ingenuity of the game, which became a real attraction, was its power to unveil how journalists approach their reporting, by showing them angles of their reporting they are not aware of. Once again, the route is towards quality science journalism.
For further info: questproject.eu
