Communicating Science, Designing Trust: Research, Technology, and Society in the Contemporary Ecosystem
Contemporary science communication can no longer be understood simply as “dissemination,” that is, as a linear transfer of knowledge from experts to non-experts. In this talk, I instead propose viewing it as an ecosystem composed of media, institutions, digital platforms, audiences, participatory practices, and conflicts over meaning. In this context, communicating science means contributing to the way society builds trust, interprets uncertainty, and debates the role of knowledge within democratic processes.
Particular attention will be devoted to the distinction between communicating basic research and communicating technology. While the former mainly concerns methods, evidence, uncertainty, and the timelines of scientific production, the latter involves applications, infrastructures, interests, risks, regulation, and social impacts. Communicating technology does not simply mean explaining how it works, but also making visible the responsibilities, conditions, and consequences of innovation.
Speaker:
Nico Pitrelli è is Director of the "Franco Prattico" Master's Programme in Science Communication at SISSA (Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati) in Trieste, where he also serves as Head of Communications. He was Deputy Director of FEST – the International Science Publishing Fair in 2007 and 2008, and Communication Manager of the Euro Science Open Forum ESOF2020. His publications include: L'uomo che restituì la parola ai matti. Franco Basaglia, la comunicazione e la fine dei manicomi (Editori Riuniti, 2004); with Yuri Castelfranchi, Come si comunica la scienza? (Laterza, 2007); with Pietro Greco, Scienza e media ai tempi della globalizzazione (Codice, 2009); Il giornalismo scientifico (Carocci, 2021); and, with Mariachiara Tallacchini, Manifesto per un'educazione civica alla scienza (Codice, 2023).
Introduction:
Giuseppe Tipaldo (Professor of Sociology of Cultural and Communication Processes, Politecnico di Torino).