Empowering Scientists, Media, and the Public to Stimulate Interest, Action, and Results: What Do We Know and What Don't We Know?
Abstract
Since 2016, the GeoHazards Messaging Collaboratory (GMC) has been confronting and improving issues facing earthquake, volcano, and tsunami science communication, developing and leveraging strategic, crafted, and interactive events and resources for scientists, media, and public. Systematic, consistent evaluation of these activities has informed the progression of the GMC's missions and goals, with lessons to share and many new questions about how to move forward. Key considerations are identifying what is working or not, assessing short-term and long-term impacts, and shifting culture from how the target audiences view and work with each other - how do we make a collective impact? The mission of the GMC is to improve the visibility, awareness, and understanding of geohazards science and safety information by the general public and media, by: equipping scientists and public information officers (PIOs) to better communicate about geohazards sciences via social and traditional media through hands-on trainings; assisting media professionals through webinars and other means to better and more accurately report on geohazards by helping them understand the fundamentals of geohazards science, and providing them with authoritative, credible resources and experts; and working directly with members of the public through webinars and other means to provide appropriate and understandable education to improve geohazards science literacy. The GMC is a joint working group of communications professionals representing some of the nation's leading geological hazards research institutions, geophysical instrumentation facilities, and emergency management agencies, such as the U.S. Geological Survey USGS, National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration NOAA, Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA, Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology IRIS, UNAVCO, and Southern California Earthquake Center SCEC.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFMPA11J0852B
- Keywords:
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- 6620 Science policy;
- PUBLIC ISSUES