Climate Communication in the Twitter Era: Challenges, Opportunities, and Some Personal Reflection

In an age when engagement with traditional news outlets has declined precipitously and consequential matters of international diplomacy are increasingly conducted via Tweet, the broad cultural salience of web-based media platforms has become undeniable. Social media, in particular, has become a powerful tool for disseminating (mis)information on a global scale—a development that offers both considerable challenges and enormous opportunities for scientists seeking to reach outside the academic bubble. As climate change rapidly attains unprecedented levels of general awareness and public policy relevance, it is critically important that scientists make effective use of emerging communication tools and strategies in a manner that simultaneously maintains scientific integrity and advances the discourse. That, of course, is much easier said than done.

In this talk, I will discuss my own personal perspective as a climate scientist and science communicator—including my initially reluctant foray into the Twitterverse; lessons learned over the course of several hundred media interviews via traditional newspaper, radio, and television outlets; the value of science blogging; and strategies for dealing with online trolls. I'll also reflect on the importance of creating recognized professional scientific roles that explicitly value public communication, and the critical need for institutions to meaningfully support scientists who choose to engage with the wider world.