Why as nuclear power experienced lower public resistance in China? – Examining anti-nuclear activism and knowledge-control regime

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Why as nuclear power experienced lower public resistance in China? – Examining anti-nuclear activism and knowledge-control regime

Author: Hepeng Jia – Department of Communication, Cornell University, China

Co-authors:

  • Lifeng Deng – School of Communication & Design, Sun Yat-sen University, China

Scientific controversies have been a main issue in science communication scholarship. Different controversies have shown divergent patterns. Yet scholars have failed to examine multiple factors that lead to the various modes.

In China, as compared with the West in the 1970s and 1980s, and with other controversial technologies such as genetically modified organisms (GMOs), controversies surrounding nuclear power have been extremely low-profiled. To understand the different pattern, we adopted the framework of the knowledge-control regime to examine the media landscape of nuclear power in China, then investigate media’s knowledge production regarding the energy, and finally explore the control and monopoly on knowledge production within the atomic power sector and in the sector’s public outreach activities.

Chinese media have been generous in framing nuclear power development as the symbols of national honor, S&T progress, and independent innovation even after the Fukushima accident. Chinese journalists structurally avoided news topics questioning nuclear power for higher perceived risk and less recognized rewarding. A stable media- nuclear power relationship also contributed to the knowledge-control regime in Chinese more favorable to the nuclear power sector.

For the internal knowledge production process, the monopoly in knowledge production caused by nuclear science’s natural characteristics is coupled with the power concentration as reflected by the number of top academics owned by the sector and their dominance in public agenda. With the nuclear power sector’s glorious historical images, as well as its active science communication, effective uncertainty management, and friendly interaction with the media, the internal knowledge control is effectively “exported” to help maintain a generally higher public acceptance. Hence, we identify the knowledge-control regime(s) surrounding the nuclear power sector and concludes it has effectively curbed anti-nuclear activism in China. Implications are also discussed.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Individual paper
Theme: Technology

Examining Chinese scientists’ media behaviours: Institutional support and media experience predict involvement

Author: Hepeng Jia – Department of Communication, Cornell University, China

Co-authors:

  • Lin Shi – School of Arts & Communication, Beijing Normal University, China
  • Yihong Tan – National Science Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
  • Dapeng Wang – China Research Institute for Science Popularization, China

Mobilizing scientists to engage the public has long been both a significant task of science communication practice and a research target. Despite studies revealing worldwide reality, trend, and pattern in the field, few studies have been done to examine how Chinese scientists have been engaged in the process, although the country has become a scientific powerhouse. The current research is such an effort.

Through an online survey responded by more than 500 Chinese scientists, we found that only a small portion of Chinese scientists regularly had media contacts. The descriptive analysis found that Chinese scientists have a very infrequent media interaction and low evaluation of media reporting quality. They also perceived the minimal role of the media in their professional development. The findings were supplemented by regression analysis that suggested Chinese scientists’ low media involvement was primarily a result of the lack of institutional supports, their unfamiliarity with the media, and their perceived institutional censorship.

While highlighting the organizational and cultural preferences of the Chinese scientists in communicating science, our results also have substantial policy implications. It is not only necessary to work out more policy incentives to promote science communication, but also urgent to launch various interaction initiatives to narrow the gap between science and the media. Research institutions’ publicity function must be enhanced, and intermediary organizations between science and the media should be developed to help scientists better engage the public through the media.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Individual paper
Theme: Time

Passive communicators: Investigating Chinese scientists’ interaction with media

Author: Hepeng Jia – Cornell University, United States

Co-authors:
Lin Shi – Tsinghua University
Dapeng Wang – China Research Institute for Science Popularization (CRISP)

Examining scientists’ interaction with media is a key theme of science communication scholarship. But so far none systematic research has investigated how Chinese scientists deal with media. Through an online survey responded by more than 500 Chinese scientists, we found that although nearly all of them considered public science communication important, only a small portion of Chinese scientists regularly had media contacts. Chinese scientists’ low media interaction is both a result of the lack of incentives in their assessment system and related to their distrust of media, the perceived limited role of media in Chinese science policymaking, and insufficient institutional supports to help them link to and deal with media. More specifically, 52% of surveyed scientists did not have media contact in the past year, and receiving media interviews was the least popular science communication activity listed by surveyed scientists, accounting for only 8.6%.

Scientists’ low evaluation of the media’s role and capacity in reporting science seems to be a major reason. More than 56% surveyees agreed or extremely agreed to the statement that science journalists often neglected important information in science and over 54% thought science journalists often used sensational way to report science. The passive media behavior of Chinese scientists was worsened by the underperformance of the PR staffs, or public information officers (PIOs), of their institutions. Some 47.6% scientists said in the past year, the PR persons have never contacted them while only 3.2% of surveyed scientists said they were moderately reached by their PIOs.

Our result highlights not only the necessity to work out more policy incentives to promote science communication, but also the urgency to narrow the gap between science and media through various interaction activities. Research institutions’ publicity function must also be enhanced to help scientists better cope with media.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Individual paper
Theme: Science
Area of interest: Investigating science communication practices

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