Talking about the Big Bang: An exploratory study of how Russian science communicators use social media

• Main Author: Rudneva, Valeriia
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för mediestudier 2018
• Subjects: Science communication; social media; science popularization; science in media; popular science; Научная коммуникация; популяризация науки; продвижение науки; социальные медиа; научно-популярные медиа; Media and Communications; Medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-156932

Science communication in Russia has been developing fast during the last several years: new popular science projects, educational programmes for science journalists and science communicators, new media channels have appeared. Social media play a significant role in this process because of its unprecedented capacity to bring science closer to the public. This study is aimed at providing an understanding of how leading Russian science communicators, often famous science journalists and lecturers, manage their VK and Facebook profiles. Content and discourse analysis were used to examine communication strategies and to find patterns in the communication of those responsible for public science promotion. The investigation provided an understanding that 2 out of 5 science communicators devote about 50% of all the content on their pages to science or science popularization domain and miss "a rich opportunity to discuss science with the nonscientists in their networks by actually posting [scientific materials]" (McClain 2017: 4). Analysis of subscribers' likes, comments, and shares demonstrated that people are ready to consume scientific content: the most liked and shared posts on several analyzed pages are connected to these topics. Semi-structural interviews opened up to science communicators' own views of science communication development in Russia and the role of social media in science communication. Interviews confirmed that science communicators comprehend the difference of VK (more suitable for communication with a wide audience) and Facebook (space for communication with other scientists and foreign colleagues). Moreover, they stated that they had strategies for communication with their subscribers in social media, but their number is quite modest. Previous studies focusing on a Russian context have been connected to the contemporary evolution of science communication in Russia. However, these studies rarely analyze the modern market. This thesis aims to bridge the gap and to deepen the understanding of Russian science communication development.