Beyond the media: A new strategy for distributing scientific and technical information
Communications media -- newspapers, television, magazines, etc. -- may be the most powerful single influence on modern life. Certainly they are the most important source of information citizens use to form opinions about such complex scientific questions as global warming or nuclear waste cleanup. But commercial news media have built-in limitations on their effectiveness as information sources. Reliance on advertising for revenue means the media are limited in the volume of material they can cover. In addition, the need to attract the largest possible, or the most select, audience for advertisers limits the complexity of information that the media can present. Finally, existing media organizations offer few, if any, ways for users to retrieve past information. These limitations deprive citizens of needed information, increase pressure on political leaders, and create the gridlock over scientific and public policy questions caused by the Not in My Backyard'' snydrome. Fortunately, modern communications technology is changing in ways that allow public policy makers to address these shortenings. Companies now barred from the information business are seeking to enter, existing media companies are looking for new sources of revenue, and new information products are seeking markets. Several changes to existing media and communications policy will be suggested and general principles for building a better overall communications system will be discussed. 18 refs.
- Research Organization:
- Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-87RL10930
- OSTI ID:
- 6042374
- Report Number(s):
- WHC-SA-1292; CONF-920145-1; ON: DE92003633
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Making information work, Washington, DC (United States), 21-23 Jan 1992
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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