Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
PLoS One. 2022 Aug 29;17(8):e0273626. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273626. eCollection 2022.
This study investigates the flow of energy-related information, which plays a vital role in promoting the public understanding and support for various energy sources. Through 12 focus group discussions with the public and energy experts, this study found that energy information flows from scientists to the public through both direct (e.g., roadshows, scientists' blogs) and indirect (via agents, e.g., school, news media) channels. However, communication gaps remain between scientists and the public. First, the public commonly obtains information from personal experience and the media but not directly from scientists. Second, while the public stressed the importance of mass media and social media, only a few experts reported writing news commentaries or making social media posts about energy. Third, while scientists emphasize their relationships with the government and other agencies in disseminating information, the public shows relatively weak trust in these agencies. Implications are made for future research and public communication on energy issues.
本研究调查了能源相关信息的流动，这在促进公众对各种能源的理解和支持方面起着至关重要的作用。通过与公众和能源专家进行的 12 个焦点小组讨论，本研究发现，能源信息通过直接（例如路演、科学家博客）和间接（通过代理人，例如学校、新闻媒体）渠道从科学家流向公众。然而，科学家和公众之间仍然存在沟通障碍。首先，公众通常从个人经验和媒体获取信息，而不是直接从科学家那里获取。其次，尽管公众强调大众媒体和社交媒体的重要性，但只有少数专家报告撰写有关能源的新闻评论或在社交媒体上发布信息。第三，尽管科学家强调他们与政府和其他机构的关系在信息传播中的作用，但公众对这些机构的信任度相对较低。本研究对未来能源问题的研究和公众沟通提出了启示。
