Media and communication language a crucial role in shaping public perceptions and policy agendas

Paper number

GLOC-2023,T,IP,x75384

Author

Dr. Annamaria Nassisi, Thales Alenia Space Italia, Italy

Coauthor

Mr. Pietro Santoriello, Partners4Innovation, Italy

Coauthor

Mr. Alessandro Buccione, Thales Alenia Space Italia, Italy

Year

2023

Abstract

Space community offers an opportunity to address the use of natural resources on Earth, to protect and renew the environment and could give us a more robust global view of climate data. Although the perception of the actual usefulness of the space environment has grown over the last 20 years, an ordinary citizen needs to be aware of how space could support the climate change interpretation. It is essential to consider the different ages and the country’s social, economic, and cultural environment to address communication effectively through various media (e.g. social media, journals, videos, etc.) Practical action is needed to make the ordinary citizen responsible for participating in the contrast of the climate crisis through simple daily activities.
Other aspects regard the policymakers that could condition the choice to safeguard the environment and societal actions. A different communication language to arouse interest in an economic and social issue related to environmental protection must be adapted to policymakers’ needs to be effective.
Moreover, a focus will be pointed out on funding allocated for space missions, which data are essential to counteract climate change and better understand the value of this funding for the community. It is also necessary to create awareness of the positive sides that scientific and technological progress can bring and the need to potentiate it. Providing the proper communication by highlighting benefits is critical to answering why significant sums of money are invested in the space sector and why space technology development can help the climate crisis.  Communication acquires a leading role, and the methods are the core of this paper. The article will propose strategies for the target audience, the social-economic context, and the generational age. It is appropriate to focus on which communication channels are the most efficient with the described variables and how the latter differ. The aim will be to show how communication modes are critical to a radical change in people's culture, changing the ordinary citizen's perception. The paper will also be addressed a survey on how European space industries are answering to these exigencies by taking sustainability measures and how institutions and the science community are trying to create a breeding ground to understand better why space capability can help the environmental problems and show concrete actions. Media will play a key role now and in the future. Concreteness in the media messages generates hope; without it, there is no future.

Abstract document

GLOC-2023,T,IP,x75384.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

GLOC-2023,T,IP,x75384.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.