When I was a
child, my family watched the popular TV series Dragnet. It popularized an oft-repeated, pop culture phrase “Just the facts, ma’am.”
Like many who gravitate to scientific fields, I value knowing the facts. So it’s counterintuitive to me, a data-loving person, that many in the public are not
moved by factual information and explanation.
At the recent
North American Congress for Conservation Biology (NACCB) in Madison, Wisconsin,
which had as its theme Science Communication
for Conservation Action, many presentations reinforced that communicating scientific
fact alone doesn’t have much impact on peoples’ attitudes or behaviors. To
connect with audiences, messages and information need specific framing and must
tap into the audience’s values. I had some appreciation of this before going to
NACCB, but the meeting drove it home for me in a powerful way; it has stimulated
much contemplation on my part. In particular, what does it mean for me—and for the
clients with whom I work on science-based communications—when facts aren’t
enough?