Training for Communicating Science in Dialogue: the ESConet experience

More and more, scientists are being asked to explain their work to the public, and to discuss its implications. And the mass media are often seen as key to this activity. But how can scientists best communicate with the media, particularly as they have little training to do so? And how should scientists engage in a genuine dialogue with members of the public who may be affected by their research work?
These are some of the questions that a European Union-funded network has set out to answer, through training workshops and an ambitious series of modules to facilitate them.
In this session, working scientists will explain their work to a non-expert audience during a live interview with a professional journalist in front of a FEST audience. Then scientists will communicate their science in dialogue with interested members of the public that are affected by an area of scientific research. This session is based on the work of the European Science Communication Network (ESConet).