GSA PRESIDENT'S MEDAL: SELLING THE EARTH: COMMUNICATING CONTESTED GEOSCIENCE TO PUBLIC AUDIENCES

A critical challenge for geologists in the 21st century is how to apply our intimate understanding of the planet - its history, how it works, and what it provides - to wider social, economic and political concerns about Earth’s future. In this context, geoscientists are being encouraged to more effectively communicate their technical expertise to non-technical audiences, and to increasingly engage with the lay publics about their work. Currently, the bulk of this engagement emphasises the translation of geoscientific knowledge into the public and policy realm, yet this ‘knowledge deficit’ model has now been largely deemed ineffective by communication professionals. Instead, the prevailing science communication paradigm has shifted away from designing one-way transfers of matters of scientific fact towards developing two-way dialogues around matters of societal concern. It is a regime change that will require scientists to be more reflexive, inclusive and interdisciplinary, and will need the public and other key stakeholders on board as active participants. That, in turn, will demand from the geoscience community fresh frames and new paradigms for 'selling' Planet Earth.