Impact of “Science Friday” on Public Radio Member Listeners

Dr. Barbara Flagg, Director of Multimedia Research, implemented a summative evaluation of "Talk of the Nation: Science Friday." a weekly two-hour science talk show hosted by science correspondent Ira Flatow. The evaluation focused on what demographic or background characteristics relate to whether or not one listens to Science Friday and to frequency of listening; what effects the series has on listeners and what kind of actions the series has prompted in listeners. Surveys were mailed to random names, stratified by gender, drawn from the member subscriber lists of public radio stations in Tallahassee, FL, and Boston, MA. lightly over half of our public radio members (N = 403) listened to Science Friday and two-thirds of those listened more than once per month. As compared with non-listeners, Science Friday audience members were significantly younger, more highly educated, more often employed, and considered themselves more interested and more knowledgeable in science. Most significantly, in consideration of the sponsorship by the National Science Foundation, the series has a strong positive impact on listeners' comprehension and awareness of science issues and a considerable influence on listeners' actions beyond the two-hour program. The series clearly acts as a catalyst to stimulate people to further self-education, but also, perhaps more importantly, demonstrates a critical multiplier effect by inspiring significant numbers of listeners to discuss science with their colleagues, friends and family members.