“Talk of the Nation: Science Friday” Summative Evaluation Study 2

Talk of the Nation: Science Friday is a weekly two-hour listener call-in talk show devoted to the understanding of complex scientific topics and methods. The series is hosted by science correspondent Ira Flatow. With support from the National Science Foundation, Multimedia Research presents the second study of a two-part summative evaluation on the impact of Science Friday on public radio listeners, focusing on the series’ increased emphasis on public understanding of basic research. The evaluation assessed 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. A comparison was also made results of this study and the first study carried out in 2003. Questionnaires were mailed to random names drawn from member subscriber lists of public radio stations serving the areas surrounding Denver, CO, San Antonio, TX and Boston, MA. Of the 1200 questionnaires that adult public radio members received, 641 or 53% were returned for analysis. Three-quarters (75%) of our public radio members listen to Science Friday and 61% tune in once a month or more often. Radio is identified as a significant major source of science news by listeners of Science Friday as compared to non-listening public radio members. Listeners rate the series as highly appealing and understandable. The majority of listeners feel that Science Friday successfully communicates about contemporary science research process. Additionally, the series prompts listeners to carry out a variety of actions outside of the two-hour program. Related to Science Friday’s NSF grant goal to emphasize public understanding of contemporary research, the results indicate that more frequent listening relates to stronger agreement that the series updates listeners about current science research and reinforces understanding of research process. Comparing the 2006 listener sample to a similar sample of listeners in 2003 reveals one significant improvement related to communicating what role research plays in government policy-making.