The importance of conversing, also in science communication

The Church of San Zaccaria, a few minutes on foot away from Piazza San Marco and Palazzo Ducale in Venice, contains one of the many remarkable paintings by Giovanni Bellini. The Italian maestro created the painting in 1505 in memory of the Venetian diplomat Pietro Cappello. The scene depicted is a classical representation of a "sacra conversazione", or sacred conversation: the Madonna and Child on a throne, a musical angel on the steps and four saints arranged symmetrically on both sides: Peter the Apostle, Catherine of Alexandria, Saint Lucia and Saint Jerome. In front of this masterpiece of the late Bellini, Massimiano Bucchi and Brian Trench brought all the participants of the 2023 PCST Venice Symposium to reflect on the importance of conversing, also in the field of science communication.

The verb 'conversare' (to converse) comes from two Latin words: cum, which means with, and versare, which means to come together, to pass time together. In this sense, San Zaccaria's painting is a conversation, in the same meaning that for centuries, when noble and notable people were receiving at home, they would advertise the opportunity as a conversation. Thus, to converse in this way is more than to talk: it is a form of multi-voice dialogue from which comes an exchange of knowledge on different levels.

The idea of the conversation has characterized the whole Venice event, with - for example - keynote speeches turned into keynote conversations. The conversation among all participants has continued in the four working groups dedicated to different aspects of science communication today:

• Supporting researchers' public communication
• Recruiting science communication professionals and developing their competencies
• Evaluating and improving the quality of research communication
• Using science communication research results in institutional activities

The collective elaboration of the inputs and ideas will become a report of recommendations in the next few weeks.

ENJOI project contributed to the general discussion and the group on evaluation and improvement of the communication quality with the idea of engagement that emerged after the ENJOI Labs, Workshops and the various interviews with communication professionals, stakeholders and members of the civil society. The potential in the engagement practice, especially in the field of science journalism, has been summarized in a passage in the ENJOI Manifesto:

Engagement is becoming ever deeper. Rather than being a single step, it plays a role in the whole life cycle of information. This is already affecting the information agenda and the way communication is designed.

Engagement provides the opportunity of meaningful two-way dialogue, but should avoid the risk of bending science communication to populism.

As a conversazione as Bellini intended, ENJOI project proposes implementing engagement throughout the communication process, not just at the beginning as a simple check on a to-do list.

Featured image by Venice International University