Communicating Nuclear Topics to the Public - On the Use of Telecasts for Edutainment

ARCHER, the current European R&D project on Advanced High-Temperature Reactors for Cogeneration of Heat and Electricity is expanding the HTR technology to support demonstration of nuclear cogeneration as an alternative to fossil fuel use in industry. Nuclear cogeneration is identified as a high-potential contribution to European energy policy and ARCHER is performed in line with European energy strategies and policy tools. The project consortium comprises of representatives of conventional and nuclear industry, utilities, technical support organisations, R&D institutes and universities. ARCHER is integrated internationally via the Generation IV International Forum and through collaboration within the project with international partners from the US, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea; as well as through cooperation with the IAEA. As ARCHER deals with a nuclear technology that may become an important infrastructure asset in the future, the consortium decided to leap forward in its communication by addressing the general public with a telecast, similar to the documentary on CERN and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), produced in 2009 by the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation ORF, available as Video-on-Demand at http://magazine.orf.at/alpha/programm/2009/091102_urknallmaschine.htm. During 45 minutes, the ARCHER telecast provides background information on the principles of nuclear power generation and will analyse without bias the pros and cons of Nuclear Cogeneration and High-Temperature Reactor technology. This paper presents the lessons learned in devising the documentary, discussing the dos and don'ts both from a scientists and journalists perspective and provides an insight into journalistic thinking and recommendations for communicating emotionally challenging topics like nuclear energy in a constructive manner. In the light of the Fukushima accident, every nuclear project is easily confronted with a sceptic general public - trustworthy communication is therefore more than ever critical.

FRISCHAUF Norbert;  FUETTERER Michael;  MCGARRY Darren;  BALDAUF Gert;  KRATKY Julius; 

2013-09-12

Korean Nuclear Society

JRC76763

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC76763,