ARCHER@TV: A Telecast on nuclear Power and Heat Cogeneration in the Making – in Edutainment Style

ARCHER, the current European R&D project on Advanced High-Temperature Reactors for Cogeneration of Heat and Electricity is developing 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 security and ARCHER is performed in line with European energy strategies and policy tools. The project consortium comprises 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 with international partners, 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 Broadcast 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 any bias the pros and cons of Nuclear Cogeneration and High-Temperature Reactor technology. Now that the film shootings for the telecast are halfway through, it is time to reflect on the lessons learned in devising the documentary, the dos and don'ts both from a scientist's and journalist's perspective and as such to provide an insight into journalistic thinking and recommendations for communicating emotionally challenging topics like nuclear energy in a constructive manner. In the light of Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima, finding a way to ensure trustworthy communication vis-à-vis the general public is a clear MUST for the nuclear sector.

FRISCHAUF Norbert;  FUETTERER Michael;  SCHEUERMANN Walter;  BALDAUF Gert;  KRATKY Julius; 

2014-08-07

American Nuclear Society

JRC88230

978-0-89448-460-5,   

http://www.ans.org/store/i_700385,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC88230,