Relationships between government and media in S&T crisis communication: A study based on cases of S&T crisis in China

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, science and technology have been making a profound impact on every aspect of human society. While scientific and technological progress has provided various modern conveniences, it has also brought negative effects on human life. People have become increasingly aware of the role science and technology play in environmental pollution, ecological damage and weakened social morality, and their questioning of science and technology per se has led to what is termed the crisis in science and technology. The government, media and public are three basic elements for S&T crisis communication. They interact and game with each other and yet are so close to each other as to form a whole system. In S&T crisis communication, therefore, information transfer between the government and public is equally as important as communication between the government and media. The government is the source of information. In resolving crisis, it should use the platform and communication channel offered by the media to provide the public with adequate scientific information in a timely manner, as this is crucial to reassuring the public, mobilizing its strength, building popular trust in the government, and raising the credibility of the media. This paper defines S&T crisis as well as its causes and categories, analyzes the interaction among the government, media and public, and addresses the following issues: the separate functions and the interrelationship of the government, public and media in S&T crisis communication; their interactive behaviors as reflected by media coverage; how to help create a positive pattern of S&T crisis communication involving the government, public and media.