The expanding role of communicators

The paper discusses the expanding role of communicators and the changes in communication opportunities and requirements that have led to this new role. Scientists and communicators, though different in their communication goals and approaches, now must redefine how they deal with communication issues and how they work with each other. Communicators who expand their roles and assume a broader range of responsibilities will have much to contribute to science and to their technical colleagues. The major factors leading to these changes include the following: today´s technical audiences are more diverse than yesterday´s; scientists and communicators must respond to new demands for information; and the scientific balance of power is shifting-a new perspective has developed on who “owns“ scientific knowledge