Government Public Information

Federal, state, and local government agencies with science- and technology-related missions very frequently employ professional communications specialists to assist journalists and the public in accessing information about government programs. These specialists work to ensure that information about how the agency has spent taxpayer funds is available in plain English, that agency [Page 337]managers have access to advice about how to best communicate with various audiences important to the success of the agency, and that specific questions from journalists or the public are answered in an accurate and timely way.

These professional science communicators work for a variety of different types of agencies. For example, at the federal level, some organizations directly conduct scientific field or laboratory research, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) ...