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) or the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Some agencies provide funding to universities and others to conduct research, such as the National Science Foundation. And a large number of agencies at the federal, state, or local level, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, conduct programs related to health, food safety, energy, environment, law enforcement, military, and manufacturing that require science and technology communications.

According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, as of December 2008, a total of about 9,000 people were employed by the federal government as public affairs specialists, writer/editors, technical writers, audiovisual specialists, editorial assistants, and exhibit specialists. Only a fraction of this number specializes in science and technology communications. Many more people in the field work for state or local government offices with science- and technology-related missions.

The function of government public affairs, communications, or information offices within science and technology agencies is similar to that of counterpart offices within universities or other nonprofit organizations—to help the agency succeed in its mission by maintaining good relationships with major stakeholder groups. Stakeholder groups, sometimes referred to as publics, are collections of people with similar interests whose support or opposition can strongly affect the agency's welfare and can either help or hinder it in accomplishing its mission. Examples include the news media; federal, state, or local agency officials; members of Congress or other elected officials and their staffs; academic or corporate leaders; researchers, engineers, and other technically trained specialists; doctors, nurses, and other health care specialists; or segments of the broader public, such as educators, parents, science enthusiasts, or students.