“Talk social sciences to me”: Enhancing the dissemination of social sciences through mass media engagement

Abstract

This study examines mass media communication as a vital yet under-explored channel for disseminating social sciences. Drawing on the knowledge transfer and science communication literature, we identify specific Social Sciences Communication Barriers (SSCBs) that may hinder the effectiveness of mass media in this regard. These barriers include perceptions of lower expertise compared to STEM fields, heightened competition from non-academics, and difficulties aligning disciplinary expertise with public expectations. By means of a between-subjects experiment, we analyse responses to op-eds written by social scientists in economics, management science and sociology on business-related topics. Using a representative French sample (n = 1080), complemented by replication studies in two other European contexts, we find that social scientists benefit from an “academic premium” in terms of credibility that significantly enhances engagement with their audiences, thus supporting the effectiveness of mass media as a dissemination channel—but solely when addressing topics aligned with their disciplinary expertise. Conversely, this premium is diminished when academics also act as consultants. This study addresses calls for further research on knowledge dissemination in the social sciences and offers insights for scholars, institutions, and policymakers.